Climbing/working in South Africa

[wravenant]

Hi all. I have a small company out in Cape Town, South Africa. We are a small unit (2 climbers, 2 groundsmen, and me, doing quotes, paperwork, etc).

We get in international climbers from time to time, to give my boys a bit of an edge, since the industry here is very small, to non existant, and we cant compete with the guys just driving around cutting down trees.

What a do at the moment is that I get in guys that do like a working holiday. Currentlt the Welsh climber I have helping me works between 3 - 4 days a week for cash.

As you guys will know, tree work is a great way to see a city, in this case Cape Town, and so you get to see teh city, and get some beer money in your pocket.

Unfortunately, wages here are not very good, because of our currency, South African Rand. So far I have had one US climber, and one Wels climber come in for between 3 and 6 months, and they both loved it.

I am now thinking of advertising this idea to climbers, this way they dont get out of shape when they are on holiday, and they at least earn something, while seeing the city.

What do you guys think, any input?

 

[treeseer]

Sounds like fun, but if all you can pay is beer money, you can't expect much response. If the numbers can work it is a great concept.

 

[jomoco]

The acacia trees in Africa have some wickedly nasty thorns that would make most climbers think twice about climbing them!

Kinda like a kaffir boom coral tree or monkey puzzle.

I'd love to see the many African indigenous trees in their natural forms and environments.

It'd be great if you could post some pics of the trees you deal with there!

jomoco

 

[treeslayer]

I'd love to see the many African indigenous trees in their natural forms and environments.

It'd be great if you could post some pics of the trees you deal with there!

jomoco

me too.
you have a good idea, if you could pay beer AND cigar $$.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

We have some relatives in south Africa: Johannesburg. Transplants from Athens.

Is there anything else, tourism related, worth mentioning to tree climbers as an extra incentive?

An Australian arborist brought that question to mind. I met him in the redwoods, and he had been traveling from Alaska down the west coast to California, picking up some extra work to make his vacation last longer and keep more money in his pocket which he saw the sights out here.