I got scared out of nowhere... Seeking advice.

When I was learning to climb I'd get spooked sometimes. My foreman/trainer would remind me of a lot of simple obvious things but it did kinda force me to focus on what I was worried about which was usually nothing.

You were just down here, you know the base is stable. Look where you're tied in. You know damn well that crotch where your TIP is set will hold you, me, and someone else. Your saddle is in good shape, your lanyard is good, your ropes are good condition, etc etc.

Point being, my anxiety or fear was kinda generalized and I was worried that SOMETHING was gonna go wrong. Easy fix was stop letting it be generalized and focus on all specific components again. Was kind of a reassurance that everything that could really go wrong was all completely under my control.
 
I came out to Georgia recently on some contract work. And I started climbing in south Florida where really only the washi palms because there so skinny and tall rack my nerves, and really hard lean coco. But in Georgia I’m doing some of the bigger trees I have ever done. I’ve only been climbing a year and a half and I know for my first 3-6 months my knees used to knock. I occasionally still get shaky though but it’s never the height that bothers me, sometimes my brain will decide to just let me know all the shit that could possibly go wrong. But other days I’ll do sketchy stuff and be moving smooth with no worry in the world really. Most nervous I ever got was doing an Australian Pine and i kept gaffin out because the wood is so hard and i had to get up this skinny stalk. I couldn’t even finish out the tree, I had to go work on another and come back to it because of how bad it freaked me out


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So, taking a mental break, doing something successfully and coming back to finish was a successful strategy! Sounds okay to me.






Recently, I was really tired, post-storm hazard work. I decided the tree would be there tomorrow. I skipped producing work, at a silly level of risk. Next day, I came back. The customers are happy, and will have us back for three big, dead tree removals. Better to be dependable than done-today.
Come to think of it, another tree, post-storm was the same way. I was run-down. I carried my gear to the tree, looked at it, knew I wasn't going to finish that day, anyway, and bailed. Came back to do a rockstar job over a wobbly arbor and hardscaping.



This is an ultramarathon until the end of your career!



I say, First-Nobody Gets Hurt, Second-Don't break or lose things, Third-Get Good Work Done.

Like Swing said, when your ducks are in a row, it just flows like a well-oiled machine.

Crew dynamics play into stuff. If two crew-mates were having a 'beef' about something, it could throw you off. If they are horsing around a lot, when you're needing to focus, and they are waiting, this can throw you off. Etc.
 
I doubt liver is the answer. We used to eat the heck out of gizzards when I was a fledgling hillbilly. But my brother and I would eat about anything. I ate a sponge and he ate a nerf soccer ball when those were hot off the press.
Gizzards or liver make outstanding fish bait. I say eat the Catfish and don’t skip a link in the food chain.
 
SawGod said:
I doubt liver is the answer. We used to eat the heck out of gizzards when I was a fledgling hillbilly. But my brother and I would eat about anything. I ate a sponge and he ate a nerf soccer ball when those were hot off the press.
Gizzards or liver make outstanding fish bait. I say eat the Catfish and don’t skip a link in the food chain.
Click to expand...
Outstanding is a strong word. They're alright. Liver is far overused. It compares to hotdogs or most stinkbait.
If you want to catch channel cats, cut bait is the way. Especially big channel cats.
 
Jonny said:
When I was learning to climb I'd get spooked sometimes. My foreman/trainer would remind me of a lot of simple obvious things but it did kinda force me to focus on what I was worried about which was usually nothing.

You were just down here, you know the base is stable. Look where you're tied in. You know damn well that crotch where your TIP is set will hold you, me, and someone else. Your saddle is in good shape, your lanyard is good, your ropes are good condition, etc etc.

Point being, my anxiety or fear was kinda generalized and I was worried that SOMETHING was gonna go wrong. Easy fix was stop letting it be generalized and focus on all specific components again. Was kind of a reassurance that everything that could really go wrong was all completely under my control.
Click to expand...

After knowing all your gear is good to go and you are using good technique, I climbed a lone (sound) fence post four feet off the ground - shook it back and forth. If I can do that at four feet I can do it at 100 plus I reasoned - with a proper life line tie in further down the tree.
 
rico said:
God NO!. There is no such thing as a Reuben without sauerkraut, and shame on you for even suggesting such a thing. WTF is wrong with you JD?

On a side note I believe a really good Reuben to be one of the crowning achievements of humanity. Right up there with a killer batch of Liver and Onions, with bacon of coarse.
Click to expand...
Cole slaw is a legit replacement for sauerkraut
“Georgia Rueben’ but it’s still cabbage
 
It sounds like you didnt have a tie in above you and had to rely on a flip flipline and spikes to ascend if your throw balls were stuck? Is this something you are not used to doing (ascending without a rope in the tree)? Especially on leaners its uneasy because you really need to lean back to get tension on the flipline, when you are hunched forward its obviously harder to keep a flipline tensioned around the tree and it feels unstable and you're mostly balancing on your spikes. Lean back to tension the flip line and there is the concern it can still slide down the tree and give you an uneasy jolt. I really dislike leaners and skinny trees I find it hard to balance well (feel like I'm going to spin around the tree) and usually try to advance a climb line above me, usually choked around the stem using SRT so I know if I start sliding it will catch me.
 
tree_stooge said:
I came out to Georgia recently on some contract work. And I started climbing in south Florida where really only the washi palms because there so skinny and tall rack my nerves, and really hard lean coco. But in Georgia I’m doing some of the bigger trees I have ever done. I’ve only been climbing a year and a half and I know for my first 3-6 months my knees used to knock. I occasionally still get shaky though but it’s never the height that bothers me, sometimes my brain will decide to just let me know all the shit that could possibly go wrong. But other days I’ll do sketchy stuff and be moving smooth with no worry in the world really. Most nervous I ever got was doing an Australian Pine and i kept gaffin out because the wood is so hard and i had to get up this skinny stalk. I couldn’t even finish out the tree, I had to go work on another and come back to it because of how bad it freaked me out


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Click to expand...
Sharpen your spikes. Hard wood is no excuse for gaffing out. I've only gaffed out once or twice in my life. Fix that!
 
I mainly climb oaks and maples and have never had both spikes gaff out at the same time. I do fear it sometimes tho on the smooth bark maples or thick barked chestnut oaks. I tend to cinch my climbing line or 2nd lanyard in those situations.
 
I gaffed out my first climb ever on spurs. Poor technique to blame, on a small diameter young locust. Panicked and rode down the tree like a fire pole :LOL: . Fortunately I was only about 10 feet off the ground, only damage was my pride and some abrasions on my forearms.
 
AdkEric said:
I gaffed out my first climb ever on spurs. Poor technique to blame, on a small diameter young locust. Panicked and rode down the tree like a fire pole :LOL: . Fortunately I was only about 10 feet off the ground, only damage was my pride and some abrasions on my forearms.
Click to expand...
Been there, done that! Unfortunately in my case I rode a big old Walnut... Tore me up from knees to chin. Ouch!
 
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