Grandad
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Everything posted by Grandad
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Thanks for this Jammydodger, :laugh1: yes, I reckon the trees haven't changed any and as for the daily rate... wouldn't know what it is these days but I like your world weary attitude, suspect you are right. I used to get about £50 a day, lousy when you think how dangerous the job can be. I was the only full time professional climber with a gang of blokes on the ground and boy, were we a hard working team! Only the boss used to climb as well but he hardly ever left the ground. Thanks to all for the warm welcome. One thing about tree surgery hasn't changed... Friendly guys.
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He is good isn't he? I can see that the Spiderjack is a lot quicker than a prussic (isn't it prusik?) but jeez boys, it's £190!!! how much is a prusik? Boy, things have changed! In danger of hijacking this thread, apologies to OP. Climb safe guys...
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A Spiderjack!! Will these new words never end?
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One of the most useful knots in tree surgery, applications as noted above plus: if you need to join two ropes which will have a very heavy load applied to them, use a bowline bend; (two bowlines joining each other by the loops) Sheet bends, even when doubled will slip and be a pain to untie. A bowline bend unties without the need for tools even when having been winched upon.
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They really are that much better eh?? I'll have to get in touch with some old mates who are still working and cadge a quick go with them.
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I'm with Big J, also preferring the romantics over classical but also Baroque: Handel, Bach, Vivaldi etc. I was surprised to discover a love for opera too, having when younger considered it the worst of all forms of musical expression, shows how tastes change doesn't it? When young I was into the Beatles, Stones etc, later, it was Little Feat, Grateful Dead and my all time faves: Steely Dan.
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Still trying to get to grips with all these new ropes and terms, everybody seems to say that things are better now but reading this thread it looks like it is possible to make expensive mistakes in choosing your kit. 20 years ago we just had nylon rope and a ring strop, (Prussic loop) we used to splice eyes in the climbing rope, similarly we used to splice up our own ring strops, clap 'em on the rope and climb. We did occasionally have jams but they usually were easily cleared by fiddling with the prussic. I like the basic rule though: Hard rope, soft prussic. Soft rope, hard prussic; makes sense that.
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Thanks for the video, interesting gadget, seem to remember similar doodads back then but never used one. climbed with a pair of ascenders once, foot in a loop and peddle like a bike and up I went, ok but not worth the effort of hitching up and then swapping over to an ordinary prussic when in position. Good system for pot holers though. You all seem to be in agreement that things are better now and I am certainly not in a position to either agree or disagree. David Goss: love your avatar mate! I remember doing something like that, kept going until my voice went up a couple of octaves then I knew it was time to stop being a silly sausage and try another way.
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Good to know I'm not the only old timer so thanks for that guys. What the hell are Tachyon and VT Hitchclimber??? We used to call mountaineers rope "Kern Mantle" is that what you climb on nowadays? Didn't like the stuff as you couldn't splice it and it was expensive if you nicked it. We used to have a lowering kit too but we called it "working rope".
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Hi all, Found this site a few weeks ago, I'm a retired climber, 17 years or so now. Miss the job something rotten and I'm intrigued to see how everything seems to have changed, even the jargon; you call them lanyards, we called them strops, flip lines, we called them reinforced spiking strops. (Flip lines is easier on the tongue). Does anybody still climb with cable lay or multi plait nylon rope these days? Gadgets seem to be much more popular now, not that many tree surgeons used climbing gadgets twenty years ago although they were on the way. You would see the odd descender and occasionally a pair of ascenders but these were mostly impulse buys and soon tired of. Are there any other older tree surgeons on this forum?
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If it's in your way and not significant to the tree as a whole, lop it off, it's not worth the wear and tear on the nerves and temper to try to work around it. Glad to see that the same old problems are still there.
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Hello all, I'm retired from tree surgery, about 17 years now... God, how I miss it. Of all the things I have done in my life: mechanic, gamekeeper, water bailiff and umpteen little attempts at various business ventures, it is tree surgery that I loved and am most proud of having done. Anyway, I found this site a few weeks ago and notice that things have changed somewhat. The jargon is different, you seem to use a lot more climbing and other gadgets. Chainsaws... they have changed for the worse it seems, government interference, emissions controls. Not everything is for the better, you can't beat an old 020 or even a Powermac 6. That will do for now, hope you don't mind being joined by an old timer... Climb safe. John.
