Oldest Active Climber

Good question. A lot depends on the definition of active, I'm 50 but work for myself. I'm certain that if I had to drive to a yard every day regardless of the weather, be given an address, some saws and told to get to it 5 or 6 days a week I'd struggle.
Anyway you came to the right place to ask, some of the guys on here are ancient!
 
Ok he's not at the House but ftr there is an 85 y.o. guy in town who subs for folks with his 70' bucket. I seriously doubt at 85 I would be able to start a saw and cut a limb….
 
85 holy crap... good for him! The guy who taught me is 60 this year and still at it in great shape.
 
Oldest climber we have had employed was 60. Wonderful man, took the bus from Homestead, fl which meant he got up
4am to get to work. Also meant he he a 2 1/2 ride home on the bus!

He found work closer to home and that worked out for both of us. Great teacher by the way!
 
Anyone have a spare walker? I'm going on Medicare in a few days. You young whippersnappers should know what that means and that I'm older than dirt.

I reckon a few of you can outclimb me...... maybe......
 
Well, I am certainly not the oldest but I have been a climber for a lot of years (45) and it feels like it. It is my only source of income, no bucket trucks or big iron and no employees. Just the wife and I most days but I still sub out on occasion to other local tree companies for trees that need a climber.

Tree work has been good to me and I see no reason to stop due to age alone.
 
DMc said:
Well, I am certainly not the oldest but I have been a climber for a lot of years (45) and it feels like it. It is my only source of income, no bucket trucks or big iron and no employees. Just the wife and I most days but I still sub out on occasion to other local tree companies for trees that need a climber.

Tree work has been good to me and I see no reason to stop due to age alone.
Click to expand...
Good stuff, if I can get another 11 years I'll be happy, I hope, however, to find a way of earning a living a little easier.
Thing is, for a little outlay, tipper, chipper, ropes and saws, and if you know what you're doing and have at least a semblance of brains there aren't many ways of making as much money.
 
I'll be 54 in June.
I can't do what I could 10 years ago. It actually suprises me how much I get done. But I need my rest now more than ever. . I used to watch old fallers kinda totter around and wondered how they could do it. Now I kinda do that and wonder how I do it. . Don't really know but I do. My hats off to all those who r older than me and can still whindoner like they did when they were young.
 
A few years ago at Newfane flea market Jen found a box with some beautiful old blocks , antiques really... led to a conversation with an old timer hearing aids and all...turns out he was eighty-three and still did canopy work...amazing. Cotton or Colton Tree out of Western Mass...I thought I was the old climber
 
I won't be able retire till I'm 67, so still have 10 years to go.
Truth be told, it isn't the climbing that has taken it's toll, but the logging.
Felling to scale is really hard on the body.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #22
Climbing pressure treated power poles was a lot harder on my knees than trees by far. They are so hard you really have to stomp to get any penetration. You stomp and look down and your spikes are about a 1/4 inch deep. A lot different than just walking up a tree or cedar pole. I'm shooting for ten more too Stig. Who knows, I like to work but I like to fish too.
 
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