lurking women, care to introduce yourselves?

Western Chapter's Women's Tree Climbing Workshop

Dates:

October 6-8, 2017

Workshop Description:
This will be the Western Chapter ISA's second women's tree climbing workshop! This workshop is meant for the very beginner, to a climber that has years under their belt and would just like to work on some new techniques.

For all that come, get ready to enjoy learning a new skill and maybe getting out of your comfort zone, or strengthen and advance the skills you already have, surrounded by fun and supporting women. This two and a half-day event was specifically created for women by women climbers, who have competed in tree climbing championships and are working in the tree care industry, namely Rhonda Wood, Bella Rammon, and Christina Cloer.

You will learn various styles of climbing equipment and techniques while networking with female tree lovers from all over the region! This two and half-day (overnight) adventure is ALL INCLUSIVE including room and board and use of climbing equipment. You will leave this experience with new skills, great memories, new friends, and a sense of pride and personal accomplishment. This workshop is limited to 20 participants.

We are happy to help with transportation from/to the Sacramento Airport. If you need assistance, please contact Julia Bartens as soon as you have registered to arrange a ride at jbartens@vt.edu.


Our Instructors:

Rhonda Wood is an ISA Certified Arborist and Tree Worker Climbing Specialist with 17 years of professional tree climbing experience. She has competed 7 times in the Western Chapter ISA Tree Climbing Championships starting in 2007 and was able to compete 4 times on the international level. Rhonda has assisted with 5 Women’s Tree Climbing Workshops internationally, conducted pruning classes, taught a community college arboriculture class, and has helped mentor many new climbers over the years. She is past president of the Western Chapter ISA and her day job is spent as the Urban Forester for the Disneyland Resort in Southern California. She is married, has a dog named Murphy, and enjoys fairy gardening in her spare time.

Christina Cloer is an experienced climber, foreman, fire fighter, and instructor. She has competed in three climbing championships. At the WCISA climbing championship she took 1st place in five of six events and at the ITCC she took 2nd at throw ball, first time competing. She started as a ground man and worked herself up to journeyman, high-voltage line inspector, and apprentice instructor. She is an ISA Certified Arborist, Tree Worker-Climber Specialist, Utility Specialist, and Tree Risk Assessor, and has numerous fire certificates. Christina, her husband, and their 5 year old boy and 2 year old girl live off the grid in Flagstaff, Arizona, where they have horses, chickens, a huge garden, and many other critters.

Bella Rammon lives in Reno, owns her own tree care company. But her journey ironically started in the land of the sagebrush. Vast wide open country with mountain ranges embracing the valleys. It was through service opportunities in Reno Nevada that her love and passion for the outdoors began. This is what the world of trees exposed Bella to a new perspective and the world and the euphoric feeling of being off solid ground. Bella participated in a WCISA climbing championship, placing 2nd and is an ISA Certified Arborist. Bella grew up in Mainz, Germany, with her musician parents and went to college in Oregon and received a degree in finance. She is married, has a three year old daughter, and enjoys camping, hiking, rock climbing, biking, and her motorcycle. She is looking forward to sharing her passion and skills with other women.

Agenda:
Friday, October 6

4:00 pm - Registration & Bunk Assignments

5:00 pm - Introductions & Experiences

6:30 pm - Dinner Social

7:30 pm - Safety Briefing, Intro to Climbing Presentation

Saturday, October 7

7:00 am - Breakfast

8:00 am - Gear Distribution

8:30 am - Safety Briefing,Meditation & Streching

Meditation

9:30 am - Climbing Stations - Get in a tree! Newbie (steps/belayed climb), some experience (body thrust), more experience (bells)

12:00 pm - Lunch

1:00 pm - Climbing Stations - throwline & install practice, bell stations with prizes

4:30 pm - Canopy Hang & personal time

6:00 pm - Dinner

7:00 pm - Campfire Social

Sunday, October 8

7:00 am - Breakfast

8:00 am - Lodging breakdown

8:30 am - Meditation & Stretching

9:30 am - Climbing Stations - continue bell stations on different trees, aerial rescue, intro tofootlock/other ascending methods

12:00 pm - Lunch

1:00 pm - Climbing stations - continue climbing & throwline challenge

3:00 pm - Gear collections & pictures

4:00 pm - Awards

Registration:

$500.00 - WCISA Member
$550.00 - Non-WCISA Member

All participants must have a signed waiver 2017 WIA Climbing Waiver

CEUs:

12.75 - CA / CTW / MS
12.75 - BCMA-P

Location:

Jesuit Retreat Center
1001 Boole Rd.
Applegate, CA 95703
 
I guess I am kind of a "lurker".

My name is Chris and I was in the Air Force for 10 years. I was also in the publishing, graphic design and advertising business for over 30 years (owned my business). After having created over 100 maps for the National Park Service, I got the "tree" bug and went to college to get 3 AS degrees (forestry, natural resources and GIS). I am currently enrolled at Oregon State University working on my BS in Natural Resources Policy & Mgmt. I went to work for the U.S. Forest Service in 2014. After a few years there, I became a Utility Forester full-time.

I have my saw certification and red card through the Forest Service.

I create botany illustrations, and I still freelance (creating logos, brochures, apparel and such). So if you need some professional design work done, you are welcome to message me.

I am 52, so I got a late start on a lot of you, but I am in awe that many of you are climbers. Kudos!

I am taking my ISA cert test in a couple of weeks, so wish me luck.
 
nicoleb said:
Thanks! I actually watched the Ddrt injury video just before looking at this post :p
I primarily climb double rope right now, but am working to use Srt for more than just ascent on large trees (where foot locking is going to burn me out before the actual job that needs to be done). I still feel really unstable going out on limbs when I srt vs ddrt. Any suggestions or pointers to make the change feel more natural are greatly appreciated, otherwise I'll just assume it is "Practice,Practice,Practice"
Click to expand...
I find if you think in triangles you will be much more stable on branches. For instance, if you have a top rope coming down at an angle and a tether or flip line around a branch at another angle creating a triangle while you lean and move it is much more stable. Also not being afraid to under hang on a branch and just get used to moving with tension in the rope makes a big difference overall. Try walking out on a thin branch with the flipline below you and add tension on your belay, you can actually get the branch to rise not sink! doing this you would be very surprised at how skinny of a branch you can walk out on.
 
Chris13 said:
I guess I am kind of a "lurker".

My name is Chris and I was in the Air Force for 10 years. I was also in the publishing, graphic design and advertising business for over 30 years (owned my business). After having created over 100 maps for the National Park Service, I got the "tree" bug and went to college to get 3 AS degrees (forestry, natural resources and GIS). I am currently enrolled at Oregon State University working on my BS in Natural Resources Policy & Mgmt. I went to work for the U.S. Forest Service in 2014. After a few years there, I became a Utility Forester full-time.

I have my saw certification and red card through the Forest Service.

I create botany illustrations, and I still freelance (creating logos, brochures, apparel and such). So if you need some professional design work done, you are welcome to message me.

I am 52, so I got a late start on a lot of you, but I am in awe that many of you are climbers. Kudos!

I am taking my ISA cert test in a couple of weeks, so wish me luck.
Click to expand...

Hey Chris! Could you share some of those botany illustrations? I'm currently working on a tree-inspired tattoo and I love the style of tree illustrations found in botany books :) (finding a beautiful interpretation of an arbutus is where I'm heading right now)
 
Lampyrid said:
Hi I'm Danielle, I climb SRT. My sweetie is an arborist and climbs professionally. I climb just for fun, but I have a fear of heights that I'm working on. I'm an entomologist and I enjoy having a hobby that brings balance to my desk job.
Click to expand...
I like bugs too. Welcome to the Buzz
 
CanadianStan said:
Hey Chris! Could you share some of those botany illustrations? I'm currently working on a tree-inspired tattoo and I love the style of tree illustrations found in botany books :) (finding a beautiful interpretation of an arbutus is where I'm heading right now)
Click to expand...

These are some basic ones I did in pen and ink on some wood cookies. I’ll need to go into another external drive to find some of my formal ones.


AE49B375-41D7-464A-A648-ADD30F59FAAD.webp
 
@
Lampyrid

Hey, Danielle! Welcome to the TreeBuzz forum! I think you are going to like it here!

This is a great group of folks, who are willing to answer questions freely, and help in any way that they are able. So, please feel free to jump on in and share your experiences as a climber. If your sweetie is not also a member of this forum, perhaps you can tell them about us, too. We can always use more voices.

I hope to read more from you in the future. Best wishes.

Tim
 
Hi all, I'm Samantha,

I've been climbing as an aborist trainee for 8ish months, I feel like I've come a long way from working in a call centre before hand, I climb nearly every day, recently won the womens student division of the VTIO annual climbing competition. I've gotten into splicing which is what brought me to the site initially, I'm hoping to turn my job in aboriculture into a life long career.
 
Hi Samantha

Welcome to Tree Buzz and the profession too.

Congrats on the comp win.

I hope that you know that you'll learn a lot at comps. Both as a climber and volunteer. Networking isn't a corny old word. YOu'll make life long friends
 
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