Tony Croft aka hamadryad

norway maple 

3 minutes ago, AA Teccie (Paul) said:

Hi Tony, nice to hear.

Things have moved on a little since this early post but essentially “yes” at least as the default position, 2 ropes/lines n 2 points of Anchorage (already many are trialing this and establishing both the pros and the cons.)

Regards

Paul

this will never end! soon we will be banned from climbing like germany did a while back! 

2 minutes ago, Svts said:

Wot no huge training industry making good money while passing poor ill equipped climbers and cutters into the industry! 

Just working people looking after themselves. Then passing on their hard earned skills and knowledge to youngsters that had passed the entrance test of a few years graft at the shitty end ?

yep, thats essentialy what were doing here and it will stay that way till I say so!

1 minute ago, Mick Dempsey said:

It would make a good thread, no doubt about it.

but it would also open the flood gates, if the brit arbs knew the life I have here!

Just now, dumper said:

Is it husky v stihl or are they using crosscut handsaws? 

husky dont get much of a look in to be honest. And with my 088 being snatched for photoshoots with random strangers im long overdue a cheque from still for promotional work!

13 minutes ago, dumper said:

So tony how about a thread on Bulgarian arb?

Thats not a bad idea, would be an eye opener, its like the wild west

3 minutes ago, Svts said:

Haha for sure! I've largely gone back to full time forestry now. Still do the odd arb job if it's interesting enough. Find most arb a bit dull these days tbh. 

Funny really because here there was no arboriculture, so i ended up kicking it all off, its been interesting because its like being in england 30 years ago. Theres only a handfull of arbs here now,

4 minutes ago, Svts said:

Training and assement need go change drastically if AA and the hse are really serious about improving things. I've lost count of the number of fully certified climbers I've worked with that lack basic skills and knowledge. 

Passing the rigging ticket after a few months of brash dragging for a utility company shouldn't happen, but it does (a lot from what I've seen). 

Really poor tree ident leading to no knowledge of timbers strengths and weaknesses. No apparent time restrictions on tests allowing very poor candidates to pass aerial rescue cert. They are then often left in charge of the most time critical climb anyone will ever be asked to do. 

These are just a few of the issues that directly stem from the inbuilt faults within the arb training industry. 

The Nptc is just a money making machine. Administered by the same people that make a nice living from continuously churning people out in the shortest time possible. 

The two rope issue is such a silly distraction from the real problems that the AA should be addressing with the hse. Frankly I wonder if the AA is fit for purpose as it stands. 

I for one will still only use two anchors if the tree dictates it. Managed 25 plus years without cutting my line or breaking an anchor point out, sure I'll manage a few more. 

The situation is a joke. Proper education/training is the cornerstone the industry needs, Not more rules to protect the hopeless climbers pumped out by the current training system. 

Apologies for going on but it's become frustrating to see the industry ruined from within. 

 

feeling it bro, im glad i left the u.k scene!

having been an alaskan user for over 5 years now I cant wait to get my hands on the new panther!

19 minutes ago, Marc said:

If you need to prevent pendulum swing or achieve stable positioning then yes lanyard too.

the whole things is just abstract and weird. I have no idea how I am going to enforce this.

 nobody is gonna enforce that on me! I Use three anchors in very special circumstances and maybe those circumstances have arisen half a dozen times in my long career! 32 years now to be exact. This ruling is not only absurd but just proves how distant those making the rules are from the coal face reality of arboricultural practice.

2 minutes ago, Marc said:

Nothing vague about Tony, with immediate effect you should be on two climbing ropes...

Hope you are keeping well.

so with the work position lanyard three anchors in operation?

On 01/09/2019 at 22:41, AA Teccie (Paul) said:

Apologies all, there's much background tbh and my colleague Simon, who wrote the article, tried to cover all bases.

In a nutshell the HSE would expect to see 2x independent lines, and independent anchors, such that one system can act as a robust backup in the event of the other being damaged or becoming detached and the climber falling. 

In terms of timescales this is not gonna happen overnight and, in all honesty, nothing is likely to 'start to' change until the industry code of practice (ICoP) is amended and 'Technical Guide 1 - Tree Ascent and Descent' is released. As you rightly mention training, and assessment, will have to change to and existing operators will have to change their MO to comply with the law (effectively.) In his article Simon likened this to the industry's equivalent to seat belts being intro'd. so gonna be years rather than months.

Does this help clarify things...a little?

Thanks for asking Kevin and I hope you;re well

Paul

So what Your saying or being vague about saying is that in the not too distant future it will be law that a climber must use two climbing ropes. I'm glad my career is nearly over! now HSE is indeed going over and beyond sanity. 

10 hours ago, Tommy Hutchinson said:

But has the fungus caused root decay thus instability? 

I WORRY ABOUT YOU TOMMY, WHAT RELEVANCE HAS IT  TO THIS SCENARIO? HONESTLY? TOTALLY DIFFERENT ECOLOGY!

Lets throw you lot a curve ball! Inonotus nidus- Quercus frainetto, Black sea coast (semi Mediterranean)

2 hours ago, Tommy Hutchinson said:

Did this tree fail?

Its on Ben Ballards estate I will ask.

On 21/10/2019 at 01:23, Hadyn98 said:

Hi ,

I have an oak tree on my front boundary with strange dark marks in the forks.  A tree surgeon who was working a few doors down commented that the tree is infected (I can't remember if he said it had a virus or bacteria or?)  and would eventually die and so needs to be taken out , he would charge £xxx to do it.  (I had asked him to look at other trees in my garden, so it wasn't an unsolicited comment or cold calling. )

However, I am a bit sceptical of someone who cuts trees down for a living saying my tree needs to be cut down.!

I see mention of Slime Flux / bacterial wetwood, but it's not clear to me this is the same symptoms.  I wasn't aware of any smells, and doesn't seem to attract insects. 

 

I was wondering if anyone could comment on these pictures ?

 

The tree seems to be in good health otherwise.

 

Thanks,

Hadyn

that tree just has a poor genetic coding, making it prone to odd unions, see whole forests of oaks in Buckinghamshire with similar bad genetics.

On 16/12/2019 at 23:56, openspaceman said:

I hope you stung them for the extra, I doubt I would ever have been brave enough to fell a stem that size from a strop.

Nah grow a pair and lump em off! (well aware of the obvious missing helmet, 200 kilometers from home left behind)

5 hours ago, Tommy Hutchinson said:

Staverton in Suffolk?

yep

On 21/07/2019 at 22:18, Mark Bolam said:

Guilty as charged, and I totally agree.

 

Let’s try and clean it up a bit fellas.

blx to that

sorry for the slow reply Rob, will be in touch

On 9/25/2017 at 11:10, Rob D said:

Sorry only just seen the reply Tony - where you thinking?

A few guys over here in Bg (Bulgaria want them and from what I can gather they would sell well here, whenever the guys see me do it they get dollar signs in their eyes!

PENTECRYL

PENTECRYL

probably die standing armillaria

1 minute ago, Wolfie said:

Did you manage to make that trip to Hungary?

Bulgaria- been here for 2 years now