Hello everyone, im a newb here and was wandering how many people get into this without "proper" training or a mentor. I work for a small landscape company and we regularly do tree work but will sub out anything that has to be climbed or have a bucket truck to complete. I told my boss i was interested in learning the trade and now i have some gear on the way. I am physically fit and have always done labor intensive work and a pay raise or bonuses will be welcomed. Starting low and slow is not a problem for me, and i apply common sense well, im not just gonna strap in and go drop a tree onto a house or power lines. I want to do this right and was wandering if there is many people that just learned things on there own. Ive read some lit. and do lots of research like the tree workers dvd pt. 1 and 2(anybody seen them? are they informative?) There is a school close to me in Atlanta for tree workers that ive had my eye own and could attend in the future on my employers dime. Anyone have tips for the begginer?
Any self-taught climbers?
- Thread starter Dt1987
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
Do yourself a huge favor and attend a TCI Expo.
Just attend the vendors area if you want to save some bucks and you will never be the same.
Walk the sales area with hundreds of climbers and you will not ever be able to call yourself a 'self taught climber' again.
You will be amazed.
http://tcia.org/events/tci-expo
Just attend the vendors area if you want to save some bucks and you will never be the same.
Walk the sales area with hundreds of climbers and you will not ever be able to call yourself a 'self taught climber' again.
You will be amazed.
http://tcia.org/events/tci-expo
Since your boss sub's that out, why not quit your job and apply with a tree company. If you are serious about climbing you would be hired by any legit company as a trainee,,,I would.
Jeff
Jeff
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
X2 on attending TCI Expo. Being held Nov. 10-12 in Baltimore this year.
Get a copy of Jepson's "Tree Climber's Companion", and his knot book if you don't already have them.
btw, I started out as a self-taught climber (1980's) and feel fortunate to still be alive and more or less intact, lol.
Get a copy of Jepson's "Tree Climber's Companion", and his knot book if you don't already have them.
btw, I started out as a self-taught climber (1980's) and feel fortunate to still be alive and more or less intact, lol.
I started out self taught before I start working for a tree company. I read all the books watched a few videos and had a go low and slow. Climbing with the boys at work has increased my skill level faster than I could have imagined.
Time in the tree is the only real way to learn
Time in the tree is the only real way to learn
Griff93
ArboristSite Operative
Remember, mistakes learning this can be fatal or life changing.
Where in Alabama are you?
Where in Alabama are you?
So a lot of discussion about learning to climb. Lets back uo a little... Do you know anything about trees?
I am pretty sure I could figure out spilcing bones together with a metal plate or wrapping quick dry fiberglass aroun a broken leg. I even recognized the hairline crack on the xray in my sons leg before a doctor looked at the radiograph (xray tech wasn't allowed to comment on it one way or the other). I wouldn't want me anywhere near a patient needing an orthopedic surgeon...not because I don't think I couldn't use the tools but because I'd kill the patient in the process.
So, yeah...start low and slow with the climbing, but fast and furious with learning about trees. A few books I'd recommend (hoping others will chime in with their picks):
A New Tree Biology (Shigo)
An Illustrated Guide to Pruning (Gillan)
Up by Roots (Urban)
ISA Building Blocks of Arboriculture
Not only will you serve your clients better, but you will be safer in the tree because you will know what you should and shouldn't be doing.
I am pretty sure I could figure out spilcing bones together with a metal plate or wrapping quick dry fiberglass aroun a broken leg. I even recognized the hairline crack on the xray in my sons leg before a doctor looked at the radiograph (xray tech wasn't allowed to comment on it one way or the other). I wouldn't want me anywhere near a patient needing an orthopedic surgeon...not because I don't think I couldn't use the tools but because I'd kill the patient in the process.
So, yeah...start low and slow with the climbing, but fast and furious with learning about trees. A few books I'd recommend (hoping others will chime in with their picks):
A New Tree Biology (Shigo)
An Illustrated Guide to Pruning (Gillan)
Up by Roots (Urban)
ISA Building Blocks of Arboriculture
Not only will you serve your clients better, but you will be safer in the tree because you will know what you should and shouldn't be doing.
JeffGu
Antagonist/Heckler
And even if they're your own trees... you'll be able to manage them better, the more you know about them.
You can teach yourself the basics.
You could go prune some small - medium sized trees in the neighborhood.
However, I wouldn't go setting up huge crane removals just yet if I were you......
jerry beranek working clumber dvds are really good imo...
You could go prune some small - medium sized trees in the neighborhood.
However, I wouldn't go setting up huge crane removals just yet if I were you......
jerry beranek working clumber dvds are really good imo...
X2 on that though... be careful.....
North Al. Close to Huntsville
Griff93
ArboristSite Operative
Who are you working for? There's a couple of guys I won't have anything to do with at all. Feel free to pm me if you don't want to put it up on the open forum.
I'll let you come over and show you at least how to be safe climbing if you want. I don't want to see anybody get hurt doing this, especially not younger enthusiastic guys wanting to learn to climb that don't have a mentor.
On this business side of things, be aware our local market is flooded and has a bunch of people that aren't legitimate. There's 112 tree services in this area including ours last time I checked. I also know of someone looking to hire a helper. He's a veteran tree guy of 35 years and would really teach you to climb if you want really want to learn tree work.
I'll let you come over and show you at least how to be safe climbing if you want. I don't want to see anybody get hurt doing this, especially not younger enthusiastic guys wanting to learn to climb that don't have a mentor.
On this business side of things, be aware our local market is flooded and has a bunch of people that aren't legitimate. There's 112 tree services in this area including ours last time I checked. I also know of someone looking to hire a helper. He's a veteran tree guy of 35 years and would really teach you to climb if you want really want to learn tree work.
I read the two Jeff Jepson books before I got hired and they were immensely helpful. However, I still had two mentors once I started working and I think starting out without their help would have been difficult and dangerous. I have found there are many small things that can go wrong in the tree that experienced climbers will anticipate and warn you about. For example, when cutting a long heavy maple limp, the base will split and a large piece of wood can snap up in to your face. That's the sort of thing I would never have anticipated as a new climber. I have been climbing every day for 8 months and I still regularly encounter situations where I think I'm doing everything right and something goes wrong. Luckily only close calls so far.
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
Yeah, there is no shortage of ways to get hurt doing this stuff.
Kinda makes it all exciting.
Even more so when you realize your helpers on the ground are far stupider than you would have ever thought possible.
flyinghunter
ArboristSite Member
I'm pretty much self taught. And, like Geordie had 2 mentors start me off. I too count myself lucky to be uninjured. I'm no expert on the matter but I reckon climbing is one thing, trees are another and in my opinion you need to know more about trees than climbing when you start. Easy to dig yourself a hole and then be tied to that hole.
IyaMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm self taught on trees but I was previously experienced with rock climbing so I knew how to rappel, belay, and do basic rope-work. If you have no experience with such I highly recommend going to an indoor rock climbing gym to learn/practice all this (all gyms give free and/or cheap lessons. And people there are always looking for partners to practice with, so you will have no trouble getting started). Also, a rock climbing gym will prepare you for dealing with heights.
Then, once you have a grasp of rigging and your gear, just find a tree you plan to remove and start practicing, over and over. (don't use a tree you plan to keep as repeated spiking will probably kill it.) Even with my rock climbing experience for the first several climbs I rarely went more than 15 feet up.
On top of the main line (the flip-line) use an extra safety rig (a separate slip-knot rope line around the tree) which you move separately (after several years on trees I still use this). This will catch you if your spikes slip, and its always better to have two connecting points no matter what. Also, learning/practicing decent is equally important, so don't go too high at first!. Further, starting out on a bigger softwood tree with thick bark is way easier than a thinner hardwood (look for a pine or cedar more than 15" diameter).
And never climb alone.
But above all, if you can take a certified class, I would absolutely recommend it (this wasn't an option for me at my location)
Then, once you have a grasp of rigging and your gear, just find a tree you plan to remove and start practicing, over and over. (don't use a tree you plan to keep as repeated spiking will probably kill it.) Even with my rock climbing experience for the first several climbs I rarely went more than 15 feet up.
On top of the main line (the flip-line) use an extra safety rig (a separate slip-knot rope line around the tree) which you move separately (after several years on trees I still use this). This will catch you if your spikes slip, and its always better to have two connecting points no matter what. Also, learning/practicing decent is equally important, so don't go too high at first!. Further, starting out on a bigger softwood tree with thick bark is way easier than a thinner hardwood (look for a pine or cedar more than 15" diameter).
And never climb alone.
But above all, if you can take a certified class, I would absolutely recommend it (this wasn't an option for me at my location)
