Novice climber

[Bigsnowdog]

I am 53 years old and in good health and physically vigorous. I have never climbed. My question is this: Am I too old to learn to do this and survive? I ask it as I consider that I have ridden a motorcycle since I was 14, and there are a lot of survival skills that a person learns when starting something young. I worry a bit when older people decide they want to buy a motorcycle and ride on the street.

Perhaps this is a terrible analogy, but I wonder about it.

Any thoughts on learning to climb? I have a reforestation project and some older trees. My interest is in doing just a litle bit of trimming/pruning.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Climbing is super physical, as I'm sure you might guess. I get away with it at my age by RARELY working a full day. I am usually home by 12 or 1. I guess I could work a regular 40 - 50 hr week, but I don't think I would last that long.

Try it. You may like it. But at your age, I would take advantage of every training opportunity so as not to waste time.

It's waycool, but it can be a beeotch! Give it a shot, but don't put all yur eggs in one basket.

 

[Stumper]

Big Snow, I can't see in reason that you shouldn't be able to learn tree climbing skills at 53. The good thing is that you are probably past the "dumb kid who thinks he's immortal" phase of life. I wouldn't suggest climbing as anew career at 53 but you should be able to handle your project.:angel:

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yo Dog!

Do ya at least look as good as these guys?

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11844

 

[jkrueger]

Originally posted by Bigsnowdog
I am 53 years old and in good health and physically vigorous. I have never climbed. My question is this: Am I too old to learn to do this and survive? I ask it as I consider that I have ridden a motorcycle since I was 14, and there are a lot of survival skills that a person learns when starting something young. I worry a bit when older people decide they want to buy a motorcycle and ride on the street.

Perhaps this is a terrible analogy, but I wonder about it.

Any thoughts on learning to climb? I have a reforestation project and some older trees. My interest is in doing just a litle bit of trimming/pruning.

I'll be 63 soon, and learned to climb at the ISA Penn-Del chapter 5 day climbing course last year. I climb almost everyday. Even, when there is no work, and in the winter to advance my skill.

From climbing I'm probably in better shape than I've ever been.

Go for it!

Jack

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

at any age the 'skys your limit' if your in good shape go for it but remember most good climbers start takeing it easier once they hit the big 40..yeh i know some on here are touching 100 and still climbing but i'm talking about in general :Monkey:

 

[Bigsnowdog]

Re: Re: Novice climber

Originally posted by jkrueger
I'll be 63 soon, and learned to climb at the ISA Penn-Del chapter 5 day climbing course last year. I climb almost everyday. Even, when there is no work, and in the winter to advance my skill.

From climbing I'm probably in better shape than I've ever been.

Go for it!

Jack

What does ISA mean? And, more generally, where can a person get training for climbing?

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA
the 'skys your limit' if your in good shape

I'm 53.5 and I spent 4 hours in the saddle yesterday and 3 working the ground which was much harder physically. Pruning is easy on the body and the mind, if you have flexibility strength and stamina to start. Best way to learn technique would be to get an experienced climber to work with you (or vice versa) for a bit, and start low and slow.

Most important is knowing what to look for and do to manage the tree when you're up there. You can start with these

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/mature_care.asp

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/pruning_mature.asp

Be safe! Have fun!

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Bigsnowdog,

At 41 I've been climbing about 9 yrs. now ( if my recollection is right ). The one piece of advice that I can give is to read this forum, ask a lot of questions and use the lastest technology out there. With climbers like Rocky, RBtree, BigJohn and WileyP climbing at an 11 on a scale from 1 to 10, I fall in about a 6 or 7. Having said that, I have a lot to learn but that is half of the fun!!!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Learning to climb a tree is relatively easy, one can become compitant in it in a few months.

Where one becomes really good at it is when they develop an intuitive scence of the physics involved and how different woods respond. Then there is the plant science/pathology side of it in understanding how the plant grows and eventually declines.

Get a copy of "The...Companion", a rope and inexpensive saddle...

There is a tech school in the north of Iowa with a desent tree cource.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
There is a tech school in the north of Iowa with a desent tree cource.

Is that Iowa State in Ames? Yes put your tax dollars to work and get all they can give you.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by Guy Meilleur
Is that Iowa State in Ames? Yes put your tax dollars to work and get all they can give you.

It's a tech college in the north central, annot recall the name of it though.

They go to the SSA meetings and have broguht people to TCI too.

Tim Walsh would be the best person here for info on schools, then the Crawford lad, since he is active in SSA right now.