stevelucocq

ha....good pic of the corner..and good effort on your sole on flying butress direct.....do u think u will get back into it?...Routes...hard to say but some of the Routes I did in Pembroke have got to be up there with a capital A for adventure and Alp/North Wales for length.......i spent 8 months up in Chesterfield and managed to tick alot of Stanage, Burbage etc that I had on my list....i like grit in the way there a less holds/features than limestone so the move (sometimes) come to you quicker and can be more dynamic. Gritstone is the best rock known to man/women...I have many more pics may post a few more if I get time later...cheers steve

hi, hey Jason James Gairn good effort on doing the corner I hear the top moves are getting a bit polished. I love North Wales and in the passed have been obsessed with it(check out my pictures in my profile). Yeah I got into rock climbing as was getting frustrated with not enough good climbs in work. I feel rock climbing is total freedom with out saws, ropes holding you in places (not to say I dislike arb work) and exercises you mentally and physically. I had a nasty injury at the beginning of last year and this has put me out of action for a while (Physically and abit of bottle too!). I have been back bouldering for a good few months but keen to get back into leading this summer (VS-E1). Anyone interested in getting out in South Wales or trips to North Wales as I have use of a club hut near Llanberris then drop us a line. Cheers Steve [email protected]

Impressive!!...ok I am just about to go to Nepal to do work with the RSPB. I will be climbing 30 – 35 metre trees (so no bigger really than the trees we sometimes work on). I will be using a mixture of SRT and normal tree climbing techniques. I was wondering what you found was the most efficient SRT set up(without power winch!) that you used as any saving on energy expenditure in the midday heat will be much appreciate. Thanks Steve

Hi thanks for the support. Heres a fews pictures from last year for those interested. I was not involved last year so I am very keen to help this year. Thanks again Steve

Hi, My name is Stephen Lucocq and I work as a Arborist in Swansea. Next Month I will be going out to Nepal to do voluntary work with the RSPB. I will be involved in a project to conserve the future of Asia's critically endangered vultures that have declined by more than 97% since the 1990s. My work will consist of climbing high into the trees to gain access to the vulture nests. The purpose of this is to take vulture chicks into captivity to then breed them and reintroduce back into the wild when safe to do so. The massive decline in Asia’s vulture’s numbers is due to a drug given to livestock as an anti-inflammatory. Vultures are exposed to the drug when they consume carcasses of animals that were treated with this drug. For further information please visit: http://www.vulturerescue.org Anyone interested in giving a donation towards the project please follow the link below: http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/vultures/index.asp Many Thanks and I will write a full article/pictures when I return Steve Lucocq

Hi, I am shortly off on a project to Nepal where I will be climbing 30+metre trees for the RSPB. Anyway I have been trained and used both systems and as am from an Arb background have used that system a lot more. I have decided with some practice on using a Arb system for the project but I will be using a long legged friction knot with a jumar and foot loop below it. I have experiment with single and double leg thrusting and double legs thrusting works well but did find myself switching between the two. Am sure everyone understands this method but its basically a case of pushing the jumar up to the friction knot standing up in the jumar and pushing the knot up as far as possible whilst locking off with your right arm (Easier to show than write!). If the pivots have too much friction then I will install retrieval pulley tied off on it self so is secure from above and a slicker pivot. I have practised on a few 20+metre trees on a straight pull and this system works well (Well I did it three times back to back and still felt strong). We are taking SRT equipment with as a few other people on the trip have SRT backgrounds. But yes for BIG trees SRT has got to be the option. Will write a full article when am back from the trip. Cheers Steve ps has anyone had any experience of climbing Simal trees/ Bombax ssp. I think there also called East Indian Silk cotton trees?

hi I read it in Manual of wood decays in trees, K. Weber, C. Mattheck but this of cause does not mean its 100% rule. also this is interesting reading: Ganoderma on Trees - Differentiation of species and studies of invasiveness F.W.M.R. Schwarze and D. Ferner Diagnosis and differentiation The perennial fruit bodies of G. applanatum have often been confused with those of G. adspersum, but the following characteristics can help to differentiate these species. If the lower surface of the fruit body bears the galls of the larvae of the mushroom fly Agathomyia wankowici, the fungus can be identified as G. applanatum, as it is the only European species of Ganoderma affected (BREITENBACH and KRÄNZLIN, 1986). However, the absence of these galls does not prove the converse, especially in regions where the fly does not occur. Another feature of the fruit bodies of G. applanatum is that they are usually thinner than those of G. adspersum (20 – 60 mm, compared with 40 – 100 mm) at the base. Also their undersides tend to emerge sharply at right angles from the host stem, whereas those of G. adspersum usually have a decurrent attachment. Moreover, G. applanatum has a thinner crust, which can be indented with a fingernail. With a hand lens, a difference in the pore structure can be seen in a radial section; in the older parts of the fruit body, the pores of G. applanatum, become filled with a white mycelium, whereas those of G. adspersum remain empty (BREITENBACH and KRÄNZLIN, 1986). Microscopic features are also useful in distinguishing G. applanatum from G. adspersum. Its basidiospores are, on average, smaller (7 – 9 x 4.5 – 6.0 μm, compared with 8.5 – 12.0 x 6.5 – 8.0 μm) (BREITENBACH and KRÄNZLIN, 1986). Also, it has been reported by FERNER (2000) to produce broader hyphae at the growing margins of pure cultures on agar, having an average diameter of 3.50 μm, compared with 2.10 μm in G. adspersum (see Fig. 1A). As both spore size and hyphal diameter show overlap between individuals of the two species, another criterion, recently described by FERNER (2000), should be applied; i.e. the formation of thin hyphal strands at the margins of colonies of G. adspersum growing on cellophane overlying agar; this does not occur in the case of G. applanatum. cheers steve

Hi, Interested to see pictures of other tree related disorders such as pest (beetles, moths etc), bacterial diseases and disorders (Nutrient deficiency etc) thanks for any help cheers Steve

so as a general rule are we saying increase the risk factor if it adspersum? so IDing it correctly is v important. Also I did read somewhere that there are white mycelial strips in the flesh of applanatum, anyone else agree with this? Just ordered a new camera and will be keen to get out soon and use it . Cheers steve

hi, I am in the process of doing it through Mycercough College. This is the first online course I have done so don’t have much to compare it too. I did study at University so have had some experiences of some of the topics that are being covered and getting into study mode. OK so, so far I am really enjoying it. I wont lie it is challenging and bits are in depth. I find the hardest bit is reading through the work books (Some are 100 pages long) and just getting the main points out of this. Also the online Tree/Shrub Identification package is excellent and a good discussion board to speak to the tutor and other people on the course is a great help. Any other questions just ask. Cheers Steve

Hi, Ok here is another one. I have started reading through the tree survey notes as part of my Tech Cert and this has got me thinking. During last year I conducted a condition tree survey of a local park. What I was wondering is what legal requirements do you presently need to do this? I would presume the Tech Cert would allow you to write legal condition reports but I had no assessed qualification when conducting this survey. So is there any clear guidelines as to what is formally required to do such work? thanks and this will hopefully make good reading Steve

Brilliant!! they do not teach you this sort of stuff on the course. cheers for everyone thoughts

hi, I am busy in the process studying for my tech cert and at the moment I am covering decay dectection equipment. There are many pieces of equipment mentioned but I was wondering whats generally being used out in the field at the moment. Any advantages and disadvantages would be interesting. Ow by the way this is not a piece of course work I am trying to get other people to answer for me! cheers steve

shhhhh....dont tell max!!

hi, spotted this yesterday whilst in work. It seems to be on a dead possible horse chestnut stump. Also I have spotted something similar on a living horse chestnut tree under a large branch. Part of me feels like its a Ganoderma species just have not seen this bracket colour before. thanks for any help cheers steve