Will Ayers

go for it buddy a hitch climber is the way forward, i wouldnt climb on anything else! unless of course it looked more awesome!!

this weather is vile! i wouldn't want my kid going and playing in the woods in it, and its not as bad here as it is in elsewhere, i heard on radio 4 today that there were wind speeds recorded over 120mph, i know for a fact i take off at 100 (i found out recently!) so i wouldnt want my kids out in it for sure!

i think there will be a fair amount of call out work in the coming few days but there are too many of us to get excited about a repeat of '87 we'd mop those trees up in no time! my neighbour has a branch on their car, but they are orrible people so i'll let them find it!

luftwaffe.... were your teachers particularly nasty to you or are you this orrible to everyone!?

Windy out here today as well , im on 24 hour stand by for the council and Tuesday night we had a fatality where a car crashed into a tree now things like that stop me moaning .

i just find it hard to believe that this guy has mentioned a fatality and you lot are still on about your childoods and chimneys!

working with a new gang this week and rigging down an ash with a tight drop zone. the guys had never seen modern rigging and were wondering what these shiny bits of metal were in my kit bag:001_smile:

it took me 5 mins to set up the gear (taking time to explain the set up of porta wrap and pulleys) and 5 mins to show them how to run the ropes, after a few test runs on small pieces they were grinning from ear:thumbup:. they all said how much smoother, and more controllable this "new" gear was. they managed to get some awkward sections in to a tight gap and asked me once i had finished, "why don't all climbers use this new gear":thumbup:

incidentally i retrieved my line on this job by teaching the groundies a new knot! the Marlin Spike!!! again they were well impressed:thumbup1:

Never use paper, not even to light it initially. It floats up, sticks to the lining and can have a secondary burning.

surely this can only happen if your chimney is skanky already, the paper or leaf or ember or whatever sticks to the side because it is full of creosote up there. if your burning good wood and sweep it every so often then surely it'll be fine to send a bit of paper up it?

i may be wrong but this seems like one of those "if you eat an apple pip" stories:001_tt2:

i have a brand new little wenlock... i find it doesnt stay in all night either, even with the vents nearly completely shut. but i am burning mostly ash and cedar so it goes fairly quick.

i liked the look of the much wenlock but it was too big for my fire place

yeah don't get flustered... i know that's like setting fire to you and saying don't panic but just try to be cool calm and collected. the cuts are simple enough, the work positioning is important, but just go slow, they aren't looking for you to be as quick as a commercial climber, they just want to see you being safe and controlled

there will be a fair bit of classroom stuff going over the why's when's where's and how's. but you'll be doing a load of climbing with the saw to get you comfortable with it. just remember, both hands on saw at all times, always anchor in (at least) 2 times for cutting. ask lots of questions and have fun!

let us know how you get on matey

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it doesn't sound like you got carpal tunnel or anything dude! don't get yourself in a twist! i get this occasionally, especially on big trees on cold days. usually i just drink alot and it goes away. i have recently run a mountain marathon, you get cramps all day usually after getting in a river or stopping at a check point, all the pro's were saying its a mix of lack of water and minerals in the system and cold that sets it off. i dran some "for goodness shakes" throughout training and sometimes after a long day at work to stop getting cramp in the night. it works wonders. but my wife, who is a doctor, says that quinine is good its in tonic water... the only way to drink tonic water is with gin!

as much as it must be hard for old school climbers to see it these new bits of kit do make peoples lives easier and safer. when doing big rigging jobs even a portawrap is sooo much better than making turnas around the tree, the bark of the tree is unpredictable and it leaves the groundy less option of where to stand. i was taught natural crotch rigging at college and stil do use it on smaller trees and simple stuff but if its too big to do hand held i'll put it through a friction device atleast!

good idea Steve but not for me, i dont fancy getting pulled out the tree and hung up on my strop and line because a wee branch has tangled in my line:laugh1:

i use a similar method, but not trusting that i wont get pulled out of the tree i use a separate line, clipped above the attachment of the working line, this way i have a spare pull line in the tree if the groundies need it etc. i usually run it through a fork nearby so there is no friction on me at all.

i have nasty visions of getting in a tangle and having a big ol' branch hanging from my hip if i were to use the end of my line!

looks lovely!

im going to make myself one!

i came out of college, and went straight in to freelance work (there wasnt any other work to be had!).

i was on the ground for the big jobs and climbing for the littler ones, slowly i built up my confidence, now i climb most days and have booked up almost a month ahead which i consider good! i love the variety of working for different people.

i haven't ever worked for someone where the tree gets done and i go home and nor would i. i stay and muck in and pick up a rake with the others. a good climber is a good groundy, a good groundy loves to graft!

Done:)

i got home from work early:thumbup:

and then spent the next few hours "chatting" to the inlaws!

wish id have stayed at work:lol:

Just bought a load of gear from Nod at Treeworker. bits and bobs for rigging. ordered it Sunday, got a phone call from Nod on Monday as i had forgotten to let him know what diameter tenex i wanted:blushing: and it arrived today!

Thank you tree worker for a great service!

dram about work all the time! my missus got an elbow in the side just the other day, she asked what i was up to and i said "boomin thing wont start":)

well done mate, its a great feeling! well done indeed!

yeah! happy birthday you old git! hope Lou and Bella are behaving and spoiling you rotten!

Ha ! Did you climb it ?

well... its a long story but.... no! i climbed the one next to it which turned out to be a few feet shorter! but spent the day up there taking photo's of people in the other tree! bit of a shame really as most of the pics look like someone in the top of a short tree as you dont really get the depth!

it took blooming ages to climb though, big shot and SRT to the first branch then just climb climb climb!

Its in Dunster , Somerset

 

Went to see that one myself recently , quite fancy climbing that for fun. Hell of a tree.

Sorry!

196ft! we measured it! it was while i was at college, we did a tall trees trip and measured englands tallest tree. its in Dunster in Cornwall.

i think its very good of you to make anything at all! i dont care if its been on the floor or the dog has had a sniff... tastes the same to me! i'll be round for dinner soon!