Why do you climb?

[Sunrise Guy]

I'm honestly curious as to why and/or how you got into climbing in the first place. I put forth, in another thread, that I might have gotten into climbing because of my desire to conquer a subconscious fear I had of being up high in trees courtesy of an old lullaby my Mom used to sing to me when I was very small. I vividly remember the first time I got up in my first crotch (no smart comments here, guys). My heart was pounding, I felt dizzy and excited, kind of scared, yet amazed that the ropes and techniques I had practiced on the ground had gotten me to where I was, very smoothly. I looked down and thought, "Man, I'm really up there!" Truth is, this crotch was about ten feet off the ground! OK, I got better and better at climbing, cutting and rigging, and now if a day goes by and I'm not up in a tree on a job, I climb my own trees on my own property, where string lines are permanently set so I can pull my ropes up in a few seconds. Being up forty to sixty feet just feels right, just feels great. Sometimes I'll simply sway in the breeze while I'm hanging in my harness, other times I'll sit in a crotch and just watch the world go by. When I found I could make money climbing trees, I had found my profession.

 

[rebelman]

I was unemployed on the coldest day of the year going fishing at dawn. I met probably one of the only Certified Arborists in Arkansas in 1989 at my father's auto parts store. I wasn't too crazy about climbing trees without water underneath me, but it quickly became an addiction. I caught a nice largemouth that day.

 

[treeseer]

Been climbing since I could walk. It's always been my refuge and my strength.

Fun too; moving with the grandest of all creations.

At boyscout camporees we used to sneak out at night and climb the pines and swing them back and forth. Once the top broke out in my hands and I fell, slowed by the feathery embrace of limbs. Taught me to trust trees (and to be a bit more careful.) :blush:

 

[clearance]

Worked construction, first really ran a saw on transmission line work, went back to construction, went spacing, back to construction, tree service, started climbing, back to construction, back to climbing, bucking, climbing again, why? Money and I don't like to be bored, when you are over a 100' you are alive.

 

[oldugly]

I needed a job, mid 70's they were hard to come by. A man advertised for an experienced climber, I lied to get the job, and he tried me out. After the first time he realized I had lied to him, but he liked the way I worked, and the effort I put in, and he gave me a chance...and put me to work under one of the greats in the business. He taught me from there...and I have never lied on a job interview again.

I've quit climbing at least a dozen times, and swore I would never do it again...never lasted more than a month before I was back in the trees.

Clearance has it right...when you're up in the tree you are truly alive.

 

[shucksters]

I was bartending and needed to get out of the bar scene- an old tree guy took me to a jobsite and made me watch- then put spikes on me - showed me the knot- and I was a natural. Eventually, I started a tree service- picked up a couple of partners- landed a few contracts- borrowed a stump grinder from my father in law....but my partner got hurt- limb through the jaw- and an employee dumped a load on the side of the road- used the dump money to get drunk and got a DUI in the dump truck.

I was through with commercial tree work- now I make big bucks selling ultrasound to hospitals, but I own some property with some beautiful trees on it and I agree- I feel free above 100'- I just do it for my self now...

 

[woodchux]

I started climbing because I (as a business owner) needed a safe, reliable, sober climber, who wanted to work, and would show up every day.

If you want it done right....

 

[Koa Man]

I started trimming trees after I started a lawn service and some of my customers asked if I could "cut" their tree. Was real proud of myself, being able to successfully reduce a 40 ft. tall mango tree to 20 ft. with no damage. Even took pictures of my work. I look at those pictures today and say, "Oh, my God, what was I doing?" Trees with almost no leaves, 6 to 8 inch dia. stubs, just plain awful work. I shred most of those pictures, kept 3 to remind me of the kind of work I used to do.

Today I have a climber, but I climb when I feel like it or if the chance of collateral damage is high, because I trust my ability more than anybody else's. When you're the one that's going to buy what's broken, you don't take chances.

 

[Koa Man]

I climb because there is stuff I can't reach from the ground.

D*mm it, Dan, that's the best answer I heard all week. You must have an IQ of a 160. (Slightly changed from the movie Forest Gump)

Seriously, really good answer and probably the reason all of us climb in the first place.

 

[a_lopa]

its all i know,other than the movie channels

 

[a_lopa]

sometimes i fly a bucket like lazy bucket baby tree co. wink grin laughs...

 

[underwor]

Got in it for the money in college. $2.15/hour, 1967, Davey Tree, Youngstown, Ohio. Got hooked and still enjoy it. We get better tree top swinging out here with the winds of the Dakotas, when you can find the 100' trees.

Bob

 

[beowulf343]

I was supposed to go to college to become a history professor, but the summer before I left, I started working for a small landscaping company that specialized in tree trimming and removal. The top climber for the outfit was an old man who loved trees. In fact, his favorite expression was, "if there wasn't a God, I would probably worship trees." He taught me to respect trees and reminded me of how long they had been around and how much history they had seen. He also taught me how to climb and once I realized what a rush it was to be 70+ feet in a tree on a windy day, I have never done anything else.

 

[TREETX]

I'm honestly curious as to why and/or how you got into climbing in the first place.

I did it for the nookie

[imgSNIP/img]

 

[CraneOp1]

Was unemployed about 4 years ago, had a neighbor who was working for the Co. that I now work for tell me that they were looking for some guys to do ground work. Started out with crane crew @ 42 and worked circles around the younger guys without even trying. Been running a saw since I was 12 and have owned one longer than most of the here have been climbing. Anyhow they hire this new climber after I've been there about 5-6 months after I got started, I have my own chip truck by this time, only ground with his own truck, too. It had a new saddle in it but no spurs. One day they send us out on a small backyard removal and this guy is higher than kite, and I tell him that he better not mess up and get hurt in the tree, because I only have a saddle and what ever rope there were on the truck. Well the guy next door was out and watching and heard what I said to the climber, and he went into his garage and came back out with a new set of Brooks and gave them to me. He was a retired TE Co. lineman, said he had 6 more sets. Any how from that day on started to climb worked low all that fall and moved to crane for crane removals doing smaller trees and doing some med. sized trees with our best crane climber teaching me the ropes if you will also doing other climbing without the crane as well. In the meantime I went and got my CDL and the next thing I know they start training me to run the crane as well, me boss told me wants I start running the crane I'll never want to climb again, boy was he sure wrong, still love to climb. Nothing beats the feeling of being 60-80 ft up on a stub thats been stripped out and making those big body cuts with an Echo 8000 w/32" bar or Stilh 064 w/36". I have worked with many climbers in the past 4 years and working with a crane separates the men from the boys, many can handle the limb wood picks, but most freak when they got to do the big stuff, many think just because you can climb you can do this type of work. Now I work mostly on the ground operating my crane, but climb every chance I get, we have 3 cranes where I work 2 17 ton and 1 15 ton, so on some tree jobs we may have 2 on site with one working the tree and the other to load and haul wood, I let the other operator run his or mine and I'll finish the tree for the climber, not a better way to finish the day.:greenchainsaw:

 

[Asa]

Personally I started climbing to hang out with all the goodlooking boys in this trade

Maybe more convincing however was I had been bored with the all jobs I'd tried so far. When I came across this business the idea of sitting in the treetops waving an 020 seemed like the ultimate exciting job. Now 4 years into my "new career" I can confirm (as probably all you people here) it is! In this job I consider myself lucky when I have the occassional boring day :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[SteveBullman]

Personally I started climbing to hang out with all the goodlooking boys in this trade

:

im just gonna assume you're a gal!

 

[OTG BOSTON]

I did it for the nookie
Perfect!!

I did it because I was a college dropout and my girl wanted to get married and get a house. After about a year of learning the trade I was making more money than my genius friends who were signing their lives away for college loans!

And of course the adreneline rush.

 

[Bermie]

When I was an apprentice we had a days practical demo of tree climbing and chainsaw work. I went on to do Nursery and Commercial Landscaping but always remembered how fun that tree climbing was. Did Outward bound and stuff like that too. Once I got tired of mowing grass, raking leaves, sore knees and back from digging and planting, and could see all the NASTY things that were being done to trees I decided to try the climbing again. and offer an alternative to the general hack and slash work. It was just as much fun as it was all those years ago, I like being a professional who cares about the trees, cares what they look like when the work's done. Besides, there's lots of cool kit too!
When I was little I was always tree climbing, so now how great to say you get paid to climb trees!

 

[treeminator]

i started climbing because i can't always count on the ex-Subway and Taco Bell guys to show up. worker's are so unreliable these days