How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Groundie

Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

It all boils down to everyone understands the scope of the job and that we have to work together to achieve the end goal safely and without damage.

Things change. What seemed like a great plan on the ground may be different in the tree. Communication is a two way street and what noise levels are happening up top and down below are often different, take that into account. Teamwork, it is the true essence of tree work. Without it the job doesn't get done productively and it is potentially dangerous. While it is good to always call and respond there are times when doing production work and limbs are being dropped that it's incumbent on the groundspeople not to walk into the drop zone without looking up or at least letting the climber know.

The climber needs to be aware of where the groundies are but that involves that two way communication thing.

Work with what you have not with what you wish was there. Bitch about the crappy saws, rakes, ropes, chipper, etc..., before or after not while you're in the midst of the job.

Climbers are made better by their groundspeople. That is if they are willing to perform the job as the professionals they are.
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

-Hit the ground and on the way to the truck grab an armfull of brush
-Drag all the brush you can, then drag some more
-Thank you for the slippery sheat bend!
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

1. always ask if everything is ok

2. ask if you are dropping wood to quickly

3. ask what your groundie thinks about the system you have set up for the big cut...does everything look ok to you down there

4. tell all workers on the job that if something doesn't look right you need to tell me

5. if you are a key player in the plan then take on the responsibility of error as well

6. do not talk down to anyone

7. work as a ground worker before you become a climber and you will know what to do.
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

#700 if something goes wrong don't scream and shout at the groundie there and then, it doesn't help, doesn't turn back time and it takes longer to sort everything out coz everyones stressing!

#701 Like everyone said, pack up your ropes when everything else is done, and by packing up your own stuff if anything goes missing no-one else can get the blame (best to leave ropes up till jobs done anyway, in case somethings been missed, saves re-setting ropes for that hanger 30' up).
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

I started out as a groundie and now I'm a climber. A few notes I have taken over the past 4 years.


-Whistles are a good and cheap way to communicate (no spending $ on radios)

-I prefer wrapping my rope as soon as I get down from the tree, even if it is just getting the tail into the bag, had too many close calls with ropes getting wrapped up in brush

-Always put your device to get your friction saver out of the tree onto your eye. Leaving a Krab can be a bad thing cause if your climbing rope does end up getting pulled away (usually in some honeylocust) a Krab cannot get the FS out.

-Yelling never helps

-If there is a language barrier, learn the other language or enough to get by and be safe about it

-Review rigging scenarios before you leave the ground and before you make the cut.

-Command/response was created for a reason...meaning both groundie and climbers as well should respond. "coming under" needs to be responded to with some sort of "all clear"

-many of our groundmen come in to tree work from PHC during cold months, make sure they are comfortable in everything and review those knots

-let your PHC transferees fell the trunks if they have the knowledge, skill and safety. Don't hog the cuttin.

-Work smarter, if you need a loader, don't break you back, call someone to bring it out or wait, one log ain't worth braking your back over (or killing your knees in my case)

-Above all else, BE SAFE
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

We know it hurts being up the tree longer, but if you give us time to clear branches as you cut them the pain will be over sooner for all of us.

Oh yeah, don't leave us straining on tag lines while you ponder the meaning of life.

Lunch sounds good!
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

[ QUOTE ]
with out groundies,climbers cant work! You guys are sweet!

[/ QUOTE ]

your right about that. you always gotta have someone to help lower the limbs if your using a porta wrap or the alike.
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All groundies should be trained in the Remington-1100 aerial worker rescue system

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm from the 870 camp myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Mossberg 500 and Benelli Super Nova for me. I actually own these guns.
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

[ QUOTE ]
I started out as a groundie and now I'm a climber. A few notes I have taken over the past 4 years.


-Whistles are a good and cheap way to communicate (no spending $ on radios)

-I prefer wrapping my rope as soon as I get down from the tree, even if it is just getting the tail into the bag, had too many close calls with ropes getting wrapped up in brush

-Always put your device to get your friction saver out of the tree onto your eye. Leaving a Krab can be a bad thing cause if your climbing rope does end up getting pulled away (usually in some honeylocust) a Krab cannot get the FS out.

-Yelling never helps

-If there is a language barrier, learn the other language or enough to get by and be safe about it

-Review rigging scenarios before you leave the ground and before you make the cut.

-Command/response was created for a reason...meaning both groundie and climbers as well should respond. "coming under" needs to be responded to with some sort of "all clear"

-many of our groundmen come in to tree work from PHC during cold months, make sure they are comfortable in everything and review those knots

-let your PHC transferees fell the trunks if they have the knowledge, skill and safety. Don't hog the cuttin.

-Work smarter, if you need a loader, don't break you back, call someone to bring it out or wait, one log ain't worth braking your back over (or killing your knees in my case)

-Above all else, BE SAFE

[/ QUOTE ]

What do PHC stand for? I'm still learning news thing little at a time.
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I started out as a groundie and now I'm a climber. A few notes I have taken over the past 4 years.


-Whistles are a good and cheap way to communicate (no spending $ on radios)

-I prefer wrapping my rope as soon as I get down from the tree, even if it is just getting the tail into the bag, had too many close calls with ropes getting wrapped up in brush

-Always put your device to get your friction saver out of the tree onto your eye. Leaving a Krab can be a bad thing cause if your climbing rope does end up getting pulled away (usually in some honeylocust) a Krab cannot get the FS out.

-Yelling never helps

-If there is a language barrier, learn the other language or enough to get by and be safe about it

-Review rigging scenarios before you leave the ground and before you make the cut.

-Command/response was created for a reason...meaning both groundie and climbers as well should respond. "coming under" needs to be responded to with some sort of "all clear"

-many of our groundmen come in to tree work from PHC during cold months, make sure they are comfortable in everything and review those knots

-let your PHC transferees fell the trunks if they have the knowledge, skill and safety. Don't hog the cuttin.

-Work smarter, if you need a loader, don't break you back, call someone to bring it out or wait, one log ain't worth braking your back over (or killing your knees in my case)

-Above all else, BE SAFE

[/ QUOTE ]

What do PHC stand for? I'm still learning news thing little at a time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Plant Health Care
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

So glad to see a thread that addresses the way a climber should treat groundies. I've seen so many climbers prattle on about efficiency before leaving the ground...only to waste time and energy yelling, venting and demoralizing while in the air. I don't mean that others should be babied either. Nobody appreciates that either. Rather let the leader be put to the task of creating balance with all involved elements. One climber I knew could not read...but always said "I believe in you". I know that may seem soft but this work can be challenging and that one small gesture was SO motivating. Thank you Mike wherever you are. Build others UP ALWAYS! When we tear someone down we succeed too...at lowering ourselves. Whiz
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

Whats a groundie? Thats not even something that's real.
I say ground man. Is that weird?

I get them with the old I drop a small sucker to the ground beneath me and when they come to pick it up I get them with the whole bottle of water trick. I don't know, I think it's cool. Does that make me a "bad" climber? I think it makes me an Excellent Climber because it takes skill to get them with all the water in the bottle. The trick is flipping it over very quickly... and the element of surprise. If you do it alot they'll stop sending water up to you. Then what can you do to them? Stupid groundies.
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

Sorry groundies, for all the years of psychological abuse I imposed on you due to the water flipping trick.

So here you go you stupid sons of b#*ches

#92 Don't try to degrade your groundie in front of the owner of the company, Patrick George, with the water on the head trick, just because you think that with his "sense of humor" he would get it, and somehow approve of you in some way.
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

Never, EVER thrown half developed bird eggs at your groundie. Its not only disgusting but it damn near made me cry. Still searching for the humour in that after all these years.

the horror....
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

don't piss on a tree 2 minutes before you want me to put a lowering device on it.
imwitstupid.gif
I don't care if it "pretty much water", DUDE,...IT'S PISS!! And it's not like you pissed on the back side of where the device needed to be, you pissed right where the device needed to be and there were other trees and bushes 15 feet away! WTF
furious3.gif
 
Re: How to be an Excellent Climber---from the Grou

Take a turn as the groundie. Having been there is great, but a refresher is good, too.

Yesterday, I had both of my employees do all the climbing work and I stayed with both feet on the ground. They are both learning spike climbing (more proficient in DdRT, strange situation, that). I groundied for both and kept up enough that we were able to keep productivity high enough for the day to complete it in one day, and get training done, too.

This also re-iterates to them how I want jobs done, how things can be kept organized, etc.
 
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