Taupotreeman

Just got back. Loved every minute of it although New Orleans was a bit dodgy. Nice to be back in the green green grass of home though and out of the concrete jungles. Gutted I didn't make it to the Redwoods National Park; got married in New York instead. Planning another trip back to do the park proper justice.

Muir woods just outside San Francisco.

Pretty much all of the above work. Must be fresh eggs, plucked from under the chuck preferably, bring the water to a simmer not a rapid boil, swirl the water drop the eggs in and turn the heat off. Don't leave em hanging around to continue cooking once you've pulled em out the water either. Had poached eggs from a so called chef once. Hard bleedin boiled they were!

To be involved with one of the real NZ gangs a prospect usually has to commit some sort of crime before becoming a full patched member. The two most well known gangs are Mongrel Mob and Black Power. The most recent high profile case was the rape and beating of a five year old girl on holiday from Denmark (I believe) by a 16 year old prospect. His cousin, aged 14, another prospect, was convicted and jailed a couple of years ago for murdering a lady in Taupo. The family is widely connected with the gangs and I believe at least one of the kids has been beaten and sexually abused by his family. Generations of the family have gang affiliation. I've just returned from Alcatraz and San Francisco. They should open somewhere similar for people like this to be left to rot.

If you're serious Adam maybe we could get something going. I reckon you'd need several days to do it justice and I really didn't want to do it on the cheap, drive in and drive out because I was skint. I'd really like to do some exploring etc so maybe with some planning it could be done properly rather than half arsed.

Unfortunately we didn't quite make it. Spent more than initially anticipated on getting married in New York so I decided to do the park proper justice and plan another trip over but actully spend a bit of time there rather than just a flying visit. I only got as far as Muir woods, which gave me at least an idea of what is further up the coast.

I've seen the pic of Johno with the innertube and it looks way more comfy than the L.O.T.S thing. Like I said before; I half strangle myself every time I try it.

C'mon Adam, TV celeb is pushing it a bit don't you think?

We have just had our 6 month first aid refresher and our instructor had not heard of Cellox but was most interested when we told her about it. From her point of view she had no issue with us using it although, to be fair, she didn't know anything about it. We asked our H&S officer, area manager etc and they have no issues with us using it either. I made the decision to get one of the impregnated bandages and for both climbers to carry one each on their harness first aid kit. I figure that if one of us has a serious or arterial bleed up a tree then we'd be better hedging our bets and carrying the stuff just in case. I'm more than happy to take the rap if A&E have an issue with that and I'm sure they'll be less worried about cleaning out the jelly resulting from its application than they are with cleaning up after the drunks on a weekend. As for the minimum/maximum kit requirements; we can have as much in the kit as we want.

Very much a RW novice but I reckon that tether might be a bit long, at least for me. I allowed the wrench to drop down below my waist on a removal the other day (I was tied in with a lanyard as well) and found that even with my shorter tether it got wrapped over the top of the wrench real easy. Not a pretty sight.

It is a pretty hard life sometimes I must admit but reckon a few of those arbtalkers who have just returned from these shores will be wondering where those skies were when they were here recently

Today's rope wrench dismantle job. Climber: Masonw. Nothing too big but just to show that the wrench is being used for pretty much every job now unless it's just too much hassle to set the whole thing up.

Nah Bro, head over SH41 out of Turangi and there's several as you head up towards the saddle (each side of the road) with fantastic epiphytes on them. Lot of stag horns though so don't know how safe they are. I doubt they're quite the 50m but they'd be a decent size all the same. Heading over when I get back from the US, I'll take some photos. Nice vid by the way, watched it a couple of times now.

Yeah gutted Bro and I've still got that cold although the worst has gone. Looking forward to the pics though and agree with Adam; good excuse to come back out. Hopefully next time we'll be in a posi to put you up for a couple of nights. Drew, you know there's some monster Kaiks on the highway between Taumarunui and Turangi right?

Where abouts Drew?

So spent today soley on the RW. All dismantles and all small stuff. Found I had just as much confidence in this system as in Ddrt. Being on the one line makes absolutely no difference in that sense. Far happier with having the friction in front of my face rather than somewhere way up in the tree and also it seems, with just the one rope to work off you don't seem to be get tangled and twisted as much. I have to say though I'll be talking to my local bike shop about some spare inner tubes. Kept finding I was forgetting to advance the wrench as I was going up the tree on spikes. It's pretty easy for the rope, wrench and tether to get in an awfully big tangled mess if you don't keep check on it. I'll be giving it plenty more time though.

There's every possibility of that. Looking forward to trying it out while I'm on my own and I can play with different techniques until I get the hang of what works and what doesn't. Having said that; using a pantin is pretty new to me and I'm still getting the hang of that. Never tried SRT before either so I'm playing with a heap of new ideas and techniques all in one go so I'm assuming that something is going to feel awkward for the first few attempts. The more I think about what you said Oldmill, the more I believe I do lean back similar to Ddrt style. I'll keep an eye on that tomorrow.

Haha, nah bro, keep that for private viewing, $20 a video if you're interested. Seriously though, Drew had a pic up on facebook of one of his mates using a bike inner tube for a chest sling to connect to the wrench to help pull it up. I'm having problems getting used to the lanyard over the shoulder thing and almost half strangled myself with it the other day along with getting it caught in my ear defenders and not being able to adjust it properly. Plus I don't like the idea of having to keep taking it off and then putting it back on everytime you want to ascend. The inner tube can stay on throughout the climb leaving the lanyard for its orginal purpose and it sits snug against your chest. Drew might be good enough to post the photo sometime, eh Drew?

Yeah yeah I know. I've got most of it sussed but still have a problem with ascending. Alright if I have a branch to grab hold of or if I stop and think about it but otherwise I get a bit squirrely on it. Like you and a few others have said though bro, have to give it a while and climb predominantly on the wrench to become confident. Anyway, with Mason harping in my ear every five minutes there's fat chance of climbing on any other system without some derogatory mark being forthcoming. Just have to figure out that inner tube thingy as that looks way easier than the lanyard over the shoulder.

83 pages and counting. Not bad going. Only problem is I have to listen to Mason everyday about the RW now. Never shuts up about it couple of small private jobs this weekend so I'm going to just try and use the wrench for the both of them, no ddrt, and see how I get on.

I don't think they're good ALL the time. Sometimes, if you're trying to turn a tree or use the weight of a leaning limb to pull it around from the direction it wants to fall, a wing cut can reduce that control you have over the direction. I can't comment on crane work as I really don't do any but I know in felling and directing of limbs sometimes you need all the holding wood you can get. I've seen a hinge tear right out of a wing cut when it should have held. anyways wings cuts are a gd idea, i think pretty much in most stituations. its just a laziness and poor training not to do them.

I used ladders when I first started then moved on to poles, monkeys fist etc. Now I'm learning to use a throw ball properly and although a ladder is sometimes easier, by the time you have had the hassle of getting it out, carrying it to the tree, putting it up, accessing the tree and then putting the ladder away, most of the time you can have the rope up and ready if you're half decent with the throw ball (which I'm not I might add). There's also something quite satisfying accessing a tree either on single line or double using a pantin or other ascenders. Don't know why, maybe because it's new to me but I get a bit of a kick out of it. I sometimes still use the poles to put a rope up a tree if I can't get the throw line where I want it but we don't carry ladders on our truck at the council and rarely do I carry one on my own private work truck unless it's an orchard ladder.

James or Dave Allen? Iam happy with each to their own but like anything, I don't particularly enjoy having it rammed down my throat. Personally, the sun comes up, the sun goes down and without it we're all screwed. I can see it, I can feel it and that's more than good enough for me. I don't pray to it asking for stuff it can't give and I don't blame it for stuff it doesn't do. It just is.

I worked last Sunday and left it until 10 so as not to disturb everyone's lie in.