One of the most commonly asked questions from new tree climbers is “should I purchase a dynamic rope for safer falls or a static rope for easier climbing?”. Professional Arborists would agree, Static rope is adequate. Static ropes enable most of your energy to pull your body up the rope, as opposed to wasting your energy from the stretchiness when using a dynamic rope.
When ascending a rope there is no need to worry about falling as the rope is always tight under the pressure of your body weight. However, if you get to a section of the tree where you decide to climb the branches instead of your rope you must always keep the line taught. This is important so that if you slip off the branch you will not fall. As opposed to allowing slack to build up, if you slip off a branch you will build momentum while falling down until all of the slack in your rope is gone and this can create a very painful fall.
Dynamic ropes are made to absorb energy, using a dynamic rope to climb would feel like climbing a rubber band!
The world of Arboriculture can be a fascinating industry to enter. Understanding why trees grow like they do and how they respond in an urban and natural surrounding. Nature and man made causes can severely damage trees therefore, becoming an Arborist is a challenging yet rewarding career to undertake, learning and appreciating how to manage trees in an urban environment, Arborists have a responsibility to protect the public yet conduct tree surgery in a sustainable way maintaining the trees health.
One of the most popular roles in Arboriculture is becoming a climbing Arborist. Becoming a climbing Arborist, it is important to understand the day to day role varies greatly, there are various types of pruning such as, crown raising and clearance pruning. Tree removals can be in many different sizes and degree of difficulty involving various rigging systems therefore, the complexity and variety of solutions available can make an arborists role challenging making knowledge the key to success.
There are a variety of roles available but if you love working as a team, outdoors and a career that not one day is the same then becoming a professional arborist could be for you! Numerous paths are available in beginning the process.
College: Short courses are provided by colleges in tree climbing that usually last around 8 weeks. This can be effective for individuals who wish to understand some basics in Arborist from a theoretical and practical perspective.
Apprenticeship: This includes a set curriculum to learn theoretical concepts. Apprenticeships provide individuals the opportunity to take theoretical concepts and apply them in a hands on environment and further extend their knowledge through learning from colleagues.
Degree: A degree in Arboriculture still focuses on practical elements of learning such as, tree climbing techniques and using chainsaws. Equally important, theoretical concepts go further in depth to develop individual’s knowledge on how trees grow, what they require from the environment and how they react.
As knowledge is power in this industry please stay up to date to learn more on Arborist equipment and techniques!
