How Long Have You Been Climbing?

[Fiddler]

Used rope & saddle set-up for barns & steeples when roofing for years.
Started in Utility Line Clearance in '05. climbed spurless only for about six months. Obtained my CA 8/09.

 

[NeTree]

Started out at 12 or 13 topping out rigging poles for the family.

Been doing it on and off ever since. I don't think I'm a great climber, but I get done what I need to get done, and the techniques are solid.

 

[brendonv]

Got some gear at 17. Fooled around. Got a job at 18, climbed a few times a week. 18-21 I did that, then at 21 started my business, still climbing no more than two to three times a week up until today at 23.

 

[High Scale]

Since 1992/3...I think.

 

[lumberjack]

Started my company April of 2003, was a rope course instructor from 2000-2001, first time on a ropes course was 1998.

 

[PCTREE]

started climbing in England after the huricane in fall of 87. Had been rock climber for 4 years prior. 22 years in trees, wow Im old.......

 

[stig]

Got certified in -83 and have been at it since.

 

[TreeDimensional]

Only 9 yrs for me. BUT long enough to know that IF I can use the Bucket truck to go the first 50', I WILL!

I started late in life too! I was 41!

 

[blue]

....too long
Got my first job with a local company as a trainee in Sep89 aged 16, got sent on a collage course then from 90 on i worked with a local authority and some good people taught me alot in the next 8 years, a year as a Bartlett foreman(least said the better), back to the council for a couple of years then been self-employed climber since.
Dunno what else I'd do as it's all I ever have done

 

[edenarb]

Think it was 82

 

[Mr. Sir]

I started with Bartlett in 1978. 31 years.

 

[pete mctree]

started when i was 21 - 16 years all told, but that does include some years when I was predominantly production falling

 

[Peter]

How many years is that if you subtract all the time spent drinking coffee and rolling skinny rollups?

 

[edenarb]

How many years is that if you subtract all the time spent drinking coffee and rolling skinny rollups?

And eating other people sarnies

 

[pete mctree]

And eating other people sarnies

at least I don't spend all day at work sharpening my claws as you too do!

 

[Peter]

I did my first dismantle with the aid of a bowsaw aged 13. Done other stuff inbetween, but altogether I'v been climbing 16 years....

 

[edenarb]

at least I don't spend all day at work sharpening my claws as you too do!

But it comes in handy when my saw breaks down

Nice to see you postin again Pete

 

[blue]

Nice to see you postin again Pete

Really?

 

[TheTreeWiseMen]

Really?

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Same time and Duration as Tim / Blue. Left school and started climbing for the Father at 16 in 1988, although I'd probably been using a rope, harness and bowsaw since I was 10.
20 years now.

 

[Raafbeard]

Always liked climbing stuff..and when really young preferred doing the trees to general gardening stuff!

Never realised you could get paid for it until about 4 years ago!!

 

[gf beranek]

Uh,,,, oh yeah I remember. 1968 I strapped on a set of spurs to climb a pole I had just set in the ground. A "00" 60 footer. I think it was a Ceylon. Gas treated for sure.

It was really difficult to take that first step because I strapped the spurs on backwards. Ha.

And it's all history now.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Hard to imagine you strapping your spurs on backwards Gerry... But funny picture

 

[gf beranek]

All true. The cool thing about was the guys let me do it without saying a thing until I realized what I had done. Then there was a roar of laughter. It was perfect. But it is far from the whole story of my climb up that pole.

Without going into the rest of the details about it, it was the start of my climbing career.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

You'll have to give me more details or the rest of the story over some coffee or a drink sometime I would love to hear it. Or over TriTip