interested in spurless

[1I'dJak]

Hey fellas, new member here. Been climbing for about a year now.... jumped right into it... Work in victoria, cananda...We do mainly res work, though i've done some windfirming in the bush...wild! Anyways, I'm looking to do more spurless climbing...we use spurs much of the time, and when we don't, it's mainly plunk the ladder up the tree and shinny the rest...What's a good resource to learn more about the methods and gear needed for spurless..

 

[clearance]

Welcome to the site Jak, I windfirm up in the Charlottes. Good for you to want to spurless climb, great, guys who climb with spurs are just lazy hacks, terrible people.

 

[1I'dJak]

yeah that seems to be the main consent...though in some situations i'd rather use spurs and i'm sure i'll hear about it from the purists....but with some of the bigger trees i'd rather use spurs...ie windfirming...the guy i work for is old school, former line clearance guy, so spurless is not so much his bag...I just wanna be profficient in both...I've wanted to post on this site before, but sometimes people here seem quick to jump on another guys case if one's not a isa purist... clearance, where does one get hydro clearing certification in bc?

 

[clearance]

Jak is was just pulling your leg, I'm actually a hack that always wears spurs, and now caulks as well to climb. You get to be a cua by going to school in Surrey at the electrical industry training institute and then working for a couple of years. Check out "utility arborist B.C." on the net. Why did you quit windfirming, it is almost twice the money as a cua, at least for me $275/six and a half hour day. Union rate for a cua is $23.25HR..

 

[1I'dJak]

I like doing as much variety as possible, whether it be res, firming, or possibly utility... equals more work opportunities....we've got some widfirming work in the port alberni area but its under snow....firming sure made a man outta me though... took me 2 tie ins and a partial third(off a neighbouring tree) to gett offa one tree... thats with 150' rope (i figure 180' at least) tall second growth fir trees... anyways when i came back to do res, the trees that sketched me out seem like nothin now.... the big rush was grappelling from one tree to the other.... I'm looking forward to going back...but I've worked in the forest industry for several years and know how up and down the work can be.... so the more certification for different climbing the better

 

[clearance]

Jak-windfirming sure is a blast, it is just old growth up here, lots of 150' some over 200'. It can be a rush cutting down sketchy trees by powerlines too. Utilty work is no walk in the park, there are a million variables, Hydro inspectors, WCB guys, city arborists, treehuggers who yell and scream, motorists who speed through work zones, useless groundsmen. It is good when you are on a decent crew doing removals for a Hydro guy who will back you up (rare). Mostly you will be trimming if you are running a boom truck, I found this very boring. Like I said look on the net, my card says British Columbia industry training authority.

 

[1I'dJak]

funny, i ask about spurless and end up talking with a fellow spur-man...doing res work in victoria is much the same as you describe... motorists flying by you, tree huggers and grouchy old ladies with nothing better to do than call you a buthcher.... thanks for the heads up... running a boom truck does sound boring.... How long is your firming season? I'm also curious why are they windfirming old growth... seems to me its the second growth that mostly need it, as its often tall and spindly and the rooting area is more compromised...

 

[clearance]

Jak- the wind just comes howling through here it is crazy and it will stay windy for days on end. I have seen trees that are 6'-8' at the butt and about 3' at over a 150' with the top ripped off. If you don't top it, it is on the ground. Some days the ferry will not leave the dock in Prince Rupert because of the waves and it is a proper ship. If you are doing res. work and tell ignorant people where to go and how to get there, all they can do is call your boss. Same thing with Hydro work and they will call Hydro saying they have been "verbally assaulted", couldn't believe it, guess who is always the bad guy?

 

[1I'dJak]

so you actually are topping the trees eh? what i was doing was taking of about 30-50% of the upper canopy....and now that i think about it we were topping the hemlocks... i know about the wind up there... i spent a couple seasons commercial fishing all round the island from cape st james to rose spit... have you ever been single stemming?

 

[clearance]

No, I never have done that, just chunked down logs or firewood. You must have worked for Steve, I know about it. I really would not like to be in any boat under 300' long anywhere around here. There are logs on the highway after a storm and that is on the protected east coast. I didn't even like flying into Sandspit, not much of a runway and then your in the chuck.

 

[1I'dJak]

i've never single stemmed myself either, just looking for some feedback... there was an opportunity but i'm not experienced enough... specially since its a helicopter show, you gotta be a highballer... i've still got a lot to learn... I take it pretty slow and methodically...I definetly don't freeclimb, though some do and that's how they highball....We actually subcontracted to a contractor who in turn subcontracted to REM... i don;t know any names... but all this talking about it is getting me pumped to go... melt snow melt! Trimming the leylandii hedge tommorow or deadwoooding some poopy little dying balsam is gonna seem pretty lame!

 

[clearance]

I used to freeclimb utility but no more, two steel cores always. I know guys that worked standing stem and windfirming for Steve. I have never met him. I still haven't got used to the real big trees myself, the 3' ones are a cakewalk. This site is pretty cool, there are lots of smart guys here, even some of the ones I beef with are very knowlegedable about trees. The ISA is a big deal here, I think being ISA certified is like an Asian with a drivers licence. They bought the licence, but can they drive? You will get that. Davey is big in utility on the island, the head office is somewhere there.

 

[legendrider]

spurless for me anytime

i dont know how you guys like them so much id much rather use the rope all the way up anytime, dont mind jumpin out of the bucket either though lol

 

[clearance]

Legend- when it comes to windfirming if you have to ask, you don't understand. Try spurless climbing a Red Cedar with no branches for 80' and then they all droop down. I to have climbed out of the bucket, with spurs of course. Anyways, help this guy out he wants to learn how to hump rope or whatever you guys do.

 

[legendrider]

understood

didnt even know what that was lol, but i see your point!!

 

[legendrider]

spurless

best thing to learn i find is using the throwball to set a climbing line as high as you can. i tie in most of the time using a schwabisch with a micro pulley as a slack tender. you can walk up the tree hand over hand even better if you have a groundie that can help you out. if your using a blake, use a split tail and attache the pulley that will work fine too.

 

[Stumper]

Wildcard, Pick up a copy of The Tree Climber's Companion by Jeff Jepson. Get the 2nd edition-The first edition is good but there is a lot of extra stuff in the second. The illustrations and commentary in the book willl take you far. -And this forum and a couple of others willl help expand your knowedge and skills tremendously.

 

[1I'dJak]

tree climber companion eh? thanx...what's a swabisch? my lingo and techie lingo are primitive....I climb... I rappel with the taughtline....I tie off with the running bowline or a clove hitch.... we just rig stuff down using the crotch and some line... however i do have a ascender.... a little hand held jobbie... I'm slowly accumulating gear so i can do more stuff own my own with less primitive methods...just bought fundamentals of general tree work and a couple of books by shigo....i love this job...i've gone to school on and off for several years and worked in the woods... none of it brought me real satisfaction... this job combines both...that is until i show up to a site to side trim and top a big ol' ugly laurel...

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Wildcard, Pick up a copy of The Tree Climber's Companion by Jeff Jepson. The illustrations and commentary in the book willl take you far.

Pay close attention to the illustration on the bottom of page 65. The talk about single rope technique would be very beneficial to tall stem climbers.

 

[1I'dJak]

thanx guys... i'm looking forward to learning what i can from this site...
reep it keal...