My coworker has been climbing for 9 months, absolutely has the talent for being a great climber but is obviously limited in experience. And majority of his work has been pruning.
Our manager gave us a rough plan on how to remove this for and then left. Long story short, coworker sent a top, it slipped out of a running bowline and hit the house and we barely got any brush out before we lost daylight. So 95% of the tree is still there.
When I got mad at our manager for giving us this job he said he had total faith the new climber could do it. I want votes if that’s insane or a reasonable expectation.
by Alive-Dragonfruit-99
28 Comments
Insane. I’ve never thought of a lower limit of experience for doing things, but attempting this with anything less than expert level experience is asking for trouble.
I would if he’s insured, you trust him, and nothing he can ruin is irreplaceable
Nah, hazard trees are a different beast.
This looks like a scenario where a very experienced climber may even refer to someone more specialized in dealing with storm damage, hazard trees.
Looks like a volatile scenario.
Oh yeaaaa, I‘ve been there.
That’s how it it’s done in a lot of Companys sadly.
But you‘re right, it’s insane..
I would not send any climber up that tree, get a crane, go home safe to your wife and kids, live another day.
Honestly dude just change company. Way too many unknowns and you’re gambling with your life.
It’s insane.
That’s an expert level job, 9 months is a rookie. Having a two person crew on this is also insane.
Everyone made mistakes here. Your manager obviously, but also you and the climber could have realized this is above your respective skill sets and spoken up as soon as you got to the site.
Make sure they’re insured
Nope. 9 months is nothing.
Crane job.
Also sometimes you have to speak up and say you’re not comfortable with the job.
I would rig off the standing tree, but that’s just a first impression. Expert level definitely.
Fuckin yikes.
No. That’s a crane job and should be bid accordingly.
Leaning on and over a structure + a fairly green climber is a recipe for a bad time.
No, tension and compression can different and difficult in storm damaged tree
I’ve been climbing for 16 years and I wouldn’t climb that lol. I would use a crane and lift for job like that if possible, or I would say no thank you. Tell your boss to do it himself, no job is worth dying for.
Insane in the membrane
1 vote for insane
Track hoe or crane
I would tie into another tree and rig into an entirely different one and charge a lot of money. I’ve been doing it longer than nine months though so no I would not let that climber do it
I would move the house first.
That would violate your insurance
I know nothing of this, but if that was my house idc what it costs I would let no one climb that tree
Can a 963 get down there? If so I’d push tree off house and fall it while stump is still in ground. Start with boom 2′ down from topped out so it can lift as tree arks over. Or cable high up on tree back to pulley to right at strong tree base where you want it to fall and up to 250 excavator or big wrecker, pull it over to ground.
Absolutely not. Thats a hazard removal. It needs technical rigging, knowing *exactly* how much force your applying, careful tie in selection (adjacent canopies), potentially multiple tie in points, and serious risk assessment.
Even if theres a wide open drop zone, that’s still a very technical fell. Lots of stored energy. You not only need to know what youre doing – but be damn good at it.
Not a snowballs chance in hell im letting anyone under a year near that tree, unless theyre just dragging and chipping.
Good groundsman / rigging crew will make or break your job. This job doesn’t have *any* room for mistakes.
Time to look for a different company. This is fucking nutz
I can’t get over how many people didn’t read the post. Nothing indicates this wasn’t a doable job before it got screwed up.
We have a climber that could do this. But as a manager and a sales arborist, I wouldn’t let him. Too many variables. Cranes away.
That’s insane.
Hazard trees like this require lots of experience to be able to accurately read the physics of the situation.
Some guys with lots of experience still don’t have the mind for these types of trees.
Absolute shame to put that on a rookies shoulders. Lots of newer guys get injured or damage property by being put in situations they should never be in. Not the climbers fault. Could he have backed out? Yes and he should have – BUT I know how it is being greener, and the displeasure of working for assholes.
I’m glad the climber walked away from this. Personally I would walk away from a place that thought this was ok to put such a newer climber in such a hazardous situation. That’s a disregard for his life imo.
9 months is not enough for this. we’d use our crane.