Where to start?

Boek lezen in de wachtzaal.jpeg
I found the 3rd edition in a Dutch webshop!


As you can see in the picture I had time to read it... while I was waiting in the hospital for my X-ray results after I dropped out of a tree.

A week ago I was climbing on spurs (practise day at school). When I was at 5 meters high, I had a kick-out and I fell (slided) down the tree. I had some abrasions on my knockles, but other than that I was fine. After cleaning the wounds and putting a plaster on it, I climbed the tree again. It was mentally challenging, and I froze a few times, but with the support of my teacher (who, at a certain point, climbed in the same tree to coach and support me) I managed to overcome my fear. At the end of the day, when practise was over and I was on the ground again, adrenaline started to drop and pain increased.
When I got home I noticed that one finger had a different shape. I called a docter, but there was nothing major/urgent the matter. After two days I became aware that I couldn't bend the finger, even if I wanted to. So I called my GP, who (after seeing me) send me to the hospital for an X-ray.
All ends well, I didn't break any bones or damaged any other tissue (nerves or mucles). I probably need some exercise to be able to bend the finger again, but that's it.

Tomorrow is 'practise day' so I'm going up in a tree again (on spurs) and see how it (mentally) goes. (I expect to have to face some fear again.) And, not unimportant, the lesson starts tomorrow with reflecting (with the whole class) on what happened, so we can all learn from it.
 
After the incident of spurring out I decided to continue climbing in my own pace and to take my schoolexams by platform instead of climbing (you can choose between those options).
Two weeks ago a friend of mine offered his yard as practice area and I climbed a walnut together with my classmate.
The same classmate took me bouldering last Saturday, wich was my first time ever and I had great fun.

Then I began second guessing my decision and today I called my teacher to ask if I could join the climbing exam the first years are taking next week. The answer is I can, so I'm taking my first climbing exam next week! I'm quite happy!
If I don't pass it's totally fine, I can still take my schoolexams by platform (I might do so anyway). If I pass it looks good on my resume and it will hopefully make it a little bit easier to find a place where I can practice climbing further.
 
Are you using a climbing system with spurs/ lanyard, @Suuz ?



How is your name pronounced?


I wouldn't spur a yard tree for practice, only spurless, rope-climbing. Spurs damage trees.

If you have a forest and can get far off-trail to a sacrificial tree, consider practicing on that tree with spurs.
 
Took the exam yesterday. Didn't pass. I was to slow ascending the tree to make the TIP in the top of the tree.

Rationally that's OK. Emotionally I feel more sad about it than I thought I would.
 
Suuz said:
Took the exam yesterday. Didn't pass. I was to slow ascending the tree to make the TIP in the top of the tree.

Rationally that's OK. Emotionally I feel more sad about it than I thought I would.
Click to expand...
Work on your weaknesses, and continue to improve your strengths Susan.

Take what you learned from your "Test" as a Lesson and keep working at IT.

You will get there.
 
Suuz said:
Took the exam yesterday. Didn't pass. I was to slow ascending the tree to make the TIP in the top of the tree.

Rationally that's OK. Emotionally I feel more sad about it than I thought I would.
Click to expand...
It’s timed? I can see where there is a point but it’s dangerous to pressure under a time clock. It’s production and not a competition. There are comps and while they mimic work it’s far from it.
Slow and steady is more productive.
My mentor called for a block and sling, I ran to the truck and was back in a few seconds. Got a righteous ass chewing for that.
We are professionals and work at a professional pace. There are times when we do need to run but getting a tool off the truck or to a TIP is not one of those times.
 
evo said:
It’s timed? I can see where there is a point but it’s dangerous to pressure under a time clock. It’s production and not a competition...
Click to expand...

There is a need to find and function within the sweet spot when engaged in commercial tree work. Speed is relevant and needed but must be accomplished in a safe and thoughtful manner. The irony is that 'it takes time' to develop the skills needed to accomplish work at a faster pace.
 
evo said:
It’s timed? I can see where there is a point but it’s dangerous to pressure under a time clock. It’s production and not a competition. There are comps and while they mimic work it’s far from it.
Slow and steady is more productive.
My mentor called for a block and sling, I ran to the truck and was back in a few seconds. Got a righteous ass chewing for that.
We are professionals and work at a professional pace. There are times when we do need to run but getting a tool off the truck or to a TIP is not one of those times.
Click to expand...
There comes a point where you have to make a cutoff time wise or it gets ridiculous.
 
@Suuz
It’s not for everyone.
There’s plenty of other work with trees apart from climbing up them and cutting bits off.

It is good to be encouraging and positive but the odds (and time) are against you.

Being a good ground worker, running ropes and operating machinery like loaders and grinders will get you decent pay and in many ways be as satisfying.
 
Good points listed here. I haven't seen anything about spur climbing "technique". Anyone who does anything well has a method of doing it that could be thought of as a recipe, like a cookie recipe. If you want to do that thing we'll too you can follow a masters "recipe" as the quickest path to success or to get very close to what you will eventually adopt as your successful style.

One poster on arb forums was posting about his tree work experiences and lamenting how hard spur work was on his knees and how he had to slam his jaffs in and then jerk them out to keep from ripping out etc. Red flag...proper spur climbing is closer to walking up a tree trunk than stomping your way up. He has some newer brand of spurs that was great at being inexpensive but missed the mark at elegant functionality.

Do you care to go into spur climbing style, tips and techniques?
 
Mick Dempsey said:
@Suuz
It’s not for everyone.
There’s plenty of other work with trees apart from climbing up them and cutting bits off.

It is good to be encouraging and positive but the odds (and time) are against you.

Being a good ground worker, running ropes and operating machinery like loaders and grinders will get you decent pay and in many ways be as satisfying.
Click to expand...
I’m visiting NYC right now and crashed the holiday party of the company I started doing tree work with 11 years ago. I met a few amazing people including a a late-in-life climber, she started when she was 43. Never too late, I say.
 
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