Can we talk about how I switched from climbing spikes to rope access?

I spent 5 years using spikes on every removal job and thought rope guys were just showing off. Then I took a job at a park in Austin where the city forbid spikes on any live oaks due to oak wilt risk. First week was a nightmare trying chunk downs from a saddle but by month two I was faster and safer than I ever was with spikes. The real kicker was when my ground guy said he felt less nervous because I wasnt leaving holes in the bark. Has anyone else made this switch and found it changed how you approach removals?

2 comments

2 Comments

coran6322d ago

Yep, that bit about the ground guy feeling less nervous really hit home for me. Once I switched, my crew started trusting my cuts more knowing the tree wasn't getting chewed up beforehand.

nancy82422d ago

That line about the ground guy feeling less nervous really got me, I heard a podcast where a climber said the same thing and it made me realize how much our crews notice the damage we leave behind.