Taupotreeman

Nuffin but a paper cut, harden up seriously though, that looks pretty nasty. Hope it all heals well without infection.

Looks like I have a bit more planning to do then

Cheers guys. Unfortunately I've already booked accommodation in San Fran for the whole time we are there but I have no worries about a long day to see the real thing. Do you reckon better to drive myself than try getting a bus or something? Read too many bad things about the day trips out to Yosemite and had just about talked myself out of it so this basically finishes off the idea.

Not sure if anyone can help with this. I have a few days in San Francisco in March and was hoping to get out to see some of the Redwoods. Choices are to take a day trip out to Yosemite or settle for Muir woods. Conflicting info on most of the trip websites I've read so if anyone has done either of these and can pass on any advice it would be appreciated.

Now that's a properly good Christmas

I used to drink six or seven cafe bought cups a day (large) when I was on the road. When I went back to climbing I started drinking tea and the first two weeks of no coffee left me with headaches and a feeling of having mushy peas for brains. After a week or two it started to subside but now I find the opposite. I limit myself usually to one coffee a day but if I have a second I start to get that fuzzy head feeling again followed by the headache.

tommer, you have to do these things while you are still young enough to enjoy the opportunity to its fullest. My old man had the chance to go to Canada when he was younger but chose the family route instead. Don't get me wrong, he doesn't regret it but he always tells me that he can't do the things now that he would have been able to do then because of his age etc. Kjames is right; the ozzies are a good bunch and easy to get on with. Work is plentiful and country wide. They are justifiably proud of their country and will help out and show you around etc at any given opportunity. You feel like one of the locals within days. I went to Oz back in 94/95 and it was that trip that made up my mind that England wasn't for me. You never know, Oz might gain itself a few new residents.

MP me for my address to send that SJ Adam seconded on the trip. You deserve a break from the quake I'd say.

It was all your raving Adam. I have to have a go and see if it's as good as you say it is

Didn't get a lot this year except for some cash from the old fella but then I have been treating myself to bits and bobs all through the year. A trip to the US coming up in March for three weeks and just waiting on a couple of invoices to be settled and I might just look at treating myself to a Spiderjack.

As above. Nothing can prepare you for the heat. Do as much as you can and get in with the locals. The Ozzies are a great bunch and you'll have a ball. Don't be a pratt, use sun block. Skin cancer this side of the world is really bad. Don't swim if you see a big fin most of all though, just enjoy every moment of it.

Adam, don't let the shake, rattle and roll put you off having a great christmas bro.

Depends somewhat on the voltage too. I've seen tyres melt and catch fire when left for a while. There was good video from the states where a mobile crane hit the over heads. Tyres melted, truck shorted out and burst in to flames. Each situation needs to be weighed on its merits (maybe not the right word to use but you get my drift).

It's called step potential. The electricity radiates out like the ripples on a pond when you throw in a stone. Between each foot step could be a different voltage sufficient enough to kill you so utilities suggest hopping or shuffling away from a downed powerline if you need to get away from it.

The Latter Drew. Hadn't considered if the former is possible or even worthwhile. I'd noticed there are several threads related to the benefits of the SJ and a couple more regarding the rope wrench and using it on a working line. I'm keen to see how many people have actually used both and how they got on. I can see the benefits of the rope wrench and that it may be the way forward but to an old horse like me who really hasn't done much SRT stuff I'm also keen on learning more about the SJ and if I would get on better with that. I also have to consider that we could work with both options on our crew and swap between the two to see how we both fair with these new gadgets. It would also be interesting to see what opinions two climbers of differing ages and standards would draw from the two devices. Long winded answer I know and still interested to know if anyone has tried them both back to back.

Has anybody yet done a direct comparison between the rope wrench and the SJ? I'd love to hear the for and against argument on that thread.

Yeah bit of a bugger eh Adam? At least no one was killed in this one but it means that Ch'ch is going to be rocking all Christmas long.

I gave my guys christmas day off. I expect them back in at 6 on boxing day though

Jeez, gonads of solid brass I reckon.

Funny you should mention that. Had the tail of my Tachyon rope at the bottom of the tree today lying on top of the brash. Couldn't see it at all from up the tree. Fortunately my bobcat driver has a brain as did the other climber who pointed it out to him. Said bobcat driver waited until I was out of the tree before operating around the base.

Yep and that's exactly the kind of thing that had me worried and posting the thread. This job is dangerous enough without some dopey dumb ass groundy not watching what he is doing. Sounds harsh until you think of the consequences.

Reckon that tree looks pretty tidy personally. I hate seeing dirty great ugly stumps all over the place but I've got used to it now.

I'd agree on Love Actually Mark but only because I have a thing for both Martine McCutcheon and Lucia Moniz

Adam and his SJ. Spoilt you are Bro

It's not my gear it's Taupo Distrcit Council's gear and he's the TDC H&S officer wouldn't let him within cooeee of my personal gear. He ran it past my boss who also thought it a good idea ( I think he could see his name up in flashing lights recieving the NZ H&S innovation for 2011) until I got the feedback from this thread. Needless to say, as I already have, the idea was immediately canned when it was realised that our $60K chipper could be reduced to a rather expensive pile of bits I think the whole idea was a good one, after all, the pictures and video I saw when I first started out in line clearance have remained with me to this day. Seeing a man video his own gradual death over a period of a couple of weeks (after a 13KV shock) would, I imagine, remain with anyone. We aimed to do the tests and write a report while filming the whole thing so it could be used nation wide in a training video. We'll just have to rely on our imaginations for now.