JaySmith

Most of the guys I know that climb on hitch climber use 11m ropes, maybe they tend better I'm not sure as I've never used that system so can't help there I'm afraid Also I find that 11m rope hurts my hands in long ascents where 13mm doesn't but then I've got small girly hands so that might have some bearing!

Depends what friction device you use. For example I use a lock jack and find the higher gauge ropes perform better such as Xtc and agama rather than the 11mm offerings. Personally preference really

Nice video, looks like some nice scenery also some big lumps on the crane

Cheers I'll give that a go

Never really thought of using a throwline to retrieve it just always go up. Do you mean add a retrieval ball to the throw line as you pull it out?

Always go up and get it so I don't have to pull it out and watch it fly out the tree and smash into some concrete!

Works out to be about 65p a week, peanuts really!

Fair size, how comes it was mewp'd?

Get a rope guide best investment I've made. If you get it to last five years it's costs you pennies per day and is everything you need in one package. The fiction free aspect is a joy compared to other devices

Nice vid mate, some lumps there. Good fell

Not being funny but does it come down to brain capacity?! If someone has the aptitude for a level 3 technically they should be able to learn quicker and follow instruction better. I would rather have a level 3 on the team with little experience than a level 1/2 who has been at college for a year who should be practicably competent as experience has shown the two level one apprentices we've had haven't been worth a.....!

No I think you are on the right lines. I don't have irata qualifications but did look into it before and if I remember correctly you did you level 1 training, you then had to get 1000 hours experience and a years practical experience before you could study for level 2. The system I feel works better as it means you get on te job training and experience before progressing upwards. I understand what you mean about resources etc but surely something basic like saying you have to have 6 months with a cs38 before you can move to cs39 and then more experience before moving to cs41 etc. I think there are enough jobs out there, things are on the up and everyone seems busy. I think the apprenticeships run on the right lines, four days at college then one days experience on the tools. However some kids just don't have any common sense and clearly won't make it. For an employer it means you get a cheap brash rat to train up bit when I think back to the last apprentice we had for a month a let go, he was late three out of four days, didn't know how to use a rake and couldn't follow basic instructions so why invest time and money training him up. Obviously three are good lads out there but they seem few and far between. This was the second apprentice we've had in two years and both were cut from the same cloth!

Yeah similar to QCF. As I understand it this relates to the 'theory' side of the job as you progress up through the educational ranks. The industry needs something similar to QCF where you can only progress once you have relevant experience and time on the job, this is how irata works but with arb you can get more bits of paper than WH Smith after a 6 week course

Yeah temperature has picked up! I really like those helly Hansen ones as they are thin enough to stop you sweating out. I've got a couple of the nike ones and they are good if it's real cold otherwise I find I overheat. Saying that those HH ones don't really keep the wind out so horses for courses. I've seen those rab ones in go outdoors, look good but think you'd look like an extra at a funky club up town!

IMO the CS units should be more like irata, I.e you do the training then start as level one. Once you have sufficient hours experience you then progress to level 2 and then again to level 3 etc. I think our industry would benefit from a system like this rather than sweetie tickets

Helly Hansen lifa for days like today and the nike ones for really cold days. Helps keep the sap of my arms too

Cheers, go pro hero 3 black I think

I paid £40 for mine brand new off eBay. Yeah work is really good, got some really nice stuff on at the moment lots of large dismantles and reductions as well as the work at Bedgebury which should lead to more hopefully. Got some crane work and nice bits in the new year, just got to get to grips with this helmet cam thing!

Nice, good luck with it. Tipper backs ain't cheap. I've got one of those loadhandler things to unload logs and they aren't too bad

Can't seem to view it mate?

All done

Looks a clean truck Nick. You working for yourself now?

Yeah lovely day mate, wind did pick up a bit was ok when I was below the other pines but when I went above them I got pushed about a bit!

Yeah really nice place to work, back there today reducing a large chestnut near the yard

Yeah they can, the buttresses on the tree splayed out and as the chogs hit them they flicked off, couldn't throw them out wider as they would have been to near the small under planting. Would have been a shame to get that far and then smash one with a chog. I didn't really want to be rigging on it due to the inclusion at 70ft but I ratchet strapped the two leaders together to provide some support and they felt relatively ok.