- Location
- Ft Thomas, KY/ Cincinnati
Ok, for almost a year now I've been a rec climber, I facilitate group climbs for families, boy/ girl scouts, YMCA groups, softball teams... mostly people who've rarely been more than 15 feet into a tree and want to challenge themselves to climb & gain a new experience & perspective on the world around them. Team building, confidence building, laid-back FUN.
But at last year's Tree Climber's Rendezvous I met a few arborists, including TreeBuzz's own Tom Dunlap, one of the nicest people hanging around in a tree. I've been talking to these arborists. I've been hearing about how differently pro climbers climb from rec climbers. That's why I joined TreeBuzz, to see what's up in this world you've got here.
This winter I found myself spending a lot of time watching arborist/ knot tying/ climbing videos on YouTube.
Now, I love facilitating groups& it is a privilege to teach people the basics of climbing. The look on a kid's face (or an adult who swears they're afraid of heights, for that matter) when they get how to do it themselves is always the best reward. But I've been wanting to see other techniques & how they're put to use in the field... and what IS ALL THIS GEAR used for?!
Recently I contacted a few local companies. I got an immediate response from Eric, from Tree Care Inc. He generously agreed to let me come out on a work climb. "Cool! Awesome!" I'm thinking, "I won't get in the way, you won't even know I'm there."
Two days ago he added, "Bring your gear." Ummm, sure, OK, no problem.
Today was the climb.
Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I was so nervous last night I couldn't sleep. During the 1.5 hr drive to North Dayton I was kicking myself for not reviewing all the knots I've been learning. These climbers could laugh me out of the tree if they wanted to. What had I gotten myself into?
If I'd have known how nice these folks were, I'd have saved myself some trouble & gotten a good night's rest. From the word go, they were outstanding.
People on this forum are like family in some cases, I'm finding out, so you all might know these guys. Jeremy Brown was the lead climber, and Mark & Chase were the other TCI dudes on the job.
Jeremy set me up w/ his Tree Motion saddle, thank you very much... now I must have one. We SRT'd up, switched over to DdRT... and we were off & running. This was hands on learning at its best. I got to try most everything that needed to be done, from sawing & rigging, to dragging brush. Oh, and I gained a deep appreciation for the use of a lanyard. Now I get it.
I have never climbed like that... waaay out (it seemed to ME like it was way the hell out there & pretty high up in the air! ) on those little skinny limbs, stretched out upside down to get the end w/ a hand saw...and I loved every minute of it. The room is swaying around me as I type, like I've been in a boat all day. I haven't got my tree legs yet.
I'm going on & on... but this was such a great day. I thrive on learning new things, gaining new skills and I can't believe how much I learned by being out there doing it. I hope I remember even 1/3 of it. Jeremy (& all the guys) were so patient... it is difficult to teach something which is second nature to you, so every move he made, he had to also consider every move to tell or show me to make as well. That can be tricky, I was lucky he pulled it off so easily.
Thank you, Tree Care Inc, for this excellent adventure, you guys rock!
and, PS, the property owner could not say enough wonderful things about you all... "from the boss on down, they're top notch" he kept saying. I agree
But at last year's Tree Climber's Rendezvous I met a few arborists, including TreeBuzz's own Tom Dunlap, one of the nicest people hanging around in a tree. I've been talking to these arborists. I've been hearing about how differently pro climbers climb from rec climbers. That's why I joined TreeBuzz, to see what's up in this world you've got here.
This winter I found myself spending a lot of time watching arborist/ knot tying/ climbing videos on YouTube.
Now, I love facilitating groups& it is a privilege to teach people the basics of climbing. The look on a kid's face (or an adult who swears they're afraid of heights, for that matter) when they get how to do it themselves is always the best reward. But I've been wanting to see other techniques & how they're put to use in the field... and what IS ALL THIS GEAR used for?!
Recently I contacted a few local companies. I got an immediate response from Eric, from Tree Care Inc. He generously agreed to let me come out on a work climb. "Cool! Awesome!" I'm thinking, "I won't get in the way, you won't even know I'm there."
Two days ago he added, "Bring your gear." Ummm, sure, OK, no problem.
Today was the climb.
Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I was so nervous last night I couldn't sleep. During the 1.5 hr drive to North Dayton I was kicking myself for not reviewing all the knots I've been learning. These climbers could laugh me out of the tree if they wanted to. What had I gotten myself into?
If I'd have known how nice these folks were, I'd have saved myself some trouble & gotten a good night's rest. From the word go, they were outstanding.
People on this forum are like family in some cases, I'm finding out, so you all might know these guys. Jeremy Brown was the lead climber, and Mark & Chase were the other TCI dudes on the job.
Jeremy set me up w/ his Tree Motion saddle, thank you very much... now I must have one. We SRT'd up, switched over to DdRT... and we were off & running. This was hands on learning at its best. I got to try most everything that needed to be done, from sawing & rigging, to dragging brush. Oh, and I gained a deep appreciation for the use of a lanyard. Now I get it.
I have never climbed like that... waaay out (it seemed to ME like it was way the hell out there & pretty high up in the air! ) on those little skinny limbs, stretched out upside down to get the end w/ a hand saw...and I loved every minute of it. The room is swaying around me as I type, like I've been in a boat all day. I haven't got my tree legs yet.
I'm going on & on... but this was such a great day. I thrive on learning new things, gaining new skills and I can't believe how much I learned by being out there doing it. I hope I remember even 1/3 of it. Jeremy (& all the guys) were so patient... it is difficult to teach something which is second nature to you, so every move he made, he had to also consider every move to tell or show me to make as well. That can be tricky, I was lucky he pulled it off so easily.
Thank you, Tree Care Inc, for this excellent adventure, you guys rock!
and, PS, the property owner could not say enough wonderful things about you all... "from the boss on down, they're top notch" he kept saying. I agree
