Am I the only one who gets this scared?

[SomethingWitty]

I'm the same way now myself now Levi. Sometimes anyway. I talk myself past it and push through. Once I get some weight off, to equalize my own, I find myself back in my own zone again.

On a lot of spindly long limbs that is exactly what it takes for me to breathe easy.

Generally I try to appraise the situation before I start and if I decide that it is good enough, I try not to think about it after that and just do what I set out to do. (Of course things change sometimes, but just knowing exactly what I was sure of from the ground helps set my mind at ease.)
Rig things you don't need to. Try to break rigging points when you're safely out of the way and nothing will be hurt.

Getting scared sucks.
Getting ripped to pieces or crushed or flattened would suck worse.

 

[Mel]

I'm very happy and surprised by the amount of support here. This is incredible.

I don't have the option for switching foremans but I think I'll do is when he's having a fit just tune him out and do me.
Like you guys have said, slow is better than dead. My next climbs are this thurs-sun... I'll report back with things I've tried if I do get freaked out. I feel excited to get back up there and try some new things.
You guys are so experienced, it's awesome.


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[southsoundtree]

Hey Mel,

I skimmed.


Go rec climbing, and swing, swing, swing. Experience fun while you're required to rely on the tree's strength.

Tell the foreman that his experience is helpful, and that he's pushing too far too fast, and its an accident waiting to happen.

Take a little break for sketchy feeling trees for a week or two.

Mental rest from stress is important.


Do you know about The Rock Warrior's Way. Arno Ilgner, Tennessee Wall legend or someplace down south, putting up hard roof cracks like a boss, IIRC

https://warriorsway.com/the-rock-warriors-way-mental-training-for-climbers-2/

 

[Frax]

I was thinking about this today. You're experienced with trades that involve fall arrest equipment. You don't get fall arrest protection with tree work. It's actually quite a bit different. I don't think there are any high angle trades that are like tree work. Hanging your life from a non rated anchor (the tree) is really a test of faith isn't it?

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[JeffGu]

I have complete faith in the ground stopping me from falling all the way to the core of the planet and burning to death in molten iron. Because, that would really suck.

 

[Magnum783]

I have complete faith in the ground stopping me from falling all the way to the core of the planet and burning to death in molten iron. Because, that would really suck.

I know the weather to east has been a bit warm but seriously feller you need to find you some shade and a cold drink. STAT!

 

[Treezybreez]

Mel, I am curious about the relationship you have with your foreman. Either you are not trusting him enough, or he is not trust worthy, or maybe expectations are too high (no pun intended). Have you ever seen him climb? Do you think that he genuinely cares for your safety? Does he adhere to reasonable safety practices? Do you respect his ability or at least experience in tree work? If the the answer is no to any of those questions then I would seriously reconsider working for that company.

Now you might not be able to get your foreman up a tree, but there might be a climber that you trust/respect who could coach you though a couple vomit inducing trees.

 

[Jem4417]

Yea you should probably quit now

 

[Brocky]

Mel is a female, @rico.

 

[TimBr]

Same here, but I know what happened. My mentor, roommate, and socially adopted family member (who my son called Grandpa) had a 30' hemlock fail from under him, and he broke his neck on impact. As per his wife's wishes, we brought his body home for 4 days. It was a very intense time.
My climbing has taken a serious toll since, it's been about 7 years and just now feeling like I'm picking up where I left off...

My condolences on the loss of your friend and mentor.

Tim

 

[Mel]

I was thinking about this today. You're experienced with trades that involve fall arrest equipment. You don't get fall arrest protection with tree work. It's actually quite a bit different. I don't think there are any high angle trades that are like tree work. Hanging your life from a non rated anchor (the tree) is really a test of faith isn't it?

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I agree. I have experience with fall protection as well as fall restraint but from rated anchors and tree work is basically active fall restraint from unrated anchors. And you're right cause our equipment is meant for no shock loads. Fall pro has energy absorbers and fancy crap like that.

Side question.. do some tree harnesses have the deployment tags? Like when the equipment has been shock loaded. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen any tree equipment with that feature.

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[TimBr]

@Mel; Thanks for posting that cool photograph. I've never seen that before. Much appreciated.

Tim

 

[Mel]

I was not suggesting that he pack it in. He clearly love's the idea of being a climber, but has obviously become very stressed/afraid when climbing. Not good for obvious reasons. There could be external reasons for this, which could be dealt with. When I mentioned that he might not be "wired" for this, I was simply trying to be honest with the young man. Again, only he knows the real answer to that question. I for one hope that he can work through his fears, and I'm pretty certain that feeding him bull about his foreman ain't gonna' help.

She, btw.

Rico I appreciate your bluntness. And believe me, I have definitely asked myself "what the HELLLL am I doing here?! Am I cut out for this?"

But the answer is always that same, as I answer my own question " cause I can't do anything else"

I've been looking for a profession like this for years. I've never been so happy at work.. or so scared. They seem to correlate with each other. My foreman is a good climber, safety first, but because of my previous rope experience, a lot more was expected of me right off the bat. I didn't even know how to start a chainsaw 2yrs ago. Now I'm doing complicated rigging with one in the air. So I'm pretty proud of that. His biggest thing he gets upset about is extra lanyard placements because it's slow. We sometimes hire another contract climber to help on bigger/sketchier jobs and he's spot on. He'll continuously teach me things and ask how I'm doing. He taught me that knowing your limit is important.


Like I've said, it doesn't happen in every tree, and I can climb tall and sway and be fine, but once I doubt the strength once, I have a hard time getting that worry to go away. I've also learned quite a few things on here in the past few days so I'm confident I can work through this.

I'm currently brushing up on tree bio so I can learn more about the species of trees that sketch me out the most.


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[Mel]

My sincere apologize to Mel. Fixed post accordingly. I have to ask, was there was a recent incident or shock that proceeded the onset of fear? I sure hope you work it out, cause we could benefit from more woman working in the trees!

Good question. I haven't had any major limb failures or equipment failures. I always cut with a secondary point of attachment too. It just seems to me like it's always windy as hell when I'm climbing so it's my TIP I'm most worried about. That, or the actual strength of the tree, which I am working on with some reading.

I had a willow a while back that scared me quite a bit, and it was because the whole thing was at a 45 degree angle. I think that one was justified.. at least to some degree.


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[Brocky]

An option you could use on the trees that bother you is a self belay system. Something like rock climbing but you belay yourself by tying a dynamic rope at the bottom of the tree and place slings with a carabiner capturing the rope as you go up. It takes some patience to keep pulling a hitch up with you, but if a TIP should break you're tied into the trunk with this system.

 

[Mel]

An option you could use on the trees that bother is a self belay system. Something like rock climbing but you belay yourself by tying a dynamic rope at the bottom of the tree and place slings with a carabiner capturing the rope as you go up. It takes some patience to keep pulling a hitch up with you, but if a TIP should break you're tied into the trunk with this system.

Lmao!!! I can't believe it never occurred to me that I could straight up lead climb a tree. That's an extremely good point.

Can anyone find anything seriously wrong with this system? You could just base tie your srt line and just let out rope as you ascend and clip. It's kind of like, fishpoling your climbing line. Could still set a high point and have both. I'm very interested in trying this, if anything just to see how it could work in a tree.

I guess it would be gear-intensive, and then you'd have slings everywhere but might not be a bad trick to have up your sleeve for sketchier trees.


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[Mel]

Honestly though I think the biggest thing I can do about worrying about the TIP is work on getting better interior angles, trying to put the weight over the compression zone of the limb or trunk.


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[SomethingWitty]

Lmao!!! I can't believe it never occurred to me that I could straight up lead climb a tree. That's an extremely good point.

Can anyone find anything seriously wrong with this system? You could just base tie your srt line and just let out rope as you ascend and clip. It's kind of like, fishpoling your climbing line. Could still set a high point and have both. I'm very interested in trying this, if anything just to see how it could work in a tree.

I guess it would be gear-intensive, and then you'd have slings everywhere but might not be a bad trick to have up your sleeve for sketchier trees.


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Besides being a ton of extra gear to smash, catch and tug, cut, and just have in your way, the theory sounds great.
I've never tried it because I am sure that the application of such things would be the epitome of slow. It takes me forever to run a similar fishing pole setup for rigging.
Most trees are safely doable with industry standard methods. When you're working a serious headscratcher, do whatever you have to do.
Double the time that you think you will spend on whatever off the wall thing you have never tried before when your superiors ask. It will keep you closer to how long things actually take.


Edit: I forgot to mention that being sketched out by any willow at a 45 is probably reasonable.

 

[Mel]

Besides being a ton of extra gear to smash, catch and tug, cut, and just have in your way, the theory sounds great.
I've never tried it because I am sure that the application of such things would be the epitome of slow. It takes me forever to run a similar fishing pole setup for rigging.
Most trees are safely doable with industry standard methods. When you're working a serious headscratcher, do whatever you have to do.
Double the time that you think you will spend on whatever off the wall thing you have never tried before when your superiors ask. It will keep you closer to how long things actually take.

That makes sense. And as said before, if it's THAT sketchy it probably shouldn't be climbed at all..

Still a neat idea!


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[SomethingWitty]

It will work, but its sure gonna slow you down. In the end you are gonna have to learn to trust, if you want to become truly comfortable at height. As others said earlier, don't let anyone put you in situations that are over your head. I have seen that ruin more potentially good climber. A person isn't just born ready to wreck a 200 ft back-leaning Fir. You got to earn it, through years of working your way up the ladder. You can do it!

I don't even know how ready I am for that, and I've been the lead climber (that's pronounced "didn't have anyone more experienced present to answer my questions".) for the last 5 years.

I should find out if I'm ready for that.