Jason James Gairn

Your in Newzealand! its winter!

This is the `law unto yourself' reference. The full stop taking it out of arb and into the wider world. If someone else had the same philosophy at work and I think you would have to endorse their rebellious nature as it is similar to your own as quoted above; if they decided to disregard the laws that protect bats, ie not doing something (like obeying this law) and decide to fell a batty tree, I am sure you would not extol the virtues of your quoted philosophy so strongly. Hope this explains things. I wouldn't have pointed this out had I not felt you were `having a go' at my work ethic. Which indeed you were.

I've been a few times to NY and twice to LA, where the police got invloved as I stood in a doorway half in and half out beer inside and ciggy out side. I wasnt allowed to take my drink outside and couldn't smoke inside. i thought it the best logical compromise. When I told this to staff they wasted no time in calling LAPD. Also it's not legal to shoot republicans. Which it is here, and in our twin city of Baggydad.

Flux!! Wow! saw them in Bridgewater arts center 1983. Tube disaster their best tune. Thanks for the memory Highscale.

Your an American. you can last time I looked do what ever you want. We have to wear quilts by law. Do you ever wear shorts? (when using saw)

I'm a Robbins fan, Ive read most of them. my fave is Still Life with wood pecker. If you have fun with the oddness of Robbins try these, they are my absolute favorites... The Third Policeman -flan O'Brien. The greatest Irish novel ever. More python than python, and 20 years before! When the Ass saw the angel-Nick cave. yes that nick Cave. dark as a a novel can get without actually turning the light off. The 3 stigmata of Palma eldrich-Philip K dick. The master takes us on a very weird trip into Sc-fi. Unfilmable thankfully. My wife has chunking her way through Anna Karenina, war and peace and an ed o Brian novel all at the same time! Parallel reading gone nuts!:wave:

Summer is great unless you have to wear quilts on your legs or indeed have to go to work at all. Any one who actually enjoys this suffocation can recreate it at anytime by just working harder. In winter you can raise your body temp very easily. In summer it's mighty differcult to cool it down. Couple of years ago at lunch I took my boots off and was able to pour sweat from them. The people who love the heat either dont have to wear the quilts or were born on the sun. It's the only condition I ever moan about (and do I moan!) don't mind wind frost or rain. hail is a bit spiteful

Hello Christ, I said i had no opinion. As yet i don't have one. I am interested in the opinions of others (inc, your own) on this forum. I have a lot of research to do before I would dare voice an opinion on this practice. My iintuition, which is not the same thing at all, says it's wrong. I am an employee and cannot pass them on to anyone else. Sorry to cast aspersions on your observations of human nature my friend, but I can do anything correctly, no matter what i think of its merits. I am a professional. I see you are a law unto yourself, that's great, but when someone fells a tree full of bats and says they don't agree with laws regarding bat protection, I'm sure your bravado would take aback seat. We all do things we don't agree with from the small domestic, to paying our council taxes. that's the reality of life.

Acer campestre is not a sycamore. It's a field maple. The national trust is not publically funded, its members fund it. I'm the guy up the tee and don't make policy, so any decisions about this method have been made by The National trust board. As I said, I don't know if it's the right thing to do. At least I'm not chopping down 500yr old Oaks for a bypass.

I've not got an opinion on this practice yet and I'm glad that so many people have differing opinions. I'll do some reading up. all i can go on is my intuition, which tells me that it's wrong. I am very happy to have my opinion informed by anyone on this forum, so please post views. Does anyone know where research data can be accessed?

Seems we have an undercalss of rock jocks on this forum. I'm leading about E2/6a trad usually if i've been sandbagged. I 'm not very cosistent at this grade but I'm old and fat. Back in the day it was E6/7a (my best lead) Yes your correct in that rock climbing avoids sitting in the harness. but I favor a tree climbing style like many, that involves climbing the tree with lots of reliance on fairlead. Rock informs my movements and coordination foot placements and balance; having said that, my groundie told me today that I sound like a pensioner going round the tree. My peak is over.

Sounds like a few of us are rock climbers too. So `mad for it' was I in the 80's that I was going to live in a squat in Sheffield and just climb. Then I fell in love and ended up in bloody Essex. nearest rock is the sandstone of Kent, which is fun, but its not grit. very jealous of having crags so close Pete.

I absolutely detest the heat of summer. Love the cold. IN summer i combat the heat with taking up to 6L of water. I've a few cans of `magicool' which is great if you drop your trousers and spray down your legs. the occasional one on the crown jewels is good too. I was in a desert a couple of years back and the heat got so stupid I shaved my body hair off completely. this worked well but the stubble was a pain. recognising that things are going awry during hot weather is essential. Were I work we look out for each other and ensure we take loads of fluids. I've never thought of using a camel back. I will tomorrow. Role on September and the cooling rains of Autumn.

I've been back to th forest again today. Were one of afew contractors doing the work. The cuts are being used on veterans as well as candidates. The veteran trees in Hatfield forest are really quite something to behold; from the massive ancient Oak pollards to the smaller but equally amazing hornbeams. Its the most beautiful place to work. I have very little experience of this work and wonder if the NT could have saved money by giving the work to cowboys. It does feel wrong when your making rip cuts on ancient trees, but I am assured we are doing the right thing. I will continue to post any pics of interest over the coming weeks. The trees in pic are Acer campestre small ones. were working on mature specimens too as well as the Oak pollards and Hornbeams. As far as bats are concerned, all the trees have been surveyed prior to the work commencing.

This is the great late Dan Osman. godfather to my mindset. Obviously like the El cap film above, shot over some time and edited together to seem like a seamless climb. still amazing. [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fpm0m6bVfrM[/ame] He died some years ago doing this. It would have been sad if he had gone in his sleep or slipping over in the shower. [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=4_wbNfre8AM&feature=related[/ame] For me the greatest rock is gritstone `up north'. This ones 10 mins long but I'm dam proud to have the grit crags in my country. Prob just for rock fans.check out the route at about 6.00 (Gaia) and the subsequent fall. this is still one of the worlds hardest routes. This video sums up my life in the 80's. [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=phAQIvkTU0c[/ame]

Here are some pictures from todays work on veteran and candidate trees in Hatfield forest. The work is for the National trust. the spec is experimental as it demands that we use rip cuts and coronet cuts on the ends. It goes against everything I know as good practice. But hey ho. The first pic is actually of apine with what i think is a viral/genetic mutation. The mass is about 1.5 meters high and 1m wide. very strange. Has anyone seen anything like this before on pinus spp? next is our trusty steed and last is my last tree this afternoon. Horrible isn't it? on the left of the tree is a massive 2m rip. i won the rip contest! has anyone else had to do this type of work? Has anyone got any anecdotal evidence that it has a beneficial effect on the longevity of the tree?

When I was a lad I used to climb trees to get to crows eggs. odd hobby I know, but Exmoor has little to offer a young man. This reminded me of those times. Not barefoot though. I love the freedom of the movements in the film, very pure. Definitely inspirational. thanks for posting.

a few burn outs and endos would sort that out.

I do 150ft oak take downs every day. just like everyone else. Actually, I'm fat and lazy too.

I have no idea. But to reiterate a point I made on the HSE thread; I don't think HSE would even investigate unless there was a fatality. But it's a good point and I now feel some guilt in my employers complicity. Yes, Skyhuck bring me down why don't you what a bummmer.

Yes i think I am. I'm usually the last to leave a party. I love the night time. yes I can `survive' on as little as 2 hours sleep a night for about 3 weeks at a time then I get some shut eye. I think Lady thatcher when she was in office used to have a similar regime and she was at war with Argentina. I don't endorse this type of sleep pattern as I said it can have some quite odd side effects. It's probably having an effect on my longterm health too. It will end soon and when I retire I shall lounge around in bed for 10 hours a night.

Long term sleep deprivation can have some very strange effects on judgment that's for sure. The strangest thing is that it doesn't effect my moment to moment ability to climb trees and cut bits off with achainsaw. What it does do is reduce my memory, ability to plan any longterm projects and vocabulary. I'm a pretty sensible person and I hold my life as very dear. if i thought i wasn't firing on all cylinders; I would not climb. All my (not that theres many) near misses and accidents have ironically been when I have had several good nights sleep. Besides all this I have after many years of doing arb become unconsciously competent. I know it all sounds abit far fetched, but unless you've been in this situation it will be difficult to appreciate the subtleties involved. Yes My employer not only knows, but he's sympathetic to my situation. I do luckily work for a really good man, who appreciates my abilities.

I noticed a few guys wearing chainsaw strides and boots in recent comp pics. This cant be adventageous can it?

Never miss a chance to have a go? Your a clever chap, theres no need to sink to cheap insults; but in the spirit of transparency that is sweeping the forum.... I have been a tree surgeon for 24 years. I'm 41 now and years of abuse are showing in my speed. My experience and methods take up alot of the slack, but this isn't sustainable. After years in the industry, i've got a fair idea of how good a climber I am. I have a background in rock climbing and My grade is/was very high indeed. It has informed my tree climbing and so i would say I am very competant. i've been better when i was in my twenties. If there had been comp climbing back then, I'd have been happy. I decided to take on a second carrer to jump ship to when I needed to. My business started about 10 years ago. I have been building it up by working at night. when it has established a good customer base, I will retire from arb. I have to keep the regular cash coming in from arb to pay for bills etc. I'm a film director and photographer and as a photographer I am now taking the highest possible fee for my work. I earn 19 days worth of arb money in one day. just need a few more contacts and I'm away. So to answer your, jibe, I am very good at both, and I have changed direction. You any good at arb?

It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.