Treeclimbing & Safety?

[TheViking]

Hi...

We had this discussion a long time ago on the danish outdoor life forum. 55 posts and 1469 views came up!
So I was wondering what you meant about it!?

You don't necessarily need to have climbing experience, to answer this one!

Do the society need a standard education to lead climbing activities?
Do we feel more secure when we undergo a course with someone who calls himself 'instructor'?...
... or has someone with 15 years of climbing experience more knowledge and can therefore lead activities, which a 'green' guy cannot because the need of experience? :shock:

Personally I have no experience with climbing other than a little free-climbing.
But I think that someone with 15 years of experience has more right to educate and do courses, than the one who just finished climbing school, and has *never* climbed before.

Practice..............
Take an example: Ray Mears. He had no money to buy knives, books about bushcraft etc. when he was a kid, so he made he's own and discovered things himself until he was at the level he is today. That's 'Sapere Aude'... i don't think he needed to ask granddaddy all the time, what to do now... just figured out himself....! ?? (Just an example, this)

But what do people think? Sapere Aude or Education.?

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Technical treeclimbing is a fast growing pastime in the USA and there are a few schools. It's like anything else, expertise can come from experience, assuming the accumulated experiences are correct. I knew a lifelong rifleman who was a superb shot. He was also an accident waiting to happen with sloppy gun handling habits. A novice would be better served with someone who had more formal instruction in firearms safety.

 

[RovingArcher]

I've seen too many good structural/bridge ironworkers that were naturals on the iron, but couldn't teach someone to do it in a safe and proficient manner. I wouldn't trust an individual with a graduate degree in climbing, but who had no practical experience to teach me either. It takes someone with both excellent hands on experience and proper training to teach.

 

[Burnt Ash]

The Tree Climber's Companion by Jeff Jepson, Beaver Tree Publishing
ISBN 0-615-11290-0

The above is a handy and authoritative book on the subject by a guy who climbs trees for a living.

Burnt Ash

 

[Keith_Beef]

I've seen too many good structural/bridge ironworkers that were naturals on the iron, but couldn't teach someone to do it in a safe and proficient manner. I wouldn't trust an individual with a graduate degree in climbing, but who had no practical experience to teach me either. It takes someone with both excellent hands on experience and proper training to teach.

Yes, knowing how to do something, and knowing how to explain how to do it, are two different things.

I've experienced the same thing with skiing.

Went out with a bunch of friends cross-country skiing. I'd never been on skis before in my life. The friends just said "get on with it, follow us". Well, going uphill, I was OK, no problem. In fact, I was often out in front.

Going downhill, however, between the larches and pines and firs, on narrow little paths, I couldn't turn to follow the tracks. And nobody could explain to me how to do it.

As a result, I kept falling, picking myself up, falling... getting tired and extremely overheated from the extra effort.

Then, as I missed a turn, I stuck the tips of the skis into a snowbank and just stood there. The others were way off ahead. As I wondered what to do, I lost balance, fell over to the left, put my arm out, still holding the stick, and fell on my clenched fist. Broke two bones.

So, I took off the skis, put them over my shoulder and walked down to the farmhouse where we were staying and over lunch I broke the news....


Keith.

 

[Dave Barker]

the other thing is this. If a person takes money to instruct people in how to climb trees then he is liable under the health and safety at work etc Act 1924 section 3(1) He has a duty to ensure the health and safety of people not being in his empoyment.

If he is taking payment then legally he is running a business and the Act covers him.

Sorry just thought i'd throw that spanner!
:wave:

 

[Hoodoo]

Keith I hear ya on that downhill part of X-country skiing. :rolmao: Sometimes it takes a good long while to figure it out. And sometimes some trails just aren't that great for X-country skis. Hope those bones healed quickly.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Keith I hear ya on that downhill part of X-country skiing. :rolmao: Sometimes it takes a good long while to figure it out. And sometimes some trails just aren't that great for X-country skis. Hope those bones healed quickly.

Oh, it was a long time ago, Hoodoo: February 1998. The bones healed in about twelve weeks, or so. Driving was a bit difficult, since our car at the time had big toggle switches sticking out of the dashboard, rather than stems on the steering column, for things like main beam headlights. So I'd got into the habit of flipping the switches with my index or middle finger. I'd broken middle and ring fingers on my left hand, so a couple of times I banged away at a switch with a broken hand. Ouch.

Some pain came back this year, in March, and it's still there. But I don't think it's related to the break. Maybe I'm just getting old.

Keith.

 

[RovingArcher]

Keith, sorry to hear about the broken bone and now continuing pain. I get a little pain now and then in the knees and hands, especially on cold and damp days. I take 800mg of ibuprofen on the mornings it seems particularly bad and it helps quite a bit.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Keith, sorry to hear about the broken bone and now continuing pain. I get a little pain now and then in the knees and hands, especially on cold and damp days. I take 800mg of ibuprofen on the mornings it seems particularly bad and it helps quite a bit.

That's what I take, too, whe I really need it: four 200mg tabs from Harris Tweeters.

The pain doesn't bother me too much, except for when I overwork the hand. Like when I carry too much stuff back from the market.

So long as I take it easy with my left hand (I'm right-handed anyway), I can limit the pain most of the time without medication.


Keith.

 

[bothyman]

Treeclimbing?? what do you want to know??

>>> http://www.treeclimbing.com/

>> http://www.newtribe.com/index.html