temporary loss of balance?

[kennertree]

Maybe its just me but when i get down from a tree that ive been in for a few hours, get my gear off and start to walk around i dont have any balance. The other day i finished stripping out a hackberry tree and came down to help with the clean up and i kept tripping over everything. We were working on a hill and maybe that had something to do with it. Just wonder if any of you guys experience this after you get on the ground?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Not me, bro. Not that I've ever noticed.

 

[treeman82]

If there is any wind while I am up in the tree, I will notice later in the day that I am rocking as though I was still up there dealing with the wind.

 

[Redbull]

I've experienced the same thing. I thought it was normal.

 

[hobby climber]

Treeman82, thats kinda like being out on the boat all day long in 3' -4' waves and having a hard time back on solid land. Kennertree, could it be you were wearing spikes on boots that do not have steel shanks??? Could just be a matter of poor circulation in your feet. Lots on nerves between your heal & your toes! Could be something else all together. Just to be safe...you may want to make an appointment to see your family doctor, , you owe it to yourself and your loved ones! :angel: Let us know what you find out. HC

 

[hobby climber]

Just wondering if it would not be form sitting in the saddle for long periods of time. The circulation in your legs may cause what you described. If thats what it is...once on the ground take a 15-20 min break to get the blood flowing again. But if its still a matter of balance, then see your doctor for a second opinion! HC

 

[Stumper]

It has happened to me occassionally. Usually after a long climb when I am fatigued. I can't recall it ever happening with my Ness. -Only with a buttstrap style saddle-which might indicate the circulation thing already mentioned or might just be because buttstraps try to dislocate/relocate my hips.

 

[Lumberjack]

Only when I been workin in the wind for a long while, just like sea legs.

 

[Old Monkey]

Just on windy days. I usually don't get dizzy until I close my eyes to go to sleep, then the world starts swaying. Could be your circulation or maybe even your blood sugar levels. I am getting a physical later this month. Its not a bad thing to do every now and then in this biz.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

What age is the cut-off for doing summersaults down the hill or log rolling? Anyone with children knows the joy they seem to get begin dizzy. but then, at some age, that doesn't feel good anymore. I've talked with climbers about this and it seems to be in the mid-twenties that, guys, don't like doing loopy carnival rides or getting spinny.

The next "age" for the dizzy's seems to start in the early forties. Being in the trees on a windy day is a sure way to get your equilibrium swooning.

One time I was in a large, spreading elm. I had my climbing line going back over my shoulder, my lanyard onto a limb just above my waist and I was standing on a different limb. The limb that I was cutting was a forth contact point. Add in some wind and my eyes got going really bad. Started to get sea-sick so I stopped cutting and looked for the horizon line. When I got my stomach to settle I made a point to focus only on what I was cutting and not let my eyes wander from the saw to something down towards the ground.

Great topic!

 

[Jim1NZ]

Never happened to me. Sounds like dehydration.

 

[clearance]

Odd, that would cause me great concern. If it happens again after you have followed the suggestions made here (water, blood sugar etc.) talk to a doctor.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Gatoraid!

 

[teressa green]

lucosade and a *** ,then crack on somemore,

 

[P_woozel]

Gatoraid!

Gookanaid, is better. ERG.

 

[hobby climber]

Hey MB, Gatoraid is is great if your working but Gatoraid with vodka in it is great after the work is done! To much of it will make you ! HC

 

[kf_tree]

my advice........take it any way you like. play it safe, GO SEE A DOCTOR.

it may be nothing nothing nothing. but a long time friend started loosing his balance and ended up being diagnosed with ms. another friends dad started loosing his balance and had a brain tumor.

it's your health were talking about. go see a doctor ....please.

 

[kennertree]

it only seems to be after i climb, i can do any other kind of physical activity and never seem to have any loss of balance. it only seems to happen after i climb for a few hours. maybe i should try a new saddle.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I trip on stuff on the ground all the time. I look much more gracefull in the tree

WHat type of saddle are you wearing, is it possible that there is some restriction of circulation that is weakening your legs?

 

[RedlineIt]

kennertree,

Happens to me whenever I've been out on swaying, nodding, limber stuff for a prolonged period. Doesn't happen if I've spent time mostly solidly positioned on the spar of a big conifer TD. For me, then, that would eliminate the saddle or spur related blood constriction possibilities.

I always considered it a good thing, I figured it meant my brain was rapidly adapting to the demands of variable balancing potentials and my lead-footedness back on the ground was only temporary, lasting 15 minutes, max.

One other consideration, if you wear glasses. I have had to since the fourth grade. I once had a pair of prescription safety glasses with inaccurately ground lenses. Foci of the lenses were wider than the distance between my pupils. Put my depth perception off, made me clumsy for a while everytime I switched between my safeties and my street specs. Also gave me headaches forcing my brain to adapt/re-adapt.

RedlineIt