Al Duffill

Thought so, had read an article in a trade mag a while ago and tell my colleagues that its not true, but when you have 7 other guys telling you your talking BS (not British Standards), you begin to question yourself. Saying that though some of them are still living in that era. Many thanks:001_smile:

A colleague of mine is thinking of locating to Germany,poss Munich, is there much work out there for climbers? Any contacts? Is it fact or fiction that German "climbers" are not aloud to climb and use hoists mainly?

Ditto the above, is this an urban Rd. Have you got your Chapter 8?

I use wing nuts, so no need for a spanner when changing over. Not had one snap on me though. I prefer these poles mainly because of the weight and large saw head, especially if i have to use a pole when climbing, which i avoid usually, dont like carrying them around. They are prone to sticking after a heavy blow(such as a feather striking them ),the holes for locking the poles tend to wear out(get larger) too, but easy to repair. Rated

Ahhh, that makes sense, thanks.

As for short or long gaffs, spikes, arn't short for more sporty ventures,ie: pole climbing, so i believe. I got some new ones today which in the description said long gaffs were more suitable for tree work, short for pole climbing. Buckingham Titainium £200. Are these E-bay spikes new or 2nd hand (leg)? Do not trust used kit.

Didn't think so, wasn't sure though, will stick to 10mm but will defo try 13mm to see how it reacts.

I use a 13mm climbing line with a 10mm Blakes hitch, never had any probs. I think i would find a 13mm hitch a bit cumbersome, will have to try it. Could I use a 8mm blakes on a 13mm line?

I use a ladder mainly to access smaller trees and a throw line for larger trees, though sometimes it would have been quicker to use a ladder after missing the target crotch for the 100th time and phrases such as ; "ooohh, that was close!", "He's hit the woodwork" (John Motson style) and "Heads!!" (as the throw bag comes hurtling toward the ground after being stuck on the smallest twig in the tree, narrowly missing a groundie staring at their boots!) start to become irritating. Yes, I know it was close, I threw it, stand just there a second while I get this bag out!

Give them hell, it gets you everything and more, furry dice for the car sir?!

Go for it, yeah it can be hard, slipping and sliding all over the place dragging brash up hill and over dale, but you'll keep warm. Get out there, its the best! Are you thinking of ground work or climbing? Makes a change for someone to come out of an office and appreiciate what we do rather than go in to an office and "forget" what we do:sneaky2: Follow your instincts always:thumbup:

Great topic, I'm the same as some of the other guys, Tech Arb or Degree online, think I know my next move:001_smile: As for CAD, learn to draw, freestyle!!

I would recommend The Tree Climbers Companion by Jeff Jepson or Jephson, a small but very informative book. Trees in Britain by Roger Phillips ( all hail) is a must IMO. Some strange tree action going on in Tolkein's; The Lord of the Rings, but thats more advanced!! Which course you doing mate?

Some fantastic shots, wet woodland especially. Do you use a tripod? I usually carry a Canon Powershot and get some great results, will post some when i find time

No it doesn't, but then you can go on to do the Tech Arb. What degree are you doing, if you don't mind me asking?

No probs. May I suggest you check out the ISA website, also the AA (Arboricultural Association) site has a training and education section/link that shows what level each qualification is from the different organisations. The RFS cert Arb is good. The difference between tree worker and arborist is knowledge, anyone can cut a branch off a tree but understanding (or wanting to understand) the effects it may have on the species takes you to another level, and so it goes...... So many tree workers out there do not understand what or why they are doing such a task, which is no bad thing, the skills pay the bills, but a little knowledge can be enlightening as to what you do day in day out as a job/livelihood. Enlighten yourself! Not sure what you mean about the "shows" counting toward qualification. Oh hang on, you can attend lectures and site visits that count toward your CEU's once qualified, even reading cetain articles can count.

ISA cert shows you are competent at undestanding tree related stuff, you can study at home so no set time limit, you have to buy the study guide from ISA, discount if your a member. I bought the book and realised that Cert Arb run by RFS ( royal forestry society) was just as good, which I have. To remain ISA Qualified, every 3 yrs you have to accrue points (CDP) to show you are keeping up with standards, modern practices, etc...... which is good. Worth checking out. Not sure about Euro Cert though. Do you have any qualifications already?

To any of you that like to keep your boots nice and tidy in the truck/car/home, Lidl are selling ski boot bags @£4.99, ideal 4 chainsaw boots! I prefer a bit of saw dust around the home to be honest!

Amazing trees MonkeyD, the beeches are phenominal! We have some near us on a reserve that are quite breathtaking, you can feel there presence. This thread is so interesting. I have pollarded trees, but usually back to old 'knobs', 'knuckles' and they seem fine, one being a vet lime. I also pollard a row of 40 lime trees every so often and they look great. There was a fatality on a huge poplar though, a case of too much too soon? Saying that it had started to re-shoot, after another check the shoots had died and i noticed that someone had cut about a 1/4 the way through the base, i'm thinking whoever did it lives close and poisoned it to.

Back to the photo, as I see it, it is a veteran oak, possibly an old pollard. The bough has weakened due to fungi doing its thing and has probably been living with the tree for years and will continue to do so. The tree will continue to live, I see it as a survival method, there is less to support so it will survive a little longer. All very hunky dory ( now theres a strange couple of words! )

I use Gill at the mo but they're fingerless, me poor digits almost got frost bite today, then in pain as they warmed up,not good:thumbdown: Will have to check some of the recommendations:thumbup1:

Yeah, Earth is overpopulated and kids should be limited to One per household just like the dirty polluters in China, yin/yan in harmony! Overpopulation is surely the key to why most things are "changing" and your choice to not have kids is commendable (and financially sound!). So how do we tell everyone on earth "to stop breeding or there will be no Earth to live on" We don't, we just dump Earth and go live on another planet that has a nice tinge of red throughout its landscape. There are so many factors involved that I think my head is about to EXPLO..............

Hmmm, Ithink it is a natural state of Earth and the Universe to continually change, just as we have to ( things would get a bit boring if they/we didn't), the thing is that we are accelerating it, warming, at such a pace that we have a limited time to try and balance it, so try, if we can regulate our emissions we may have longer to sort out the future power situation. We can turn this around by using natural power in our homes and little things like turning off the computer, not stand by. Check out 'Good Energy'