ArbjobsNick

STEIN have just bought out three eye to eyes at 75 cm read more about them on the fletcher stewart website. Fletcher Stewart Work well on 13mm tied as either Mitchegan and Schwab hitches. Nice positive lock and short sit back all makes for a nice safe feel. Your line wont tend to self feed through these as eaily as it will with a VT but you have to weigh up which you prefer.

Grosse Gut Geburtstag Justin.

Only thing climbers kept asking for was quick release legs loops and guess what the "click" has got? How to make a great harness even better ! Same recomended retail price ! Clever chaps Skylotec

Six teams already entered at this weeks 3ATC College Climbing Competition at Capel Manor Enfield. Still space for a few more teams if any students want to attend. Its only a simple work climb no fancy stuff required. So if you can already climb around a tree you can do this event. Teams of three you need to have climbed for less than two years and currently be studying at one of the Arb Colleges. For this event you do not need to have passed CS38 but you should be half way competent. We have expert staff on site to guide and help you. Don't worry about kit either we can lend you some if you can't borrow it from College. Entry fee is a huge £30 per team £10 each and there is £300 worth of prizes for each of the winning team members approximately £900 for the team. The College the winning team represent also win nearly £1,500 worth of equipment and prizes. More experianced student climbers can climb as individuals in the Premier Student section again winning approximately £300 worth of prizes themselves and again £1,500 of equipment and prizes for the College they represent. Entry forms and more details at Arboricultural Association Arborist Tree Challenge Northern College Climbing Competition and Open event for climbers of all ability booked for the End of May again see website for more information. Call me if youd like any more information 07500 084103 Nick

Hi Fuda Yale XTC has been around for years it comes in lots of different colours but its all the same rope a 16 strand kernmantle tree climbing rope. UK AFAG401 http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/afag401.pdf recomendations for tree climbing operations has a whole section of friction hitches and is well worth reading if your just starting out. Yale cordage produce a 10mm accessory cord called Silver Streak ideal for use with all XTC lines. It will need to be tied in a loop for use in a prusik loop. Other hitches are also possible. Always a good idea to make sure any hitch works correctly before you leave the ground. Cambium/friction savers will help your rope last longer rope running over a branch will create wear to the rope and potentially damage the tree (not good) dirt will also built up on your rope from the branch. Lots of different friction saving devices around from basic to complex so its your choice how you go with this but my opinion is that they are in general a good ideal. Another good publication to purchase would be the Arb Associations guide to good climbing practice. http://www.trees.org.uk/publications/Industry-tree-care-guides/Guide-to-Good-Climbing-Practice I hope this helps. Safe climbing Nick

Thanks Marc Thats what I was trying to get over. Drop a heavy weight in to a static line and its going to want to stretch if it can't stretch and absorb the load it breaks fibres instead. I'm not talking bungie line just a little stretch can make a huge differance to the life of a rope and your safety. You only need to consider dynamic ropes when you are working with dynamic loads static lines are fine with static loads. Horses for courses all good lines as long as you understand where and when to use them to their best advantage.

Hi Tom Plumpton and of course Capel manor are both confirmed at this time. I have heard that Merrist Wood, Myerscough and Warwick might be bringing teams. This is as much as I know at the moment. Fewer Colleges the better chance your team and College have of winning the £2000 worth of prizes.

A lot of very good rigging lines out there I see the Liros is very static thats good if you are working with static loads but once you start working with dynamic falling timber things change so you need to work out what you want from your rigging rope. I lifted the following text from the Yale Cordage website I hope they wont mind. Dynamic Energy in Arborist Rope - Arborist Rope | Yale Cordage One of the most misunderstood aspects of rope selection is the disconnect between breaking strength and a ropes ability to absorb dynamic loads. Many people wrongly assume that the stronger a rope’s rating the harder it is to break. That is not the case as a rope can be parted if called upon to carry a load greater than its breaking strength or, if asked to absorb a dynamic load greater than its energy absorption capability. Everyone is used to talking about a rope’s breaking strength but almost no one describes a rope’s energy absorption capability. This is obtained by studying a stress strain curve of load vs. elongation. The area described under the stress strain curve pertains to force acting through distance (or the work required to break it). On the previous page you will find the bar graphs of our ropes’ dynamic characterists. The first shows each types’ working energy absorption which describes how much energy each will absorb before reaching its working load, which in the case of rigging ropes is 1/5 or 20% of its breaking strength. The more work the rope can do getting to 20% of breaking strength the longer it will last. A very stiff rope, with little or no elongation, gets to its working load without doing much work and quickly becomes loaded beyond its safe working load, regardless of how strong it is. These ropes are poor choices for rigging with the single exception where stretch cannot be tolerated, such as working with a zip line over a roof with limited clearances. The second graph is of the lines ultimate energy absorption. This represents the amount of dynamic loading a line will take before it parts. If you subtract the working energy absorption from the ultimate it tells you how much reserve energy you have to play with. *See supporting graph on bottom of previous page. A further complication is that these numbers are expressed as foot lbs/lb of rope in tension. So to calculate the rigged lines’ energy capabilities you need to know the length of the line that will bear the load. A couple of examples may help: Example 1 – We will use 5/8 diameter Double Esterlon line rigged into a tree with a block in such a way that 25 ft. of line is required to arrest a 500 lb section of trunk falling 5 ft. From the Double Esterlon specification table and energy graph we will need its weight of 13.7 lbs/100 ft or .137 lbs/ft, its green working energy absorption maximum of 544 ft lb per lb of rope in use, and its maximum recommended working load of 3,400 lbs. First, we will calculate the ft lbs of energy needed to arrest the 500 lb trunk section falling 5 ft. The simple equation of the weight multiplied by the fall will get the result within 1%, so • 500 lb x 5 ft = 2500 ft lbs. Next, we will calculate the lines energy absorption capacity for a 25 foot length • 25 ft x 544 ft/lb x .137 lb/ft = 1863 ft lbs. From these two calculations we can see that in this scenario the maximum recommended energy absorption is exceeded by 637 ft lbs or 34% (2500 ft lbs / 1863 ft lbs). We can also estimate the load reached in the line multiplying the maximum recommended working load by 134% or • 3400 x 1.34 = 4,556 lbs. To illustrate the importance of energy capacity of ropes we will take a look at using a high energy absorption line. Example 2 – We will substitute a 5/8 diameter Polydyne. Same diameter, but very different energy capacity. Doing the same calculations with Polydyne’s physicals we get the following: • 500 lb x 5 ft. = 2,500 ft lbs. required • 25 ft x 1040 ft/lb x .133 lb/ft = 3,458 ft lbs. capacity In this case, we have reserve energy absorbing capacity of 958 ft lbs and the peak load in the line is estimated at: • (2500/3458) x 3600 lbs = 2,602 lbs. The more area in the stress strain graphs (green working and red ultimate) the higher the ropes ability to absorb dynamic loads.

To make things easier I have added entry forms and rules here for you to download. As I have said there are some great prizes to be won next week. We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you there. Nick 2012 Open and CCC RULES.pdf 2012 CCC Entry Form Vs2.pdf

Please find below entry forms and rules to the next two events. We are adding locations and dates all the time so keep an eye out for other climbing events coming up. We like to keep the 3ATC events realistic to the industry in which we work here in the UK. We have one tree The competition is based around one tree in which you carry out a number of tasks. With three levels of climber Novice, Expert and Premier we hope to welcome all not just the elite. Entry fee is only £10 and there are some great prizes on offer at each level. Just taking part in these events makes you a winner in our industry you learn you meet friends you network. Nick 2012 Open Entry Form.pdf 2012 Open and CCC RULES.pdf

Sorry to take so long getting back to you. I have spoken to the Head Judge and we have agreed that SRT climbing isn't going to be excluded from the 3ATC OPEN events but the decision to let any climber compete will be down to the discretion of the Head Judge on the day. His/Her decision will be based on the condition and effectiveness of the equipment being used and the competancy of the climber planning to use it. There are a few different SRT climbing systems out there in use, good, bad and ugly so it will depend on what each climber has. We do exactly the same for the DRT climbers so not singling SRT folks out. Hope you can make it and look forward to meeting you. Nick

Any Students got a question they might like to ask about the event?

Hi Bergan Yes if he is still at College he can enter as an individual in the Premier event or if he has been climbing less than two years and has two mates to join him from College at the same level they could enter as a team. The tree isn't huge so not too daunting for Students. ISC and Gustharts have got some great goody bags for everyone entering so even if he doesnt win he will come away with something. ISC and STEIN SAFETY are also on site at Capel to talk to the students about climbing equipment that should help them day to day. Hope he can make it. Nick

If you are currently at College Studying Arboriculture there are two tree climbing events coming up especially for you. College Climbing Competitions run by the Arboricultural Association 3ATC Southern Capel Manor 20th 21th April 3ATC Northern Craigside Estate 24th 25th May Prizes at both locations are worth over £2,000 Teams of three students for the team event or individual students for the Premier event. £10 entry fee per climber £30 Per team (3x£10) The 3ATC is based around a simple work climb nothing too demanding work your way around the tree climbing safely collecting points not penalties as you go. Go to www.3ATC.com for more information entry forms and rules. Terms apply please read the rules and entry forms.

We released the dates for the 3ATC OPEN event earlier in the year I notice the ISA have chosen to run their event on the same day. Don't know why but they must have their reasons. The Northern 3ATC has been kinndly sponsored by equiipment supplier Gustharts and will be held at the National Trust Estate Craigside in Northumbria on the 26th of May Entry for all climbers is only £10. There will be some great prizes for the winners in each category Novice, Expert and Premier. We hope you will join us for a great day out. More details at www.3atc.com

Thats great new Craig for those climbers who can cover the cost to make it to the Europeans.

Some lads got a load of kit nicked in Basingstoke a few weeks back too obviously someone is doing the rounds again. Keep your gear well locked up chaps.

Try these guys Craig. I pass this site regularly it looks ideal for an ISA event. Oaktree Farm - Sandon Hall Its near Stafford just south of Stone some lovely big oaks in a parkland enviroment and not far from the M6.

Unfortunately you dont want to belive everything you read on the internet Rupes. Please feel free to email Jamie at Yale Cordage directly he will tell you the truth about what line has and has not passed CE. It might also help to understood the differances between American ANSI standards and CE standards before you choose a rope to use in the UK. Obviously this rope is for your use and your choice. I am pretty sure climbing on non CE equipment would have invalidated any claim you attempted to make against the comp should you have had an accident. The judges are there to carry out a cursory check of your equipment based on the fact that you will have also signed to say it all meets UK LOLER requirements (non CE rope passed LOLER, how? but anyway thats another issue) along with the waiver form in which you agree not to hold any of the organisers liable in any way should you injure yourself in any way by taking part. Blimey why do you guys try to make things so hard for people trying to give you some fun? Stop bucking the system and just play by the rules that are there to try and keep you safe.

I was suprized to find out what is involved in getting PPE equipment through European CE standards and how much it costs. Other standards are available around the world but tests vary for industrial use in the European community we should try to use CE products failure to do so may leave your insurance invalid and if providing PPE for staff may leave you liable for criminal prosecution. Can you justify in court using a non CE alternative should an incedent occur? Probably not. You don't have to pay road tax You don't need to get an MOT You don't have to drive within the speed limit You don't have to stop and look when crossing the road All free choices that come with the democratic system in which we live. It's your personal choice but with choice comes responsibility.

Sometimes it isn't possible to get events booked in advance but here are some 3ATC UK climbing comp dates for your diaries please keep an eye on the website for more information and entry forms Arboricultural Association Arborist Tree Challenge Northern Open 26th May Craigside Estaite Morpeth Northumbria UK Open 15th 16th of June AA Arb Fair Cirencester Gloucester NEW South East OPEN 13th 14th July FR Jones and Son Forest and Arb show Shipbourne Kent (Pending approval) MIDLANDS OPEN 13th 14th 15th September APF Ragley Estate, Warwickshire

I am sure the 3ATC would be happy with that idea Stuart. It is bloody hard work finding locations, organising, promoting and rasing funds to run climbing events. Most climbers just do not realise all the work that needs to be done before the day. It is especially hard to find six trees on a location like Craig needs so I am sure he would appreciate any help any of you can give him to try and get an ISA UK & I organised for this year.

I will be talking to the other judges and the AA about this next week I think we need to decide if we are allowing an SRT section in the competiton. I think there have been some huge leap forwards in SRT safety in the last 12 months just need to decide if its considered safe enough to be allowed at 3ATC events. Its not just my decision I am afraid. Will keep you all up to date. Cheers Nick

If you go via an agency the agency will charge the employer a percentage of your salary. If you apply direct or via Arbjobs.com there are no agency fees so you stand a much better chance of an employer accepting your application as it will be far cheaper way to take you on. We have loads of UK and international jobs on the site at the moment and you can apply directly to as many as you want. Good luck. Nick