Rich Rule

We spoke to the tree officer who gave the work to the company I was helping. It was agreed all round that the safety of the public over the festive period was of paramount importance. Tops snapped out of mature oaks, limbs broken and hung up due to snow damage etc etc. A few spike marks in the tree was the trade off, as opposed to a potential death in their hands... public or the climbers. Plus plus was that if the climber survived the climb he was still alive to do the next tree.

I was always under the impression PPE was inadequate either way. Climbing trousers were 22m/s and an MS200t was 24m/s. So even if you had the correctly advised PPE it still would not be rated to the smallest climbing saw we used to use. Best PPE is correct technique.

As Pete and Ian said. Aim for the cheapest direction. I did 3 weeks in woodlands once after a freak storm came through and the snow snapped lotsof tops and limbs. It was in the run up to Chrimbo and Bexley Council wanted it all cleared before the Xmas break as dog walkers galore would be in the woods over the Xmas period. Slightly different scenario to the one you find yourself in, but the lack of anchors and some creative use of spikes we got it done. It certainly made you scratch the head a bit and definitely they were challenging climbs.

I hear you and admire your passion. I think someone else touched on it, but having all the paper qualifications in the world of Arb, is one thing. Having the experience of a working Arb will give your qualifications more credibility. Qualification prove that you can pass a test or follow a course and submit the required information. Just because you pass your driving test doesn’t make you Lewis Hamilton. Likewise, imagine if you had just passed your driving theory and then start giving advice to HGV Drivers or even Lewis Hamilton, they are gonna think who is this? all the paper looks ok but they can’t even drive. Same situation. Nothing worse than trying to meet a spec laid out by a tree officer when they have little to zero practical experience of how to achieve said goal. It won’t be easy, but if you want to go for it, then what’s stopping you? Your body will adapt, some can hack it many can’t. I would suggest dipping your ‘toe in’. Try and get some work to see if you like it rather than shell out for the courses. Good luck.

If you are good you will have work. Simple. I contract climbed for about 14 years before I left the UK.

@ArborOdyssey Hello mate. Yes I splice myself. Not for a while though. I don’t tend to do the splices any differently from climbing lines to Rigging. BUT then again I don't tend to follow factory instructions. I have never had any splices break tested but have discussed it at length with people who have. A friend in the UK has slightly modified DB splices and had them tested, when I say modified I mean simplified. Certain steps make the process of the taper and bury easier to pull and finish. The new measurements are far greater than the normal recommended fid length. eg, 12mm climb line - 12 inch fid length. 16mm rigging line - 16 inch fid length. As for the taper I would have to dig out my splicing book for the strand pattern for removal. Used rope with a tight cover are a pain in the rear end. I don’t splice hitch cord as it isn’t worth it IME, it makes the hitch cord a bit too stiff at the eye and affects the function of the hitch. A couple of my splices. I tend to do rigging splices with larger eyes, apart from the one in the picture as It was a request for a friend. The theory being a bit more rope in the eye with allow a bit more loading than a tight eye. (int the event of shock loading, but we all know and never do it ;)) Interested in hearing your thoughts on that.

Track and Trace - Whats to worry about. FML. Cant even answer a simple question.

No problem bud.

Single layer. I only really wear it when it is winter and I have a fleece on so want it warm. It doesn’t have vents so you do get a bit hot I guess, but I would rather be wet and warm than shivering and wet.

You will more than likely have an n107 towing restriction in their now. So 7.5tbut not to exceed Max train weight of 8.25t. So you could go 5.5t truck and 2ton trailer. 4x4 with 3.5t towing and 3.5t trailer. Etc etc, providing it doesn’t exceed 8.25t. Mine used to be 7.5t vehicle and trailer. Not to exceed 12t Max train weight.

I have used one with a 20 and yessir it does Growl!

Swazi Karona Anorak for me. Bought from the NZ website just before I move to Norway, it arrived in 6 days. Hivis and has a skirt to keep the butt dry. Surprisingly the skirt doesn’t get in the way of a climbing harness. High-Visibility WWW.SWAZI.CO.NZ Productivity stays high when your warm, dry and safe. When getting the job done is a given, and health... I went XL so I have space for a fleece and whotnot as it gets pretty harsh sometimes here.

Good to hear. Yeah been here over 3 years now. Kids have settled well and doing well at school. Work is busy, so can’t complain. Say hello to your brother and climb safe.

Cheers mate. How are things with you? Keeping busy and out of trouble

Whenever I have worked weekends it sat 1.5 and 2 x for Sunday. most of the guys I climbed for in London did this. If their customer insists it is done in a weekend. Standard reply is 1.5 times normal rate as the boys will be getting that. as long as your upfront with the client. They pay for your time. do the guys who work for standard rates do so the same for call out or night shift? They are both technically within a 24 hour day.

Send him a PM as it was stated above, with your mobile number.

Boris Johnson walks into a bank to cash a cheque. As he approaches the cashier he says, "Good morning Miss, could you please cash this cheque for me?" Cashier: "It would be my pleasure. Could you please show me your ID?" Johnson: "Truthfully, I did not bring my ID with me as I didn't think there was any need to. I am Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister. Cashier: "Yes, I know who you are, but with all the regulations and monitoring of the banks because of impostors and forgers and requirements of the legislation, etc I must insist on seeing ID." Johnson: “Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am." Cashier: "I am sorry, Mr Johnson, but these are the bank rules and I must follow them." Johnson, "Come on please, I am begging you, please cash this cheque." Cashier: "Look sir, here is an example of what we can do. One day, Tiger Woods came into the bank without ID. To prove he was Tiger Woods he pulled out his putter and made a beautiful shot across the bank into a cup. With that shot we knew him to be Tiger Woods and cashed his cheque." "Another time, Andre Agassi came in without ID. He pulled out his tennis racket and made a fabulous shot where the tennis ball landed in my cup. With that shot we cashed his cheque. So, Sir, what can you do to prove that it is you and only you?" Johnson stands there thinking and thinking and finally says, "Honestly, my mind is a total blank...there is nothing that comes to my mind. I can't think of a single thing. I have absolutely no idea what to do. I don't have a clue." Cashier: "Will that be large or small notes , Mr Johnson. ?....

Correct, you didn’t say it was difficult but you said it wasn’t as easy as some portray it. Ergo, you imply the opposite of easy, which is difficult. I totally agree that trying to advance a cambium save as an SRT anchor would be a faff. Whereas, a throw line through a decent fork or two and tied back at the base is about as simple as it gets. If you want to back up the base tie and turn into a top anchor, pull a bit of slack through and tie an alpine butterfly and either an extra bina and pinto pulley or a Singing tree quickie. Hardly any additional hardware, reduces the loading forces on the anchor and you still have a back up of the base tie if you do desire. Alternatively get a ground guy to untie the base anchor. I just find it hard to understand why people would employ the cambium saver for SRT. They are a nightmare to install for doubled rope and I find it hard to see the perceived benefit over a decent anchor point and base anchor.

Climbing SRT can be as simple or as complex as you make it. In 6 years I have never used a cambium saver. I like to keep it simple. I am not surprised you find it difficult faffing around like that. Plenty of options for safe and secure climbing and if you want to over complicate things there are plenty of ideas on the inter webs. KISS.

Not sure mate. It was a Fassi F820. It was the same crane that Alistair Macgee has posted all over Instagram. Just without the cutting head.

Crane removal of two compromised Maple trees over a listed building. Had a internal voice tell me not to tie into one of the leaning stems. I had an anchor in a more upright, funked stem. As I got 4/5th of the way through the cut it popped and started to open up. I noticed it when my feet started to move A couple of pictures of the pic and the cracked stem. Some others of the job in general. All went pretty smoothly considering the state of them and the potential for property damage.

Maybe, maybe not. I find a base anchor a lot easier than isolating a limb. I usually try and pick an anchor that if it were to fail it would get caught pretty quickly on another limb/crotch. Minimising the impact. I find the ease of setting a line SRT is a major benefit, where as I find (in most cases) trying to isolate a limb a right royal PITA.

Paddy, did you read the thread? The capacity in which the guy was working was Labour Only Freelance and not a Bona Fide Subcontractor. So your comments about having insurance to cover damages is pretty pointless unless Bonafide. Yes insurance for personal injury is recommended. The reason so many companies use ‘Subbies’ (your term and many others in the industry) is because they don’t know the rules. When I fact they require EL cover as technically they are employing someone for a day, week, whatever. Trust me on this, I have been there and tried to have someone claim on the pointless insurance I was carrying whilst working in the capacity described in this thread and the capacity of ‘Subbie’ (not my term) that most companies use. My insurer just said ‘not covered’, end of! Yet they sold it to me basis of me being a freelance /contract climber who didn’t do his own jobs. So for three years I paid for a useless piece of paper and lined the pockets of the shareholders of the underwriting company and the brokers who sold it.

Hope he heals up. I have had two top anchors fail whilst ascending. First time I damaged my ankle but luckily I was only about 12 foot up and the anchor broke was about 60’. Second time, the top snapped out as I was ascending and I started to fall (strangely in slow motion) and then the top landed in a fork and got wedged there. I looked up, thought that looks bomber now and carried on. The guy I was working for looked white as a sheet. It is very easily done and I climb SRT 99% of the time. I now will pull a line back out if it isn’t perfect or close to sketchy. The plus side, you do get better with the throw line the more you use it and therefore should be more accurate with your throwing. I hope your friend recovers and takes some important experience from this. Climb safe everyone.

Done mate. I might have to buy a teether or pacifier. Imagine the look on Haakon and Torstein's face when they opened that.