torres.blair•4d agoProlific Poster

I used to think climbing spikes were fine for any removal, but I was wrong

For years on my crew, we'd put on spikes for every big pine or oak takedown, thinking it was just part of the job. That changed after a job in Tacoma about 18 months ago, where we had to do a major prune on a legacy maple two years after a removal on the same property. Seeing all the spike damage from before, those dark puncture wounds in the bark, really got to me. Now I only use spikes if the tree is 100% coming down, and I push my guys to use ropes and lanyards for everything else. How do you all handle training new climbers to avoid that 'spikes first' habit?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_green4d ago

Yeah, it's like a lot of trades, you learn the fast way first and have to unlearn it later. I see it with new guys on my crew too, they want to gear up with spikes because it feels solid and fast. I make them do a whole week of rope climbs on easy trees first, no spikes allowed, just to break that instinct. It builds better habits for when the work gets tricky. What's the hardest part of the climb to teach without spikes?

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wright.leo4d ago

How do you get them to trust a footlock when they're used to stabbing into the bark? That's the real fight for me, getting them to push with their legs instead of just leaning on the spikes. They always want to hug the trunk too close at first.

emmamason4d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly the hardest part is teaching them to trust their feet, not their gear.