Has anyone ever froze?

[MuniciPAL]

yesterday i was performing a tree removal of a massive elm in a city park and had ascended the tree by using a using a pole saw from our bucket truck to place my rope roughly 75 feet. i climbed out of the bucket no problem and even rigged a few smaller limbs out, but after lunch i froze and got anxious and came down to the ground. the tree is still standing and im gonna go back up to conquer my fear.
that was the highest ive ever climbed and the biggest tree ive climbed.


has this ever happened to anyone in a tree? and what to do

 

[jefflovstrom]

Years ago, I was rigging eucs on Catalina Island that where between 150' to 180' feet. My first day made me nervous, but after that I was looking forward to more. Just get back up and remind yourself that you may be doing bigger trees next time and get it done. You will be alright.
Jeff

 

[Adkpk]

Oh ya! Of course getting used to heights is only for the "strong at heart" individual. Hanging on a rope at a great height is even worst. Add a chainsaw and you have yourself a catastrophic situation. If you don't freeze up every once and a while might mean your brain dead.
But with practice you build confidence in the rope, get smart to the dangers of a chainsaw and you'll have less freeze ups. Of course knowledge tree health and weight come in handy.

When these freeze ups happen I don't descend any more, I take a breather. Drink some water. Look around and try to enjoy the view or examine the tree a little.

Another way to gain confidence in the tree is to study. I don't do jobs that require heavy rigging I am still looking around in the tree pruning. I study all aspects of arbor culture from the ISA study guide to my own personal library of plants books to here(AS). These guys can answer minute question one might have. Overall practice and knowledge will help you take the edge off.

 

[clearance]

yesterday i was performing a tree removal of a massive elm in a city park and had ascended the tree by using a using a pole saw from our bucket truck to place my rope roughly 75 feet. i climbed out of the bucket no problem and even rigged a few smaller limbs out, but after lunch i froze and got anxious and came down to the ground. the tree is still standing and im gonna go back up to conquer my fear.
that was the highest ive ever climbed and the biggest tree ive climbed.


has this ever happened to anyone in a tree? and what to do

If you were removing the tree why did you not have your spurs on?

When you are climbing with spurs, along with a steelcore lanyard you can feel pretty safe, I do. Stick in the spurs good, three point attachment at all times. Climb slow, cut slow, think about what you are doing, and don't look down very often.

I have never climbed spurless, I know I wouldn't feel safe doing it, after thousands of trees.

 

[Rftreeman]

nope, never have, not saying I've never been nervous but you either have it or you don't, stick with the bucket, if it happened once it'll happen again, I know that sounds harsh but it is the truth......

 

[lego1970]

Yea, I've had a few panic attacks in a tree before. It's can play havoc on your ego, confidence, and mind, especially if you come down it in defeat. I normaly try to talk some confidence in myself. Like I remind myself that Elms are flexible strong trees and that Elm branches will crack, hinge over and slowly tear long before a limb will just snap off. I know I could never break apart the limb that I'm tied into on the ground while trying to get it thru the chipper, so why would I worry about hanging from it. Then, I'd look at my rope make sure all my rigging is good and reasure myself that nothing is gonna happen to me. If that doesn't work I normaly try to think about some hot chick, talk to the groundsman about some other subject, and when doing tree work alone I listen to music or talk radio with my headset. Likewise a good groundsman will notice when his climber is scared and try to help get his mind off the tree and restore some confidence in him. That normaly gets my mind off the fear. Good luck, don't sweat it.

 

[Job Corps Tree]

has anyone ever frose

It will happend to everone ?? some will not admitt it But do not let it get you down . Just like someone else said give it time you will find you can become a better climber for it( don't push it to hard) I did and out lasted most of the ones that had more balls than brains

 

[Rftreeman]

It will happend to everone ?? some will not admitt it

well I guess mine hasn't happened yet, at least not in the first 21 years.

 

[wood4heat]

Sort of but not in a tree. I was diving with a guide in Costa Rica a year ago and had a panic attack that I can only describe as what claustrophobia must be like. The guide had found the area he wanted to dive and had set a buoy. We began following the line down into some murky water and I froze up. Never experienced anything like it but wanted to spit my regulator out and kick like hell for the surface. I just clamped down and followed the line, about 30' down the watered cleared and I was fine. It would seem it can happen to anyone at any time anywhere. Don't let it get to you just keep breathing until it passes.

 

[MuniciPAL]

thanks guys for the words of encouragement. im finishing taking the top out on monday and i would imagine i will be blocking the wood down on tues. i dont want to push myself to hard to get the tree done, but the rush after the tree is done is what keeps me coming back for more. thanks for helping me rationalize this tree. ive not had any problems climbing prior to this tree. i think i may have built it up in my head too much.

 

[ozzy42]

I have done it a few times . Mostly on tress that did not look THATdead from the ground.

Only 2 or 3 that I came out of ,and did not go back up,as they did not meet the guidelines in question 4 below.


My advice is the same as a few others on here.
First ,calm yourself down .Take some slow deep breaths,and HONESTLY assess the situation.

Ask yourself the follwing questions,and answer them honestly:


Do I have the propper training to do this tree?

Do I have the propper equipment for this tree?

Do I have the propper ground support crew for this tree?

Can this tree withstand me ,my gear,and all the possible shock loading neccesary in it's removal?


If you answered no to any of the above,STOP.Something is missing in the equation and your fears are both rational ,and realistic.
If these 4 basic minimum qualifications can not be met ,then one has no business beeing in the tree.




If the answer was yes to all of the above, it is possble you are having anxiety from beeing out of the bucket that you have become comfortable in .
Didn't it take you awhile to feel safe and confident in the bucket?
The same thing will apply to beeing in the tree.
Keep calm,think every thing through and you will gain the same confidence in the tree.










P.S.Folded hands and closed eyes for a minute can go along ways toward guidence and protection.

Just my .02 worth

 

[trimmmed]

Once when framing a house, we were finishing up the plywood getting ready to roof it and had a carpenter freeze solid up there. He was a big sob, about 6' 6" 320lbs, solid rock. We could not get him to move and it became obvious we were not gonna get him back down the planks and then down the ladder. We removed a skylight and after prying up his hands kinda shoveled him in the skylight hole. We were laughing at him at first, then got a little scared, then laughed again after he was in the house. He was truly frozen. At first he was just saying "get me down man, get me down man" in kind of a mantra, then he regressed to these strange noises coupled with heavy breathing. He was sweating bullets too.

The next day we set him up framing in the first floor, he decided to walk across the joists without having the box plate nailed in after doing a poor job of toenailing those joists to begin with. Well, those joists laid flat and his big ass went down 1 story to the basement floor. That was also his last day, lol. Then he became a bouncer, which he was pretty damn good at.

 

[boda65]

his big ass went down 1 story to the basement floor. That was also his last day, lol. Then he became a bouncer, which he was pretty damn good at.

Sounds like he became a bouncer that day Or did he just go thud?

I worked with a guy that froze like that on the roof of a motor home. One minute he was alright, next he could barely move and asked me to help him down. Poor guy was terribly embarassed and begged me not to tell anyone. That was back in the 80's and this is the first time I've told about it.

 

[treemandan]

I don't know if I ever froze up because I always kept in mind to keep in mind. I did, however, a few times, come down either because I knew I couldn't handle it due to lack of experiance, I was over tired or I realized I wanted a crane.
I guess 75 feet is when you start getting up there. In comparison you could walk 75 feet and it would seem short. Climbing 75 takes , well, you know now.
Keep in mind that you are capable enough to remain is safety and won't allow yourself to do the wrong thing. If it takes longer to move because you have to think it through that is Ok. Thinking it through is what to do.
Look for good TIP's and also some back-up TIPs, that way you will have options. Look at having options rather than just a chance. One step at a time . If a man is able to dig a hole in the ground I guess he has enough sense to climb a tree.
Saw handling kinda makes it that much tougher.

 

[trimmmed]

Sounds like he became a bouncer that day Or did he just go thud?

I worked with a guy that froze like that on the roof of a motor home. One minute he was alright, next he could barely move and asked me to help him down. Poor guy was terribly embarassed and begged me not to tell anyone. That was back in the 80's and this is the first time I've told about it.

He made a thud going in through the skylight, it was an upper room so he only had to fall about 3 feet to hit the floor. I didn't get to see him fall through the joists although I heard the boards slap, but I am sure made more than a thud when he hit the basement floor. He was lucky as the slab was not in yet.

 

[outofmytree]

I have done it a few times . Mostly on tress that did not look THATdead from the ground.

Only 2 or 3 that I came out of ,and did not go back up,as they did not meet the guidelines in question 4 below.


My advice is the same as a few others on here.
First ,calm yourself down .Take some slow deep breaths,and HONESTLY assess the situation.

Ask yourself the follwing questions,and answer them honestly:


Do I have the propper training to do this tree?

Do I have the propper equipment for this tree?

Do I have the propper ground support crew for this tree?

Can this tree withstand me ,my gear,and all the possible shock loading neccesary in it's removal?


If you answered no to any of the above,STOP.Something is missing in the equation and your fears are both rational ,and realistic.
If these 4 basic minimum qualifications can not be met ,then one has no business beeing in the tree.




If the answer was yes to all of the above, it is possble you are having anxiety from beeing out of the bucket that you have become comfortable in .
Didn't it take you awhile to feel safe and confident in the bucket?
The same thing will apply to beeing in the tree.
Keep calm,think every thing through and you will gain the same confidence in the tree.










P.S.Folded hands and closed eyes for a minute can go along ways toward guidence and protection.

Just my .02 worth

This is first class advice.

I would talk it over with your boss. Explain you froze but that you want to get past the fear. Then go as slow as you need to in order to complete the job provided you answered yes to all 4 of Ozzys questions.

On a personal note, I have never frozen in a tree. But then I was climbing trees before I went to school, just like all the kids I grew up with. I have felt anxious on many occasions and often with good cause. Just take it nice and slow, double check your TIP's and connections and cut baby pieces. Either your boss will appreciate you working through it or he isnt worth working for.

Enjoy the view brother.

 

[ozzy42]

This is first class advice.

Just take it nice and slow, double check your TIP's and connections and cut baby pieces. Either your boss will appreciate you working through it or he isnt worth working for.

Enjoy the view brother.

Very good advise as well.

Always good to double check everything.You can't UN CUT something.

 

[Dadatwins]

Always good to double check everything.You can't UN CUT something.

Ain't that the truth!

 

[jar1zx]

I remember 2 times i froze. Once was back in 2000. a take down on a big oak right after an ice storm. got up round 60 feet up. ten to 15 foot past crotch..and seen the trunks round 8 inch's diameter were all cut half way. was four.. all were cut half way into. to get tree down safely i would have had to climb past the cuts, and roped off them. i got a weird feeling right when i got up there and then seen that crap. I came right down called owner told them 2 get some 1 else n walked away. was like 27 to 30 feet past point of where they were cut half way into. I mean tree was real close to 90 foot tall.

Other time was in a sweet gum that was topped 43 foot...when i say topped they just cut trunk there left no limbs.
i get up there seen a 5 foot hole where it had rotted down and the new limbs had like 2 to 3..4 inches of cambium (out side layer of tree hope i spelled that right) they had grown out of. guess they topped it years in the past because the limbs were big and went far out over house. here yet again i would have had to climb out on the limbs and rope them down. i froze up for 5 mins came down then left


on that 1st tree owner did not tell me he had already had some hack in the tree. but later on i learned lots of tree workers turned that one down

 

[ozzy42]

I remember 2 times i froze. Once was back in 2000. a take down on a big oak right after an ice storm. got up round 60 feet up. ten to 15 foot past crotch..and seen the trunks round 8 inch's diameter were all cut half way. was four.. all were cut half way into. to get tree down safely i would have had to climb past the cuts, and roped off them. i got a weird feeling right when i got up there and then seen that crap. I came right down called owner told them 2 get some 1 else n walked away. was like 27 to 30 feet past point of where they were cut half way into. I mean tree was real close to 90 foot tall.

Other time was in a sweet gum that was topped 43 foot...when i say topped they just cut trunk there left no limbs.
i get up there seen a 5 foot hole where it had rotted down and the new limbs had like 2 to 3..4 inches of cambium (out side layer of tree hope i spelled that right) they had grown out of. guess they topped it years in the past because the limbs were big and went far out over house. here yet again i would have had to climb out on the limbs and rope them down. i froze up for 5 mins came down then left


on that 1st tree owner did not tell me he had already had some hack in the tree. but later on i learned lots of tree workers turned that one down

Smart to walk away from those 2.
They don't pass question #4 on the stink test.

Can this tree withstand me ,my gear,and all the possible shock loading neccesary in it's removal?