Freezing up?

[Ryan Willock]

Ok, bad day I was suposed to be helping Guy out on a big pruning job today pruning 3 large willow oaks. Well I get up the first one about sixty feet to my tie in point and freeze up, I could go up and down my rope no problem but I couldn't make myself limb walk to save my life These were the largest trees I've ever gone to prune but I've removed trees this big before and been up a lot higher than this. I'm not sure why this happend. I limb walk smaller trees closer to the ground but the hight shouldn't be an issue and I'm not sure that it is. Talk about embarrasing.

Anyone else ever had this happen to them. Is it because I haven't climbed much in the last four years because I was logging and am just having to get back into the swing of things or what?? Getting up the tree wasn't a problem but once I was up man my mind didn't want to let me get more than arms length from the leader I was in and the air space was killing me.

I went over to my friends house right afterwards and climbed about 40' up in a maple over hanging one of his buildings and rigged out some old storm damage that he had and I was fine with that. I didn't have to limb walk that but on my way down I walked a couple of limbs that needed some work and it didn't bother me at all.... SOOooo what gives???

 

[Stumper]

Perhaps having another climber around made you a little self conscious. A little extra nervous tension when you are climbing doesn't help. FWIW I have days when the firsth few limbwalks are killer then I usually go ahead and get comfortable with my rope, saddle and TIP. Tie In Points are my big nervous makers-I trust my rope and saddle.

 

[maxburton]

I have noticed that the more tired I am, the more easily I get scared. Once in a while, it happens, I think.

 

[Ryan Willock]

I wasn't tired, I'd had a good nights sleep. It could have been having another climber there but I don't think so but I'm not sure. I also had some one there that I had been showing how to climb I'm going to prune two smaller willow oaks tomorrow if it takes me all d@mn day to walk'em! I'm thinking that maybe the size of the tree overwhelmed me some. Stumper, I KNOW what you mean about TIPs!LOL

Guy got right out there and worked the tips no prob. On the bright side I did get to learn a few things working with Guy.

 

[Ryan Willock]

Mike, I now remeber why I norrmally have you on Ignore..... Clearly you must be illerate as I CLEARLY stated that I've been much higher than that many times before!!

 

[Wilson_tree]

About once a year this happens to me, and last week was the time for this year. I had to remove a 75-80 foot fir leaning over a chimney. As soon as I started spurring up I was nervous. I cut branches until I was about 40 feet up and then I was gripped. I climbed down and said I'd be back in a few days. Getting gripped like that used to happen to me once and a while leading rock or ice climbs. I think it is purely a mental thing. Not rational and not necessarily how good of a climber you are. If your mind isn't right you don't have confidence and then fear gets you.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Ryan,

Don't think you are alone in this!!!

Working parttime in treework I go weeks without any major climbs!

I really have no way of knowing what my confidence level will be. I just take my time and the comfort zone eventually gets there!


It's called being HUMAN

 

[Ryan Willock]

I hope thats all it is, thats the first time I've frozen in five years. The last time I was gaffing up a sweet gum, go up about fifty feet and stopped and couldn't restart. I had to go down and come back about two days latter with a friend and top it out then flop it. Untill I figure this one out its going to be LOW and SLOW! Spurs still don't bother me.... Knock on wood!! I was up in a pecker pole pine 60' or 70' earlier this week and didn't bother me at all except for the fact that I didn't like the leader that I was standing in do to a weak attachment point. No rigging that one! Top and flop.

 

[Ryan Willock]

Mike, coming from anyone else but you that might would be an insult. Why are you still on this site? Does that some how make you feel big? Or better than me or anyone else? You must NEVER have ANY problems huh? It must be nice to know everything.

 

[Ryan Willock]

Ok Mike, you got me on that one. No I have not limb walked quite that high before but I've been up on spurs higher than that lots of times in pines and poplars. I've limb walked at 40' before but the limbs were not as long. They weren't half as long.

 

[JohN Dee]

Ryan, what I think it is; You were out of your comfort zone having never limb walked that high before on such a long limb once you get used to it you'll be running out on them... With time comes efficiency and speed.

Also try not thinking about it so much I find that always helps me...

 

[woodchux]

Just double check your gear and tip. If everything is ok and you know that your fear is irrational, choke it down and git er done.

 

[DDM]

Ryan just drive your skidder on up there and back out onto the limb. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Ryan Willock]

DDM, do calks count as spiking the tree???LOL:hmm3grin2orange: That gives ya alot more footing. When logging I used to drop timber across gullies and then walk out across it limbing and topping with 60' of air below me and it didn't bother me. Go figure. I think ya'll are right. I'm leaving in a few minutes to climb/limb walk a smaller willow oak and hopefully that will go better.

 

[OTG BOSTON]

It happens to the best of us

If you aren't at least a little nervous, you may be in trouble. When adreneline is pumping through your veins, you are going to feel a little bit shaky and sweaty and all that good stuff.

Sometimes when I get to the top of a monster tree the sheer volume of work can be intimidating. Take it slow and just address one thing at a time. If you are uncomfortable with your tip, tie in twice.

Don't let the cyber tuff-guys get to you. You know they wouldn't be talking that s#!t if you were face to face.

Good Post. Keep grinding.

 

[lync]

Otg makes a good point about tieing in twice. Use that tail of your climbing line. if you can hit the limb above the one you want to work on 2/3rds of the way out, you will be much more stable and confident. It only takes a minute or two , to set that second tie in.


Corey

 

[Blinky]

I was there...

I'm the greenhorn.

I couldn't agree more with OTG Boston... you're supposed to feel some fear... if not you're a friggin' psychotic.

I know what it's like to be gripped, been gripped lots of times on rock... gripped is when you're at the very edge of your ability and you're under big stress. I wouldn't call what you were feeling gripped.

What you were was spooked. You were well within your envelope. That happened to me once on serious whitewater and it was like Stumper said, I was with some guys who were legends to me and I felt so pressured to perform well that I just froze and couldn't do stuff that I was easily capable of doing... did a lot of hiking with a kayak that day, had to be rescued once after losing my paddle in a drop... I've never lost my paddle before or since. Absolute worst day I've ever had on a river... failed miserably in the company of the very people I wanted to impress. I went back to the Blackwater a year later with my regular partner and ran it solid. ...Context matters.

I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. Best thing you can possibly do is go out, set up a solid lifeline and walk some limbs... fall too. Build your trust in your systems.

Besides, it's not like you didn't get anything done...

Now Guy definitely did some limb walking, he looks more comfortable in a tree than he does on the ground...

Thanks for another good day of learning the ropes Ryan... thank you also Guy and Clayton.

Chip

 

[Ryan Willock]

Wow Chip, those pics came out good. I've been rained out of my walk today unless it stops raining.

 

[Ryan Willock]

Chip, I forgot to give you the ArborMaster tape yesterday. I also have a copy of Sherrills for you.

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Lack of fitness can sometimes make you feel uneasy aloft..