Rich Rule

That was the cut itself. The wood above was considerably sound. There was a bit of reactionary growth or something on the bark. Just didn’t look right so I took the flip line off. I sort of heard a pop, (maybe I felt it) and then felt my feet started moving a bit. The bottom of the cut, split a bit IIRC but I only snapped a pic of the cut and not the picked piece. The whole tree wasn’t in the best condition.

Granted, that isn’t an everyday issues. But there will be times when preparation for a sharp exit will be needed. Many situations can cause a piece of wood to come back at the climber, split or just mean you gotta get out of the way, pronto. I try and make cuts with single line and lanyard when possible. But I am not going to put myself at an increased level of risk just because some suit has made a recommendation and it has been agreed to be the way forward. Therein lies the problem IMO. People who are in charge of governing an industry’s safe practices, with only limited practical experience within the industry.

Would you have wanted to be tied into this stem when it went pop? We were dismantling a knackered Norwegian Maple, twin stem and growing over protected buildings. I was tied into the other 'knackered' Stem and the stem I was cutting didn't seem right. So I took my flip line off and used one anchor. When the stem popped, my feet started to move apart slightly. Just goes to show not everything is to be blindly followed.

Don't drink on a school night them.

I would say most of us. In fact, scratch that. I cannot answer for others. Always. I only use one climb line and positioning strop. I realised just after college that climbing on two ends of a line is not only cumbersome but archaic. I climb 98% of the time SRT. I have a long lanyard in a bag which could be used for a leggy tree as an extra line. TBH I spliced it 5 years ago and never used it. It's a good option to have though and it is always in the truck. I tend to have the shorter lanyard and use it like that.

RIP. The following poem was written by a guy called Ortise from JLS. Don’t worry, I don’t follow JLS. He used to train at my gym in London and posted it on his Instagram. I thought it was well written and a fitting tribute to an exceptional human being.

I used to run a swivel on my bridge to get the twists out. IMO it just made it a lot worse. That was on doubled rope though with a VT. Because of that, I tried to change my climbing style so the ropes didn’t get tangled. I haven’t tried a swivel on single line as I haven’t had the same twisting effect, so have no idea how effective it would be.

Could you not use 2 bridges and two separate rings? Climbing system connected to each one?

Might I add, he is back climbing again and has been for quite a few years. The human mind is a powerful thing.

The cause of the accident I would guess was fatigue, last cut of the day, nothing to do with the climbing kit, Rigging line and block not having upto date LOLER. Side strop wasn't long enough to go around the main stem so it or his climb line was on a stub. It must have rolled off and he fell. I turned up to a fat, dead 35 foot Ash stem with a 7 foot by 15 inch diameter log at the top, that had been connected to the rigging line, face cut in place and back cut looked good from the front side. I can only assume as he leaned around the far side to see how much more to cut the hinge, it must have rolled off. He fell onto a car park and the previously rigged logs that were around the base of the tree.

Poor bloke.

The law may have changed in recent years. I can’t comment on the farmer incident. BUT a very good friend of mine and someone I worked for a couple of years had an accident. He fell about 35 feet onto a car park. Lots of injuries, plenty of operations and time off work. He was working for his own company and the kit using had issues. Not LOLER’d etc. AFAIK he wasn’t prosecuted by HSE as he was a director of his own company. It would have been a very different story if the accident had been an employee and he had been sent up to do the work with the same kit. The HSE did get involved. I was contacted and had to make the site and tree safe, whilst being watched by both police and muppets from the HSE. The latter were accident investigators assigned to the Arb sector and they didn’t have a single clue how to do the task. I spent longer explaining to them and writing a risk assessment as to how I was going to complete the task. I even bagged up the lowering pulley and rigging line for the investigators to take with them. It wasn't a particularly pleasant position to be in knowing my friend had been airlifted to A&E with suspected broken back and neck, but also dealing with the personnel from the Health and Safety Executive. This was a few years ago and as I mentioned the laws may have changed. But that particular occasion was enough for me to realise some of the people making rules and legislation shouldn’t be allowed away from their desks.

Never. Unless I need it. But that isn’t very often.

That an indoor axe, so it’s ok. 😂 I do split the wood out side though with an old elwell which was my grandads.

I use the Norwegian method in my Jotul Stove. The describe it as the Swiss top down method. 2 logs at bottom. Bit of newspaper a scrumpled up and then 1 inch or so square kinlin in a grid fashion for about 3 or 4 layers. 2 fire lighters on top, shut door and open vent. Heat rises and the more wood lights and drops embers, it lights up the bottom logs and the more heat the more draw, after 5 mins I close the vent half way and you get a proper good bed of embers in The middle and the two logs alight. The load up the bigger logs on the lit ones. Space is key, I always try and prop one up on another. Burns clean and hot, even with spruce and pine. Might darken the glass as it lights if it is a bit sappy, but once lit the glass burns clear.

Hopefully Big J will be happy now.

I just shorten the chain with a half hitch, pretty easy to do. You can shorten them at the other end but I find that a PITA.

40 song titles apparently.

Where in the world are you? Plenty of good suppliers. Honey brothers Fr Jones Skyland or if you are in old school Trumpton, then you have ... Treestuff Sherril

Did you see the story in Bradford. Helpful youths in Bradford were standing outside Morrison’s handing out antibacterial liquid. Except it was superglue. The guy in the news paper report had one hand stuck in his trouser pocket and the other to the shopping basket handle.

Nice work Jay. Is Andrew still working there?

Tommy, the digital version is 20 quid. I have seen them on eBay for hundreds of dollars. I was lucky, I got my copy from Amazon as a used copy. 13 quid plus delivery. What turned up was an immaculate hardbacked copy.

Nice one, well done. Still can’t officially call yourself a ‘Wood Astronaut’ yet’. Maybe one day.

Horses have there place. I agree, it is great to see them working. One of the guys I work with in the Oslo area, he often uses them when he can't get his timber lorry in. Yes he did straight fell the trees with all the cars there... straight down the middle.