Fear cost me a job with a company today

[tomstrees]

I was always impressed by the climbers I had do take downs and prunes, that's why they are worth top dollar, everyone is impressed, from the kids on the property to all the adults.

When cleaning gutters as a landscaper, I used a 40 foot letter that I would occasionally freeze up on, getting knock kneed on; hard to deal with that. I'm a good laborer, but the ropes and muscles necessary in climbing would be a tough learning curve for me, 6'6".

There is a local tree service, "Abe's wife's tree service"; you guess it; the guy had bought a new chipper and went up a dead tree, a job that should have been done with a bucket and it fell over on him. Safety and readiness are essential in this work.

 

[SomethingWitty]

I was always impressed by the climbers I had do take downs and prunes, that's why they are worth top dollar, everyone is impressed, from the kids on the property to all the adults.

When cleaning gutters as a landscaper, I used a 40 foot letter that I would occasionally freeze up on, getting knock kneed on; hard to deal with that. I'm a good laborer, but the ropes and muscles necessary in climbing would be a tough learning curve for me, 6'6".

There is a local tree service, "Abe's wife's tree service"; you guess it; the guy had bought a new chipper and went up a dead tree, a job that should have been done with a bucket and it fell over on him. Safety and readiness are essential in this work.

Don't imagine handicaps. Some of the best climbers in the world are 6'4"+
They have stupid reach. It turns jumps and swings into graceful grabs and steps.

 

[rico]

Don't imagine handicaps. Some of the best climbers in the world are 6'4"+
They have stupid reach. It turns jumps and swings into graceful grabs and steps.

Gotta agree with this. The 2 best climbers I have ever worked with were in the 6’4” - 6’6”range. Both amazing treemen.

 

[islandarb]

Gotta agree with this. The 2 best climbers I have ever worked with were in the 6’4” - 6’6”range. Both amazing treemen.

I have seen tall cllimbers do some amazing things. Cannot believe monkey got scared again. Dude climbing is not for everyone. Nothing wrong with being scared but it cannot happen daily.

 

[rico]

I wake up every morning to the same reoccurring dream that I am out of coffee. Talk about being scared daily?

 

[islandarb]

I wake up every morning to the same reoccurring dream that I am out of coffee. Talk about being scared daily?

Hell me too.... I drink 10 cups to start my day. No more all day.....but do not get between my coffee and me. It is my last vice.

 

[islandarb]

And thatpost made me go ha ha....

 

[rico]

Hell me too.... I drink 10 cups to start my day. No more all day.....but do not get between my coffee and me. It is my last vice.

10 cups to get rolling. Holy smoke! I'm allowed 2 cups a day of the good shit. Anymore than that and I would most likely end up back in jail, or my head would explode.

 

[climbingmonkey24]

This guy knows how to control his mind and fear

 

[rico]

Dude is climbing without any PPE. No Pfanner Protos, Clogger Zero's, or Zermatt chainsaw boots. Is he fucking nutz??

Seriously though, I have been to Yosemite a 100 times, but I recently got to do a fly over in a small plane. Mind blowing!

 

[SomethingWitty]

He'd look cooler with a protos.

 

[rico]

He'd look cooler with a protos.

A Skull Bucket. Now that’s cool. A Protos. Not so much.

 

[tomstrees]

Being secure in these high risk jobs is partly based on experience, partly situational adjustment and the factors connected to other workers and the job itself, partly due to physical condition which can be bettered by a highly nutritious diet with plenty of minerals and other nutrients. I try to walk as many miles as I can when I'm not involved in physical work. Daily exercise and physical condition must be maintained; I know this is in a common sense department; with the unfair stereotype of many climbers being drinkers and "not tightly wrapped" as I have heard, staying healthy is integral to the work.

 

[rico]

Being secure in these high risk jobs is partly based on experience, partly situational adjustment and the factors connected to other workers and the job itself, partly due to physical condition which can be bettered by a highly nutritious diet with plenty of minerals and other nutrients. I try to walk as many miles as I can when I'm not involved in physical work. Daily exercise and physical condition must be maintained; I know this is in a common sense department; with the unfair stereotype of many climbers being drinkers and "not tightly wrapped" as I have heard, staying healthy is integral to the work.

Great post to tomstrees.

 

[tomstrees]

I once asked Mike Johnson, a tree climber that I hired for a lot of jobs, what he did nutritionally to maintain his energy which was phenomenal? He said beans, as he was more or less a vegetarian. So you don't have to take three fists full of vitamins to be "healthy" in fact they may not help much.

 

[islandarb]

10 cups to get rolling. Holy smoke! I'm allowed 2 cups a day of the good shit. Anymore than that and I would most likely end up back in jail, or my head would explode.

It is really 3 of my mug. A cup measured is tiny.

 

[tomstrees]

I drink a lot of Yerba Mate, a lot healthier: http://matefactor.com/learn/yerba-mate-nutrition.html

 

[GreenstoneVT]

Lot of good posts in this thread. Just keep at it Monkey. It took me a long time, a number of terrified discussions in my head, and a lot of broken personal barriers to get back to where I am now after my fall. Sounds like you may have found the right work environment to help get you there.
The only thing I didn’t see touched on was: while none of us wants to die - are you okay with dying? I know we are all bad ass tree people and all but I go through a little ritual right before I climb where I thank the tree for its life and promise to make it a quick and respectful end. Then I take a moment to center myself, find gratitude and contentment for the life I have lived so far, kiss my wife (she’s usually my groundie), tell her I love her, and head up. I find that if I am prepared to possibly die that the fear isn’t as controlling.

 

[climbingmonkey24]

Dude is climbing without any PPE. No Pfanner Protos, Clogger Zero's, or Zermatt chainsaw boots. Is he fucking nutz??

Seriously though, I have been to Yosemite a 100 times, but I recently got to do a fly over in a small plane. Mind blowing!

Tree climber rock climbing with a Protos and top handle hanging from harness. Lol

 

[Chaplain242]

Lot of good posts in this thread. Just keep at it Monkey. It took me a long time, a number of terrified discussions in my head, and a lot of broken personal barriers to get back to where I am now after my fall. Sounds like you may have found the right work environment to help get you there.
The only thing I didn’t see touched on was: while none of us wants to die - are you okay with dying? I know we are all bad ass tree people and all but I go through a little ritual right before I climb where I thank the tree for its life and promise to make it a quick and respectful end. Then I take a moment to center myself, find gratitude and contentment for the life I have lived so far, kiss my wife (she’s usually my groundie), tell her I love her, and head up. I find that if I am prepared to possibly die that the fear isn’t as controlling.

I also pray to give thanks (to Jesus) before a climb and also ask for protection during the activity. Kept me safe so far - have had accidents but always on the ground... need to pray before I work as a groundy too....