# Have YOU ever took the plunge?



## MasterBlaster

I've fell twice so far, knock on wood. The first time was an attempt at free climbing a HUGE pecan. I fell maybe 17', 18' landing on my feet. As I collapsed into myself my chin smashed into my knee, wrenching my back and ankle. I was stove up for a couple days, but I REALLY was one lucky sob. That broke me from free climbing from that moment on.
Proper training would have been a much easier lesson.

The 2nd time was another HUGE pecan TD, dead as a doornail. There was no top 'cause it had broken out allready, just one of those Y shaped types, with no proper TIP. Tied into the left Y, I went to far out onto the right Y, and I heard that crunchy-snap sound no climber ever wants to hear. My rope stopped me at maybe 15", maybe 20" from the ground, but it still blew my left knee out. Stoved me up that time 7 or 8 weeks. Bummer. Coulda been worse though.
I went too far out on the dead limb, trying to miss the driveway. It was so dead I should have just butt-jumped it; Roping it would have concussed the tree too much.
Dead trees demand the UTMOST RESPECT.


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## njarbor

never took the plunge but just the other day i swung out to a branch and didnt have enough momentum . i grabbed a little sucker but i was too much for it. i swung backwards and it wouldnt have scared me as much but i was going backwards and was afraid to smash my head . yes i was wearing a helmet


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## ORclimber

I've haven't had a bad fall. Was fliplined into a little pear tree and broke the top out, fell about 8' landed on my face, headache for a week. Have had branches break out from under me, but have always been tied in...knock on wood.


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## monkeypuzzle

Dead Pecans, man they are tough,very hard to climb and like MB states no TIP. My dad has fallen three times over 20+ years of climbing but never any real injury, just pride and sore for a few days. 


NEVER for me!:angel:


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## John Paul Sanborn

No falls (touch wood) but one bad swing put me into a stub that wend under my humlut and woulda done my neck something offal if it was just a smidgion longer. I flush most cuts on removals these past few years.


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## MasterBlaster

I'm fanatical about not leaving any stubs as I climb.

The least they can do is foul your rope, and the worst they can do is penetrate you.

Yikes!


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## ramanujan

very nearly went to the ground about two months ago. was climbing clumps of norway maples to reduce them, vista pruning. jobsite steep ivy covered bank. one clump had several dead stems, so i of course chose the largest healthiest stem to climb and tie into.

just after i started to trim the other stems...creeack! the tree broke off at the base and was heading for the ground with me in it. 

just happened that on the way down, at about 30 degrees off vertical, another tree came in between myself and the falling tree and my weight was enough to stop the fall of the tree (in effect i was supporting the tree with my weight on my lanyard in a U shape around the other tree.)


so i untied from my TIP and tied into the second tree, unclipped my lanyard not without some real effort and watch the tree fall about 50' to the ground. i was fairly shook up, was not at all expecting any sort of that trouble.

turns out the portion of the multi-stemmed stump that the healthy stem was growing out of was 90% rotten, other stems had died from what appeared to be verticillium wilt.


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## Rob Murphy

*Fall*

Tied into one side off an included co-dominant stem climed up enought to weight/weaken the crotch .As the stem started to accelerate and I was moveing earthward I crashed into a large shrub which cushoined my fall.I was only up about 30'.
CHEAP lesson at the beggining of my climbing exp(14years ago)....Watch those inclusions!!!


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## MasterBlaster

*Re: Fall*



> _Originally posted by Rob Murphy _
> *I was only up about 30'. *




ONLY 30 feet? Thats a goodly distance!
The bush probably saved yur arse!


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## Curtis James

I personally haven't fallen, my old boss cut himself off of a twenty five foot trunk he was chunking out. cut through his saftey and his climbing line. He blames it on being in to much of a hurry. I wasn't there but I hear he to fell onto a shrub that broke his fall. All he had was a sprained ankle. I feel as though I would have been able to prevent this, I have a habit of checking on all those around me, boss or not. I am usually the one who says lets put a rope on that. He is also lucky the saw stayed put up in the trunk.


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## MasterBlaster

> _Originally posted by Curtis James _
> * I am usually the one who says lets put a rope on that. *



I'm the same way, it never hurts!


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## ok2climb

My only fall was while removing a dead pecan outside of dallas. I was new to the area, never had worked in one before, and should have been alot more careful in my pre-climb inspection of the tree. Long story short, I got up about 30 ft started my saw and thats all I really remember. Goundmen said at that point the tree broke off about 2 ft up the base, sending me onto the pressure treated deck below. Rode it down on the high side and on impact with the deck the force swung me to the right where I hit the deck on the right side of my neck. Tree collapsed all around me, i got up, unhooked my lanyard from the trunk, shut off my saw and then passed out. Woke up in the ambulance, then in the careflight to parkland hospital, then in the cat-scan tube. Remember bits and pieces but not too much, MD's were saying possible bleed in my brain, broken neck, broken R wrist and arm. The powers up above were with me that day and it has changed me and my whole work attitude. Before I would climb just about anything, no problem. Alot smarter these days, with my emphasis on safety before anything, and quality work. No tree is worth any of our lives, have since walked away from a few. I still deal with pain in my jaw, ringing in my R ear, and soreness in my wrist, but wont stop doing what i love.


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## Holmes Tree

*fell*

I fell about 50' on sept 22 of this year. Landed on my feet and crushed both calcanious bones {heals} and also fractured three lumbar vertibrae. They did surgeries of 6 1/2 and 7 hours on the feet and put in host bones, steel plates and screws. I have to wear a jewit brace for my back. I am still in a wheelchair for quite a while longer and I am in pain always.
Simple tree job of windowing tree for sattelite reception. The ones that we think are routine are the ones we need to pay attention to. Hope to be working again in a year.


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## Jumper

Nothing involving heights is ever routine, no matter how many time the person has done it.....I worked with a climber that had broken his heels as well, and I am happy to report they healed completely. Not so sure about your back, get a good physiotherapist and if it appeals to you at all, see an accupuncturist to deal with acute pain. I fell about 50 feet in '99 (not out of a tree mind you) and have a plate and six screws in my left arm as testament. More aggrevating howver are the two crushed disks in my lower back, which have healed to the point they only hurt when I sit down too long! Wore a brace for almost two months. Hopefully you are insured for all this stuff. Get a good doctor, one who is not afraid to prescribe pain meds and anti inflammitory meds(I take Celebrex) as required. Get well.


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## Holmes Tree

Just meant nothing technical, by saying routine. 
The pain is actually in my feet, and my back doesn't even bother me. I was airlifted to Harborview in Seattle and is the best hospital around here and did have a good surgeon, but the problem is they are operated by the university of Wa. and as soon as the surgery is over, they turn your ass over to young aspiring doctors and nurses that may be on their eighth year or their first semester!
Either way I have not had pain meds for about 2 1/2 weeks and I think they are afraid to prescribe them because they are so addictive.


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## Jumper

Refusal to prescribe effective pain meds is my cue to immediately find a new doctor. Yes they are addictive, but the alternative is a hinderance to getting better as quickly as possible, both mentally and physically. If you are in bad pain all the time it afffects your mental well being and if that is depressed, you will not get better as quickly.I speak from experience. I was on percocet for almost two months, and when it was time to stop, I switched to Motrin 800s. No problem. I recently was on percocet again for my feet courtesy of a compassionate and understanding doctor, who decided correctly that if my feet only could fit into bedroom slippers I was not making up the story about being in unbearable pain. You know yourself what you need for meds in general terms, and look around for a doc that will speed your recovery. I went through this horse Chit with military docs for years, and be d*mned if I am going to take it from civy ones too. Serious about the accupuncture, get an assessment nd see if they can help you for your heels as well, it really got rid of the worst of ity in my back. An older tricyclic anti depressant prescribed at night, by product being drowsiness, will also help-speak to your doc.


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## Holmes Tree

Good advice, I'll call in the morn. Both of my feet are still swollen and the numbness is begining to leave my left foot. I might get about 3 hours of sleep a night due to the pain, sometimes I get none. My primary doc there now is a female that is maybe 30? If she dealt with this for one day, I would have free reign of the pharmacy. I'll look into the accupuncture as well, either you have a clinic somewhere that you operate or it really works. I'll try anything. Thank you


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## Arboristic

After about 5 years into my climbing. I started to make climb a big popular tree. I noticed my safety rope wasnt big enough to go around the base of the tree. Instead of going to the truck and taking the time to make me a saftey rope that would fit. I felt i could free climb it on my spurs to the first limb and tie in real quick. I made my walk up and got to the first limb. I had throwed my left arm over the limb hooking it, Within the time i was able to get my hand to my saftey rope to unsnap it to tie off. My spurs kicked out. I took the plunge for 27 feet. I was lucky i broke my arm in several places where i landed on it but lesson learned. If your not tied off your not safe. If you could predict and accident i am sure we all would but ALL we can do is minimize the accidents. Even on a 3point climb you dont know when them squirrels is gonna come out of them nest on you. So be tied in at all times to make a start at minimizing the falling accidents. Today 12 years later i am still no better of a climber just a wiser climber.

No.1 rule make sure your always tied in and have yourself safe.
Remember at the end of the day we want the whole crew to go home to the families safe.


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## xander9727

I've never taken a fall out of a tree but I did fall approx. 80' when a parachute failed while in the military. Prior to that I always "pressed the envelope". Now I use much more caution, mostly because my neurologist said I only have one "crash" left (fractured c3,c4&c5).


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## MasterBlaster

One time, while trimming a huge old plantation Oak, the 4" limb I was advancing on snapped off right under me. Later inspection revealed years old squirrel damage at the union, which I had overlooked.
I had a fair bit of slack in my rope, so I fell maybe 12 or 15 feet straight down at the speed of gravity and 210 lbs.
This particular type of fall was new to me, and as I fell I was curious about the outcome. 
It was all good. When my line caught, my saddle flipped me right-side up just like a bungee chair. I held on to my saw, which was a good thing because the groundie was dragging brush right under me. The whole time he never knew what was happening above him. Har!
Due to the dynamic nature of my Safety Blue, the recoil of the recovery was de nada. I've hurt myself worse taking a dump.

What REALLY SUCKED was getting out of the dangling situation I was in. The fall had jammed my line in the broken V crotch.

BUMMER!!!

I had to pull myself up, hand over hand, until I could lanyard off at the crotch, and recover. Back then I had a gut, and on that day I really felt it! Tons of fun!

That day, I learned that I needed to upgrade my cursory inspections to a tad higher level, or more.

And I also learned the value of a dynamic climbing line working in conjunction with a properly-adjusted saddle!


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## rbtree

Gland you weren't hurt, MB.

However, calling tree climb line dynamic is a bit of a misnomer. If you compare stretch characteristics of static kernmantle, you will see that the stretch is appx double that of 12 or 16 strand tree climb line. Our lines can easily transfer way over the acceptable Kn forces to a falling body, say in a full factor 2 fall of 16 feet, such as UIAA testing standards require a dynamic rock climb line to meet, These true dynamic lines stretch up to 70% at break, ours maybe 15-20, I'm not sure.

Full static line would be the high tech fiber lines, like Spectra and Kevlar, which stretch 3-5% at break.

Thus, my point, don't fall on tree climb line, you can get hurt!


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## MasterBlaster

rbtree said:


> Glad you weren't hurt, MB.



Me too, Roger!

So, where ya been???


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## jason j ladue

been waiting to see a thread like this for awhile butch. one time the lead climber and i were taking the dead stuff outta this huge vine maple. the trunk was about 16". huge for a tree of that variety georgous tree. we were both in it, getting out to the edge of the canopy i thought the tree would not hold me so i went to get the orchard ladder (14'er) from the truck. he didnt want to wait and started out to get the part i was scared to get. i think he thought i was scared of falling. maybe he just wanted to show me who knew better than mei was less worried about falling than ripping a huge limb out of this showpiece tree in the front yard of a 750k home. well no sooner had i grabbed that ladder down-rrrriiiip, crash. there has his dumb ass layin righton top of that limb in the middle of the brick walk way. the entire leader had ripped out, and he had a broken arm. i didnt say nothin, just called the boss.
ive taken a couple rides, nothing serious yet. thank my lucky stars...


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## MasterBlaster

jason j ladue said:


> been waiting to see a thread like this for awhile butch.


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## MasterBlaster

Ha! Something drew me to it... :alien:


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## jason j ladue

lmao


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## Monkeywitha_saw

only taken one bad fall that i came outta the tree 60' ft up on a palm and it snapped off so me and that chunck luckly landed in the 20ft deep pool the only thing that had me scared was that it landed on my flip line and couldnt get it out from underneath the chunck it smashed the snap shut and would not open


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## P_woozel

I got in a hurry on a day I shouldnt have been doing removals anyway, blowing about 30 knots, watched another climber lose a top onto a fence decided F&*% it time to call it. Slapped a munter improperly into the biner, laid back and cruised 40' to the deck, landed on my 020 cracked a couple of the lumbar. Now I can put a munter on blindfolded, underwater, and in a gale.


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## greg carr

I think most accidents start with "I can do that" A gas drill got the better of me while installing a cable one day.twisted my wrist until I had to let go.now its spinning in the hole- a full tank of gas.I figured I could grab it and shut it down.Im not green but I sure as hell wasnt thinking that day.shattered my knuckle.
only thing that helped was accupuncture.reduced the pain and swelling right away every time.i think I had 5 treatments and its almost 100 percent now.


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## Dadatwins

Was spiking up a hickory removal once with just a flip line cutting out limbs on the way up. Almost made it to the top, about 50' when the spikes kicked out and down I went. Sliding and grabbing about 20' down the stem. Flipline caught a knot that stopped my from riding the other 30' down to the ground. Tore the skin off my arms and chest. Took weeks to heal over. Should have been tied overhead first or wrapped the strap around the tree, but was young, overconfident and in a rush. Terrible feeling but good lesson that I will never forget.


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## MasterBlaster

I betcha a nickle you were using pole gaffs! The only time I've ever slid down more than a few feet was due to a combination of short gaffs and too long of a lanyard.
The long lanyard keeps your body to far away from the trunk, and shorter gaffs have a harder time regaining purchase after a kick-out.
The smoother and smaller the trunk gets, the closer I keep my body to it. And if you keep your feet at the right angle during a kick-out, it should restick itself almost instantly.

I've noticed a lot of climbers don't really know how to use their lanyard the way it's intended. You _GOTTA_ push back against it to make it function properly.


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## OutOnaLimb

I have never taken a plunge, did a few good pendulem swings, but nothing major. Im pretty paranoid in a tree. I try and "what if" things just incase something happens. There have been a few dead cottonwoods that I have walked away from. The guy that tought me to climb used to say, "if your gonna be in this business for an extended period of time ya gotta be safe" and "theres nothing wrong with being a little nervous in big trees, if you were there would be something not right in your head, its what keeps us safe. Thanks for the experiences guys. Hopefully we can all learn from them.

Kenn


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## OutOnaLimb

Actually I take that back, when I was in the army I took two plunges. The first time a buddy of mine were rappeling and I was doing a 2 wrap Ausie rappell and my buddy hooked me up wrong on the military issue biner. (non-locking gate.) I was about 15 ft from the ground when one of the wraps popped out and I took a lil plunge. There was still enough friction on the biner that I didnt fall to fast. I landed on my feet and all was good. Needless to say he was buying the beer for about a month.

The second time was a parachute malfunction in Germany. We were jumping with the Germans to get thier jump wings, and we were jumping out of German cargo choppers at 2,500ft. When I exited the chopper and felt no opening shock I tried to look up and check my cannopy, but the suspension lines were twisted from the risers all the way up to the anti inversion netting. The chute was barely open and I was falling fast. I had two choices, either cut away and deploy my reserve, or reach up pull out on the risers and bicycle my legs like crazy to get the twists out. Since we were jumping German chutes and they sew pads over the canopy release assemblies, All I could really do was course of action B. I finally got all the twists out and got a full cannopy about 100 ft off the ground. Whew!!! If we would have been jumping at 1,500ft like we usually do I would have been a dirt dart. The other thing about having padding sewn over the cannopy release assemblies is that when you are on the ground and the wind catches your canopy you cant release them and you wind up gettin drug all over the drop zone. And the reason I know this is thats because thats what happened. I was gettin drug across the DZ and I hear this German Paratrooper yell out in an accent that sounded like Clause from Hogans Heros. "Do not worry, I will save you!!" So I see this guy sprinting to my chute, take a flying leap, and bounce off the inflated cannopy, not once, not twice, but three times before he finally mugged my chute down. Every thing worked out and Im still here, but it makes for a pretty cool story dontcha think?

Kenn :angel:


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## Dadatwins

MasterBlaster said:


> I betcha a nickle you were using pole gaffs! The only time I've ever slid down more than a few feet was due to a combination of short gaffs and too long of a lanyard.
> 
> 
> 
> You win the nickel, I think I was wearing shorty's back then, remember my lanyard was a home made three strand looped around itself with a prussic. Bad combo of hard wood, wrong gear, and inexperience/ over -confidence, (you know, a teenager  ) Everytime I look at a hickory even 20+ years later my arms start burning again.
Click to expand...


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## jason j ladue

OUCH! 
dada twins, a couple weeks ago a was catching some guff from a couple guys here because i use such a long flipline (18'). but i am scared of doing just _exactly _ what happened to you so- when im on a spar like that i take an extra wrap around the spar, and i have plenty of flip line to doit w/ no matter how big the tree.. that way if i kick out the flip line instantly cinches around the pole and you dont move(fall) an inch. pretty cool. works like a charm. try it youll never go back to the other way.


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## cowboy1968

*that was dumb*

i fell out of a soft maple about 15 to 20 feet up. when i went to step on a branch i cut off 5 minutes before landed hard between a deck and a cement garden no brain bucket no harness and no one around now that was dumb


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## topnotchtree

Never fell down, but had 1 scary ride. Very large uprooted boxelder. Limbs still tangled in power lines. Had to climb a lead going upwards to tie in and work out the limbs near the conductors. Got everything stripped off except the limb I was tied into. As I was workin out the last limb a crewmember was cuttin up the trunk that was laying on the ground. As I cut the last piece of brush and was tied into just a 25 foot stub, the guy cuttin the trunk finished a cut. The weight of the root ball became more that the weight of the tree and the whole thing stood right back up. All was well but scary!


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## blue

had spikes pop out a few times.the most painful was a few years ago on a Pear tree,the crown at the top forked into 2.i had spiked up removing branches to this point so i was now position with my strop just under the fork. i removed one side and was just about to do the same when both spikes popped out i managed to stop myself with my jaw on the cut of the other tower.it felt like i'd smashed all my teeth to pieces and broken my jaw.it hurt like hell for a week but i didn't even crack or chip a tooth.

worst accident i had at work was falling about 7' off a ladder.nearly broke the top of my shoulder blade off.was off work for about 3 month's and still gives me some probs to this day


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## Al Smith

I "cut out"on a 45 ft blackjack[creosote pole].When I got a hook back in,my belt was up around my chest[days before saddles],and there I dangled,with one hook pawling air,looking for some wood.My buddy,on the ground ,was rolling on the ground , laughing.I failed to see the humor.


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## hobby climber

Years ago before I had a clue as to what I was doing...a cousin of mine asked me over to help him take down a tree. It was a Manitoba maple with long reaching limbs. I placed a 12' extension ladder up to this good size limb that was about 19' up and say at least 15' from trunk. I secured the top rung of the ladder to this large limb and made an under cut with the chainsaw. I started the top cut with the chainsaw then swapped it for a bow saw and finished the cut. I figured the limb might jump a bit & didn't want to be holding a chainsaw,(the ONLY smart thing I did that day)!!! Well sure enough, as the cut section fell to the ground, the rest of the limb did jump up with me & the ladder with it. As you probably guessed, the lower part of the ladder detached and fell to the ground leaving me hanging. I tossed the bow saw to the ground and began climbing down the ladder as far as I could then let go & landed on the ground without any injury. Felt pretty stupid afterward and rightfully so. What was I thinking!  HC


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## MasterBlaster

Hahahaha.

Too bad you didn't tape it.


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## glens

You should have tied the sections together, too.


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## hobby climber

That happened over 10 years ago and I've only been doing tree work as a biz/hobby for 4 years now. It's vary rare that I use a ladder but when I do the two sections ARE tied together. Lesson learned...the hard way but learned just the same! HC


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## xander9727

Ladders are bad for tree work. Except for a few limited scenarios there is usually a better way.

My $.02


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## Tom D. Wilson

not falling out of a tree but gave myself a nice bruise on my right knee banging it against a stub and fell abou 16' through a barn roof that we were dismantling, managed to hit the only piece of ground that wasnt coverd in nails and boards and [email protected] hurt my knee on landing, add that to a car crash a month later and a football (soccer to you yanks) injury which ment i couldnt walk for a 4 days and still gives me stick when i'm sat still or turn sharp. But then i know two climbers who have broken their back - one on a motor bike the other snow boarding and they stil climb.


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## jmchristopher

I've never tried to be a "dirt dart" (that term is permanently stuck in my head now) but the worst accident I had in a tree ( as against the time I ran the saw through my thigh while on the ground) was when I thought I could free spike just a few feet in a Black oak. There were lots of branches, no sweat, I thought. I kicked out, but had my right hand secured in a nice fork. In an instant all my weight hit my arm, it snapped tight and my shoulder dislocated. My fist held me hanging like it was a chock. My groundsman said I turned sheet white with the pain, but I kind of shrugged my shoulder back into place and thought I'd carry on working. A few minutes later, as I reached for a drop line, my arm fell out of my shoulder socket again. With a few months of Physical Therapy I was able to climb, but I've never been able to throw overhand since. Stupid, stupid, stupid!


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## jason j ladue

jmchristopher said:


> A few minutes later, as I reached for a drop line, my arm fell out of my shoulder socket again. !



wow! yesss! cool injury/mental image... hope it healed okay. i bet it still hurts when you lay on it though


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## daddieslilgirl

nope no how no way! i wouldnt climb a tree if my life depended on it! to scared of heights! but i have fallen !ss over tea kettle out of the skidder a "few" times, does that count? lol


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## Shaun Bowler

I have had a few close call that could match anyone out there. I believe that treeworkers are drawn towards this work this work for reasons we may not understand.
If you have been doing this as long as I have,( you probably resemble MB in one way or another) it is a little luck, and self awareness,that brings you home.. everyday. 
A connection with nature allow the lucky ones to feel the tree. You go from there.


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## Old Monkey

Shaun Bowler said:


> I have had a few close call that could match anyone out there.



Dude, knock on wood or something. That's not something to boast about even if it is true. :angel:


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## Shaun Bowler

believe me when I say this "I am not boasting". I am sharing with this community, some of us "have it", and some don't.
I think it is good that a lot of people that get into it, ( treework) discover that not everyone is cut out for this work.


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## P_woozel

Elaborate on "it" if you could.


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## Shaun Bowler

I would,
If you have to ask....


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## Old Monkey

MB can't defend himself now but its "taken." Have you ever taken the plunge? Every time this thread pops back up it bugs me. :alien:


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## jason j ladue

shawn, what exactly is "it"? luck? a guardian angel? i'm not superstitious (it brings bad luck), but i gotta side w/ old monkey on this one, you better touch wood bro...


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## Shaun Bowler

Dam alright already. 
1.I don't understand about MB defending, there is no need to.
2.It... Inituitve. "Quick and ready insight. The power or faculty of knowing things without conscious reasoning." 
As opposed to luck.
For me it means knowing whatever moves I make in a tree for any reason, will be based on experience, education, and the situation. 
However, to take action and be sucessful, in stressful or simple work enviorments, I enter every time knowing that I will make the right choice. 24years and still climbing. 
I have never cut myself. I never feel out of a tree. I have slipped and swung a bunch of times. I had my first knee sugergy two weeks ago. I will be back at work in two weeks. I am a great climber. Not better than anyone else. 
I don't want to argue Old Monkey..


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## jason j ladue

yeah, i figured that's about what you were getting at, shaun. dont get defensive now. i didnt mean to challenge you in any way- nor do ithink that was old monkeys intent. i just wanted to make sure what the heck you were talkin bout. it seems quite apparent that you are a climber w/ much experience, so i automatically key into your words. like you, i _also _ have 20+ years of treework experience under my belt- yet i strive constantly for further insight. i _do _ consider myself somewhat fortunate. i was blessed w/ a healthy dose of providence, and i am thankful every day for it. meanwhile, i make a concentrated effort to operate w/in my capacities and i am more in tune w/them w/ each movement i make. currently i feel like i am at the top of my game- hitting my stride. i can relate to your intuitiveness, and perhaps it is that sense what makes me better now than ever. use the force...


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## Old Monkey

Shaun Bowler said:


> Dam alright already.
> 1.I don't understand about MB defending, there is no need to.
> 2.It... Inituitve. "Quick and ready insight. The power or faculty of knowing things without conscious reasoning."
> As opposed to luck.
> For me it means knowing whatever moves I make in a tree for any reason, will be based on experience, education, and the situation.
> However, to take action and be sucessful, in stressful or simple work enviorments, I enter every time knowing that I will make the right choice. 24years and still climbing.
> I have never cut myself. I never feel out of a tree. I have slipped and swung a bunch of times. I had my first knee sugergy two weeks ago. I will be back at work in two weeks. I am a great climber. Not better than anyone else.
> I don't want to argue Old Monkey..



Everyone is my brother here. I prefer discuss not argue, unless you want to weigh in on the Mexican Illegals thread. I just get worried when folks seem to jinx themselves by talking a little too big. If I didn't care about folks, I wouldn't worry. I've worked for a lot of "the best climbers" evidently. They all couldn't have been the best though and I not sure if thats something a person ought to try to be. Safe, productive, reliable, I like those better and it sounds like that's where your at.

Do I come across argumentative on this site? It is not my intention. :angel:


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## pantheraba

Shaun Bowler said:


> 2.It... Inituitve. "Quick and ready insight. The power or faculty of knowing things without conscious reasoning."
> As opposed to luck.
> For me it means knowing whatever moves I make in a tree for any reason, will be based on experience, education, and the situation.



Three falls -- was never top-roped then...always do now...I'll get to the instincts last.

1. I was using my spurs and belt (no saddle back then) to set a big rope for a "commando crawl " (obstacle course) in a hemlock deep in the Cohuttas in N. GA. A spur (tree, not line gaff) must have kicked out. I don't know if the spike entered my lower right quad, just above the knee, when it kicked out or when I landed in the soft straw. But I still have a V shaped scar above my knee...only got meat, no tendons or ligaments. The ole boy driving the Scout taking me to the doctor got it stuck in the mud...they cut down a small tree to leverage to jeep out of the mud...that took about an hour while I held pressure to staunch the bleeding…got 8-9 stitches.

2. I already related this somewhere else recently...long story short, when I first worked for a real tree company, I only knew how to rappel. I found myself about 90 feet up tall pines in June in Atlanta, spraying them for pine beetles...hot, nasty, dehydrating work. I didn’t have a link so I used my belt most of the way down and then hand over handed from about 25 feet. My grip gave out about 10 feet up and I crashed in a heap at the boss's feet...hot, wore out, embarrassed but OK...he just spit his chaw and said, "Da- -, boy, I ain't never seen it done like that". That was my first day as a climber.

3. Instincts...after I have been with this crew awhile, the other climber, a great guy with a lot of skill and experience was teaching me a lot. I trusted him ... a lot. So, when I was about 20 feet up a BIG trunked dead oak that my belt wouldn't go around at the ground I had a sudden urge to belt on...again, no top rope, just me and the tree. As I got set to put my belt around the tree, Mike said, "There's a limb about 2 feet above you...get your belt above that and you'll be safer." I tried to do what he said...the very next step, the spur kicked out of the dead wood and I hugged the trunk as I slid down...was doing pretty good, just grunting a lot until I hit the bulge of an old limb at about 10 feet. It threw me out away from the trunk and I landed mostly on my right wrist. I thought I was OK, sat out awhile, they told me I looked real white. I went back up and cut the first limb but as it fell I found I couldn't hold the saw right. Got down, finished the day, had trouble driving my stick shift home, went to the hospital, and, yep, the wrist was broken...small bone called the navicula. Took 2 months in a cast to heal.

I realize now that my instincts were good. I listen a lot more to me now than I do to them...especially if my way may take a little longer but is safer.

And I appreciate all the info you guys share here...I am picking up ideas and techniques that increase my safety awareness.


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## jmack

*foolish*

i had a red maple td 23 dbh new saddle and lanyard setup, never pre inspected my gear before starting to climb. lanyard was 2n1 style with carabiner attachment to belt with leather trap. spiked up 25' and was leaning back with stihl 036 and bang started to fall. This made me mad because I thought I broke the carabiner and if I lived I was gonna make someone pay!, I had clipped the far end of the lanyard to my accesory strap (the 2nd clip not in use) this grabbed the trunk finally and Hulahooped me around the tree once which slowed me down. After I got up and inspected myself (bruised and sore) and equipment I found that Biner was intact and the trap was attached to the dee and the biner it held intially but when i leaned back it broke (of course) and dumped me. always pre chek your gear

its a lifestyle


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## rivahrat

cant say i ever fell more than 10 feet out of a tree. i think im a lil big to be up in them anyway. however i have fallen from scafolding. 3 bucks high ( 1 buck is about 6 feet) landed in mud next to some brick. was the last time i helped that crew put up scafolding. was sore for about 2 weeks, and lost a good boot


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## MasterBlaster

Boot?


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## pantheraba

MasterBlaster said:


> Boot?



MB, your one liners are great, but your one WORDERS are masterpieces!!


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## MasterBlaster

I've been dogged before for being too laconic.


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## pantheraba

MasterBlaster said:


> I've been dogged before for being too laconic.



"Using or marked by the use of a minimum of words; brief and pithy; brusque"

Nah, we just have to learn to read around, under, beside and over your word (there sometimes are not any lines to read between). You do a great job of not tying up air space. :blob5:


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## gumneck

MB is a "wordsmith".  


Laconic=sparing of words. I had to look it up.


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## spacemule

MB is a smart guy--he just doesn't go around trying to prove it all the time like some.  He kind of sneaks up on you if you're not careful. What's that saying, still waters run deep? lol :blob5:


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## rivahrat

yeah just boot. only lost one. mud sucked it off and couldent find it.


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## MasterBlaster

Ha. Thanks for clearing that up.


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## jason j ladue

hehehehehehhehe...i love it.


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