The Hunicke Interviews: Gerald Beranek

I've had some great climbers from Mexico, Guatemala, etc. on my crews in both KY and IN. For the most part they preferred to work without spurs and only used them when absolutely necessary.
 
I worked with some Mexican climbers in Southern California for a while. They were total animals. Very good at production. Terrible gear and rope condition though.
They did a lot of free climbing and clipping in prior to cuts. I was more productive than them because I had knowledge of rigging and climbing with proper gear. If they knew what I knew and had what I had it may have been different…
I was the only guy that spoke English. I ate lunch by myself every day a short distance away from them.
Several times I saw them picking up my various gear and looking at it from all angles well I was away from it. language barriers are a bitch. Plus Back then I was going through a brutal divorce and I didn't try very hard to be social. we had mutual respect for each other though.


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The guys from Mexico that I worked with varied. When I first started doing tree work in 2012 I had these two brothers who were amazing. Only had spurs in when doing removals. Fast as hell in the bucket and fast at climbing. They are the ones who say me as a climber because I was smart and Understood most tasks on the ground and I was fast. Well they could speak good english but left the company. They new about most gear and rigging very well. So when they left I was stuck with guys who looked down on me and couldn't speak english. Went to another company and started climbing full time but none of the guys speak english. They all climb good and by the book but can't teach because of the language barrier. So now i've taught myself a lot with new equipment and rigging by watching and reading. This is why i'm thankful for this website. I can move around a tree real good with prunning and whatnot. But with removals i'm finally getting a productive state. Most of you will frown on this but when I did my first removal I didn't really know shit about removals haha. I watched and did the things I saw the other guys did.It worked out but I was so effin scared.Now understand why certain things do what and for what reasons. I just need to get smart with using rigging equipment like those x-rings. My father just showed me a timber hitch and how to rig a pulley on a spar so thats new and helpful. I hate making false crotches when you cut the notch for the rope and butt rig the spar down. Most of my ground men come and go weekly and cant really teach roping like they should when blocking down a spar without killing me. Sorry i went on so long. I appreciate all of your input guys.
 
Im always hungry to learn no matter what I do. Believe it or not I didn't go in to trees right away as a career. I mean ive been around it but I actually went to school to do hair. Worked in one of the best salons and company in the world. It was called Vidal Sassoon and its a very education hungry company and have schools to teach. Long story short I snapped my leg bad they let me go and once I got healed my dad got me a driver- ground man position and have been hooked ever since.
 
My first removal was a similar story, using only a random pile of rock climbing gear and figuring it all out as I went. Scared half the time, sorta productive the other half, and I have learned so much since then that I can hardly believe it took me as long as it did. I'm also impressed that I got it done without dropping a limb on the house with the knowledge and gear I didn't have then.
 
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  • #136
MatthewMMeckley said:
Im always hungry to learn no matter what I do. Believe it or not I didn't go in to trees right away as a career. I mean ive been around it but I actually went to school to do hair. Worked in one of the best salons and company in the world. It was called Vidal Sassoon and its a very education hungry company and have schools to teach. Long story short I snapped my leg bad they let me go and once I got healed my dad got me a driver- ground man position and have been hooked ever since.
Click to expand...

I can very much relate to that. I didn't start climbing until I was 43...... :thumbup:;)
 
Ha glad i'm not the only one. I don't post like this on those tree groups on facebook because there are jerks on there who will scold you or talk shit no matter what. Im down with the heckle but man people are rough.
 
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  • #139
Thanks! :)

I love the craft and learning more about it and sharing what I do with others who are passionate about it. I'm just a guy who "stumbled" upon tree work and discovered I have a passion for it, and also a little bit of ability to do it in a reasonably safe manner..... ;)
 
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  • #140
I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know August(a little)and hope to meet Jerry some day soon.....seein' as how he's the one that taught me.....in a round about way..... ;)

I'm truly grateful that Jerry put all that information into the books and DVDs, it's priceless stuff. :)
 
Ha, Randy I started at the same age...dragging brush with the "kids" for several weeks then they put me in a tree w/rope, saddle & hand saw for about a month.

Man was I ever happy to finally get spurs & a chain saw.
 
Ha, Randy I started at the same age...dragging brush with the "kids" for several weeks then they put me in a tree w/rope, saddle & hand saw for about a month.

Man was I ever happy to finally get spurs & a chain saw.

I'll never for get my first interview...the guy hiring asked me "do you realize your 43 years old?":lol: I said "yeah"...He just shook his head and said "well, we need body's, I guess you could run a stump grinder or something..."
 
Its great to read you guys positively talking about getting into trees a little on the late side- I sometimes lament that I got involved late and dwell on it a little more than is useful. Cheers
 
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  • #148
Never too late Chris. :D

I'm so grateful for what Jerry did making those DVDs and writing those books.
With the "situation" I'm in and being "a bit older" it was great to have him as a teacher. :thumbup:;)
 
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