Bravo. I've been a tree worker for about 8 years now and some words from a former colleague never leave me: if you're too afraid to do the job, you should think about quitting. If you're absolutely unafraid about anything that has to do with the job, you should definitely quit.
My Jumpmaster told me something similar, when I chose to come down with the plane one day, and didn't jump. Even he, who jumped with the Golden Knights, stated he had even come down with the plane a few times. A healthy fear, and a great respect for what can kill you, can keep you alive for years to come.
I'm 66 years old and did my first 50 foot climb recently. Did a couple SRT redirects, pruned dead branches, limb walked and before I knew it 5 hours had passed. As I came down I was so happy with what I accomplished. I must be a kid at heart because I still love climbing in trees. Thanks Reg.
This is good stuff. As an arborist in training one year in, I have had a few nervous moments. What helps me is preclimb gear inspection, sound limb to tie into and if I get still unsettled to keep telling myself to trust the equipment and myself. You can pause going up for a minute to collect yourself and nobody won't even notice. A real psychological technique for relieving anxiety is to stay in the moment. For example, when you start to get anxious, pause and focus on something. Stare at the rope your climbing on, notice it's color, it's feel, it's strength etc. Perhaps focus on the leaves near you, the shape of them, their purpose etc. Notice the air, how it smells, it's temperature. You might see an ant 60 feet up next to you. Think about and wonder how it got up there, why it's there, how it might get back down... The objective is to redirect your mind from racing thoughts about potential future events to really concentrating on things around yourself. If you can do that you will find the anxiety goes away. Takes a bit of practice but it is amazingly simple and helpful. It's almost like a conscious form of meditation that only takes seconds to do.
Relaxing breaths work wonders as well! 4-7-8..... in through the nose for the count of 4.... hold for the count of 7...... out through pursed lips for a count of 8. You can do it three times in a row, it works wonders!!
Yeah I agree with what you're saying it works...but when I find an ant that's 60 feet or more up I always find my self feeling envious that it can get around up there so easily without any gear or worries:)
any of you guys see a video of a dude in a tropical environment maybe Thailand i dont know but the guy has a saw bout like a 290 stihl no gear all hes doing is hangin on with his legs and chunkin 2 or 3 footers down and he looks like he sittin around sippin a cold beer not even sweatin its pretty wild you guys stay safe man fear keeps you alive and thinkin you will be like little squirrels in no time when you get confidence in your gear.
Reg when u hang up you're spurs you should look into teaching the up and coming tree climbers I honestly think people could benefit from your knowledge.
Sir, You are a master at problem identification and explaining on a level that anyone can understand. Thanks for the time and effort you spend helping people.
If it was up to me this video would be played at every college or arb training organisation certainty in the UK where I live. Outstanding, truely outstanding, thoughtful, eloquent, and provides an insight that is delivered in a manner that I found simply was not available, it would be a terrible shame if this particular video was not widely consumed within arb training and early years development. Thanks Reg, your one of a kind mate.
Well said! Havent commented before but I feel this might be useful to others, I've been a contract climber for 10years and the one and only thing I've found to really make the nerves go up are not having ground staff you trust or are even unsure their cerebral ability can comprehend the dynamics of rigging, it's all well and good working for a firm that has a boss that was and is very good, but for them to sometimes leave the job and leave the climber with ground staff that are doing the job for the summer or just dont care. I'd say to anyone going into subby climbing make sure everyone you work for has ground staff that can perform areil rescue make sure you can find out if they are even fit enough for resuce and can rig off well. I have been put into some seriously dangerous trees to only be told the decent chap wont be there and I will have to make do with the local crack head on 40quid a day. If someone had told me about these situations my stress and climbing ability would have improved to no end. Reg you make alot of sense mate thanks for sharing your knowledge and mega thanks for the arbtrolley
Thank you for you time and wisdom Reg. I just got down from a 100ft tree, highest I've been. I was up for hours last night in anxiety, I came across your video and just repeated the key points in my head until I fell asleep, and carried on doing that the whole way through the tree. I'm on lunch break now and my body is absolutely cooked. Hopefully these sardines give me some fuel for the next tree lol! Been at it about 2 months, and the unknown territory was the source of all my anxiety. It's becoming a bit easier now. You're a legend Reg!
Very thoughtful. I retired after 20 years plus climbing for a variety of reasons. But the most important was that I felt it was the right time. I had no accidents but saw some bad one's, felt like I needed a new challenge and realised that if my head and heart wasn't 100% into it I should stop. Now I landscape and periodically miss climbing but I don't regret stopping ever.
Best book to read when your job puts your life at risk = The Bible! I did not have the luxury of a mentor, just a series of greedy company owners who looking back were willing to put my life at risk for money because I didn't know any better. Prayers and faith got me through all those years and still gets me through when I am faced with a task that nobody else is willing to do. Lol about the many crazy excuses and shenanigans that people will do to get out of climbing or even just to get out of work. Sometimes, you just have to have faith.
Reg, no illusions, you’re not perfect cause you’re human but you are also deliberate, thoughtful and incredibly inspirational. You’re the kind of guy one comes across, a total stranger, but yet, you think I’d like have a beer with that guy.
Thank you brother thank you thank you thank you this is probably the most thought-provoking video I've seen in years I've been doing tree work for 22 years 15 of it climbing. With all that time everything you said in this video Perfect it was dead on point as soon as you said the word complacency I got emotional and teared up. Because complacency is almost cost me my life tree work is no joke and you should have a healthy fear always but thank you again you're really good Man reg a truly awesome human being I wish I had someone like you to work with take care brother stay safe thanks again for the video truly remarkable
“Weebles Wobble, but they Don’t Fall Down” kept me going in more than one tree early on! Thanks Reg for sparking some old thoughts I haven’t remembered for awhile.
I think like you said it's a fear of unfamiliarity, and that stepping into something unfamiliar might trigger some panic and inability to handle things. It's a mental challenge that almost has nothing to do with heights or trees in the end. The good thing about trees is you can incrementally push your comfort zone bit by bit to become quite comfortable in a situation that would be scary if you felt thrown into it before you trust your tie-in/gear/whatever. I've found climbing trees in my free time hugely helpful to push my comfort without added pressures that come along with being on a job
Hi Reg. I am a new subscriber. Buckin Billy Ray gave a shout out for you and I am so glad I made it over to check your channel out. This is psychology 101 for life and for being a tree climber. I truly enjoyed you sharing your common sense approach of what you do and how to build confidence for any thing we might attempt to do in life. I look forward to watching your videos and learning more about you. You are an interesting man. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Reg, you're such a good student of life and so good at relating your life lessons to others. Everything you said in this discussion rings so true and I could relate to it so well from my own past experience. I unintentionally got into doing tower work for the Amateur radio folk in my area and had to progress through the trust the structure and trust your gear aspect in my late fifties. Not until in my early seventies did I out of need to manage trees on my own property get into tree climbing. I'm now to the point that my only 120' climb line isn't long enough.
Another great video, it's something we all must try to overcome. Having full trust in your kit is essential. Daily checks and a good look at the tree helps a heap. Thank you Reg!!
Great perspective, and great to see folks like you on here to help coach and educate those who may not have access to a mentor. I have been climbing recreationally/ for personal tree care and I started with a pretty good fear of heights. It has helped my fear a lot, and one of the main things that helped is trusting the gear, trusting the rope, etc.
Reg, thank you for sharing your insights and experience about fear at height. Very straight and to the point. I appreciate you taking the time to make and post up this video. I was encouraged listening to what you said. Thanks again and keep yourself safe! Randy
Good teaching moment from you. That said, my last CPR class the instructor said 2500 Americans die each year from falls off 6 foot or less ladders. I tossed my 3 foot step ladder in the burn pile decades ago as I realized a 3 foot fall on concrete with tools laying around hurts. Worked in woods since 1975 and I have hurt myself more at home. Luck/skill for sure. 180' is the highest I found a yellow jacket nest while cone picking. Thanks for posting vids.
A truly exceptional video Reg. As you've touched on, complacency is a very real aspect of familiarity and I've seen an equal amount of injury from it as I have from beginners in any field. You've an immense ability to convey valuable information in a thoughtful way that invokes a strong sense of clarity. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Though I've only been climbing for a few years, I've been doing forestry work for over a decade & I simply think about my children & my wife anytime I feel I'm getting too comfortable with things.
That was amazing I have said the same things to many people over the years. Nice to have a video to reference for someone because sometimes we hear it different when it comes from somebody else glad you’re still putting out exceptional videos.
Thank you so much Reg I want you to know that I explain this the exact same way I actually started having my apprentice watch your videos I had a good mentor when I started and I just put faith in everything he told me to do( he climbed several of the very broad maple trees with me) and very rapidly I just started building a wealth of knowledge in my head of what you can do in what species of trees based on how they were growing as far as tie ins limb walks what cuts work well in what situations in what trees and I tell everyone even my fellow foreman to be careful doing certain things while in trees and alternative solutions just so we can all grow together and always keep from being complacent our career is not one that you can ever come to work and just say blah blah blah same thing different tree I always run through the worst possible scenarios before doing a tree and the entire time I’m in a tree I’m focused on how to prevent them from happening
Thank you, one of the most honest vids about this job i've ever seen, i love this job like i love skateboarding try and try again learn through the pain and celebrate the wins, knock on wood i've gotten lucky being caught by my rope a .5m from the ground after a fall from 20m, had croprice growth break off the stump and get dragged to the ground with it, and i've chickened out of heaps of climbs cause i don't like the feeling of the tree and some days thats what ya need to do, but its the drive to push yourself that keeps me wanting to go on, and things i've found that help is singing or making fun out of your anxiety like telling ya ground crew to stand back in case the shit falls out of ya pants, but having a break in the tree and just thinking of other stuff and resetting where your at....
I have been fortunate enough in my life to have great mentors. Listening to your video tonight brought me back to a time in my early climbing years. Having support from good mentors is the reason I chose this line of work. Thanks for offering your words of encouragement!
Great video Reg, a very real no bullshit video, no arrogance or showing off. Just genuine helpful advice, one of the best tree videos I’ve ever watched.
Thanks RC, this hit home with me! Once I get over 90’ and the wind picks up something comes over me and I have to talk myself through getting the job done. Thanks again for the great video ✅
Reg in a truck talking tree climbing is the best .. Speaking of heights, I think you just topped yourself. Excellent video Reg . Thank for your time and effort .
Well said sir! Always enjoy this videos. Seeing you up a fir 150 plus makes me feel at ease in a 80 ft oak. You are correct about sitting back in your saddle and trusting your gear. Thank you for the words of encouragement!
Cheers reg continuing to shed the wise old school wisdom from a dying breed of climbers Always love hearing from you mate glad to know I’m not the only one still channeling fear to push thru sticky situations 6 years strong Keep em coming
im 58 and i want to get into this profession. this was a great block of instruction and will definitely help me with regards to the perspective i should have on the fear aspect of this profession. well said and greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much man that really made me ooen my eyes and get over some of my fears i watch your videos and i have looked at you as my teacher on some things along with August and some others but again thank you so much
As mentioned below mate you are an inspiration. Your experience and knowledge really shines bright when we can see how calm you are in certain situations. I have been climbing and working as an arborist here in New Zealand for only a year now and it is hands down the best job in the world. I study Arboriculture and advanced climbing and am now a qualified arborist, but I still sometimes find myself in stressful situations aloft. Experience is the number one teacher, I'm still learning and am happy to admit that, better than having false competence sometimes. Experience, trusting your gear and the rest of your crew, and most importantly trusting yourself is key. I have worked with many experienced people such as yourself and people like you can teach lessons that no tech classroom or climbing session can provide. Thank you for being you mate, this stuff helps more than you think I'm sure. Look after yourself and stay safe up there my friend. Muzz
You are awesome at what you do brother! But of course,that goes without saying. Thank you for sharing with us. It's an honor and a real treat to watch "to me" one of the best in the 🌎. My helmet & muffs off to you my friend.
Love your humility and confidence in who and what you are as a human . Your a beautiful being Reg. I thank Christ for having come across your content and message
Another great video with powerful insights. I have been climbing for about 17 years and started with a fear of heights. Progressing slowly and steadily is the key I think. Also having the strength to leave your ego out of it as much as possible, it’s human nature to want to gain people’s respect, but people who are really worthy of respect will respect you for being honest if you are not happy about something. As someone who has suffered from anxiety, depression and a suicide attempt (not while up a tree!), and tried all manner of prescription drugs and therapy, by far the most powerful thing I have found to help is mindlfulness. Simply being in the moment as best as you can, breathing and letting go of any unhelpful thoughts. This too shall pass!! Peace ☺️🌲👊🏼
I would do anything to work beside you and learn from you I mean that I trust you a 100% just by watching your videos you are an amazing man I wish I had somebody like you to teach me
I have worked at height in construction for 40 plus years ,and you are spot on Reg ( different discipline but the same emotions ) I have thought about this a great deal and I think a lot of the problems come from perspective , you can look up at a Building or structure from the ground and it looks nothing but ,when you are on it and look down, it can be terrifying for the newcomer even for experienced hands, There is no shame in taking a moment to collect yourself. Your words are wise and really should be on every curriculum for potential climbers .
Excellent talk Reg. Thanks for this. I'm relatively new to climbing and you certainly have addressed a lot of the common fears. One fear that I have that you didn't address is the fear of making a mistake that would lead to a fall. Such as when fliplineing up and bypassing a branch, or just moving around the canopy and having to unclip, move and then clip back in, and I think I'm clipped in and let go only to find that I didn't put the line in proper place or whatever, and now I'm falling because of a personal error. I'm sure there are a thousand examples of things that tree guys have done to hurt or kill themselves through personal errors and mistakes. Gravity is not very forgiving. My way of handling this fear so far has been to just move slowly and deliberately, and thinking through and calculating each move. I'm sure some of you guys have dealt with similar fears and I am interested in hearing your thoughts and how you've handled this. Thanks
Me too. I always still check my carabiners are working in the right way and analize the branch i want to pass my rope. This fear works on my favour (reg says....). Still thinking it's ok or not what i'm doing. Thank you
So well put by Reg regarding fear 'fear is keeping us safe if properly controlled'. or that's how I remember it (he said it much much better lol) But same with gravity, we rely on it daily to stay alive but it can kill us too. Main point is respect. A good climber has to have a healthy respect for all (including inconvenient) aspects of working in the tree. I found it was helpful to be self disciplined to follow "personal safety rules" I made up for myself. In time they become just really good habits and now contribute to a cooler head :)
It feels strange to thank a person you "met" in a video but I'd like to. I'm starting to work as an arborist in Spain and I've had really good and also bad moments on a tree, the last mainly from this doubts and demons (mainly doubts in my case) you talk about. I've listened to you, top to bottom, and as I said, I really want to thank you because your words touched me, taught me and have helped me already to accept myself a bit more, to trust myself a bit more and encouraged me to learn more about trees, equipment and myself too. As a naturally curious person, I find this path also a way to find out more things about the way my body and mind work and how I can put them to work together in a more peaceful way. All the best!
Generally have been super scared of heights my entire life I’ve never really figured out how I got into this career path but you’re exactly right trust in your equipment and being confident in yourself will supersede your fear of the height
From a noobs stand point everything u said is spot on an the guys an girls around u can help make or break u thanks for ur input it’s helps a lot when a master at whatever tells u their troubles always helped me
Thank you so much for your content. I’m relatively pretty new to climbing I need to overcome the fears. Your video is going to be embedded in my brain on tomorrow’s job. Thanks brother. Keep the content coming!
Thankyou so much I am so grateful to hear this!! ❤️❤️ I have noticed small improvements as time goes on, I’m pretty anxious 😟 about climbing, I really love all your work!, you and Buckin are my favorite guys to learn from after work, thanks 🙏🏼
Thanks Reg! I am new to climbing and I got to a point where I was questioning if it was really for me. After watching this video I had a turning point in my climbing. It was a combination of reminding myself of how strong my gear really is and the place I’m tied in. The other thing that changed my climbing is changing my breathing. I noticed that I only felt scared or uncomfortable when I was breathing heavy and tired. So I started taking a lot more short breaks to control my breathing keep my heart rate down. All of a sudden I was moving around and climbing taller trees with less and less fear!
Reg, yours is the best arborist channel I have ever seen on YT. This was a great video on the right mental attitude to have in this type of work. Excellent advice. It could even be called Zen in the Art of Arborist Work. Much respect for the work you do. All the best.
Once again, Thanks Reg! I have agreed with your fear philosophy before and I do think it is a very good way to stay focused on the task at hand, staying alive and doing competent work. I did not start to climb until I was 55, and will turn 65 in a week a or so, problem I have is I just don't get to climb as much as I want, but it does get easier all the time, and funner, learning to trust the rope etc is as you say very important, anyway I think this is a great help to many thanks again.
Awesome talk Reg hopefully the people that need the information take the time to sit and listen to a "mentor" because you live the work that you speak of. Thanks Reg!
You're very good at giving advice ,you've done it a few times, just you speaking to the camera. In one of these you gave me the best advice any climber ever gave me " Never make a fuck it cut " .these types of videos are so valuable and helpful. Thanks Reg .
It gets easier!! I was a total nervous wreck- thought I might never beat it. I'm not there yet but a little better each time. Thanks for lots of awesome advice! Love your videos
Really appreciate your videos. This one is excellent, as all the others have been that I've had a chance to watch thus far. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge!
Not many tree guys admit fear. But show me one who didn´t feel it, and I´ll show you a liar. I liked this video in particular. I feel the fear every time I am up there and controlling it is a bigger task for me, than planning the tree. You explained it very well
My first time spurred in I was 20 foot off the ground shaking like a leaf, and after my first gaff slip in loose bark I spent the next 2 years hammering my spikes into the tree, way way more than needed lol.
Wow Reg, that was truly brilliant. Only just stumbled across your channel and this video but I was enthralled. Even though I may never climb a tree again (since I was a ‘fearless’ kid) those were wise words that you could apply to many other things in life. No wonder you come across as someone with Zen like calm! Take care and thanks again 👍
Hi Reg, watching this has been a huge help for me! I froze on my first limb walk at height not long ago and it put a lot of doubt in me as to whether it was the right job for me. I told the guys I wanted to come down and did, but it has wound me up ever since. Can't wait to get back up and give it another shot now. Cheers!
Wise words man I’m a newer climber and you definitely look back on the previous year saying wow I wouldn’t even be close to going this high! slow and steady 🤘🌲
I want you to know this video has been a great help to me ,, self taught, 62 years old , minimal gear , and no mates to climb with. But I love this stuff ,, and YES I am super careful. So far I have managed just over 30 feet, so this lecture helps . Thank you so much.. By the way I did get the book,, Body Language of Trees,, it was expensive at about 125.00 US but the book is as you described. Very informative, I have learned to better examine a tree and better assess it.. Thank you for the encouragement.. Good luck to you.. Joe
I was gonna watch the entire video, but a swarm of bees showed up, made me get sick, & my phone went dead because I didn't have a charger😂👌 This was brilliant.... STAY SAFE BROTHER
Excellent, this is a great conversation starter for many of us, we all have scares and deffo for junior climbers trying to figure it out . Repetition, knowledge and familiarity sums it all up well
Amazing advice Reg, appreciated your focus, and helping others to become confident, safe climbers. A saying from my work is "at the end of day everyone goes home whole". Mostly, to emphasize safe work practices and risk mitigation in a dangerous environment.
This video went so in depth and you talked about things I haven’t heard anyone else say. Thank you for this video. I have always had a fear of heights but love Tree work and want to climb. I’ve set my mind to getting past the fear. I’ve also had the fear of the tree not doing what it should and just going opposite even though I do everything correct.
August sent me over. How the YT algorithm has failed this bad in keeping me from your channel is beyond me. Look forward to your content and input in the future. Great video. Be safe. Thanks.
But seriously, scroll through the list, although I think only the previous 100 vids will be visible if you are viewing via cell phone. Still lots interesting stuff, old growth, explosives, hazard tree falling etc. I'm sure there will be something to your taste
I fell off of a high dive ladder and landed face first on the concrete. Have been terrified of heights since then. This video actually helped me a lot over come the mental aspect of it. Thanks Reg!
Bravo. I've been a tree worker for about 8 years now and some words from a former colleague never leave me: if you're too afraid to do the job, you should think about quitting. If you're absolutely unafraid about anything that has to do with the job, you should definitely quit.
My Jumpmaster told me something similar, when I chose to come down with the plane one day, and didn't jump. Even he, who jumped with the Golden Knights, stated he had even come down with the plane a few times. A healthy fear, and a great respect for what can kill you, can keep you alive for years to come.
"Fear is there to protect you, it's part of your checklist." great statement. Thank you.
I'm 66 years old and did my first 50 foot climb recently. Did a couple SRT redirects, pruned dead branches, limb walked and before I knew it 5 hours had passed. As I came down I was so happy with what I accomplished. I must be a kid at heart because I still love climbing in trees. Thanks Reg.
This is good stuff. As an arborist in training one year in, I have had a few nervous moments. What helps me is preclimb gear inspection, sound limb to tie into and if I get still unsettled to keep telling myself to trust the equipment and myself. You can pause going up for a minute to collect yourself and nobody won't even notice. A real psychological technique for relieving anxiety is to stay in the moment. For example, when you start to get anxious, pause and focus on something. Stare at the rope your climbing on, notice it's color, it's feel, it's strength etc. Perhaps focus on the leaves near you, the shape of them, their purpose etc. Notice the air, how it smells, it's temperature. You might see an ant 60 feet up next to you. Think about and wonder how it got up there, why it's there, how it might get back down... The objective is to redirect your mind from racing thoughts about potential future events to really concentrating on things around yourself. If you can do that you will find the anxiety goes away. Takes a bit of practice but it is amazingly simple and helpful. It's almost like a conscious form of meditation that only takes seconds to do.
Relaxing breaths work wonders as well! 4-7-8..... in through the nose for the count of 4.... hold for the count of 7...... out through pursed lips for a count of 8. You can do it three times in a row, it works wonders!!
I had 5 kids so that squashed any fear i ever had
Awesome pointer Gee Kay. Dissociation is one of the greatest psychological coping techniques in the world. This is powerful and true !!!
Yeah I agree with what you're saying it works...but when I find an ant that's 60 feet or more up I always find my self feeling envious that it can get around up there so easily without any gear or worries:)
any of you guys see a video of a dude in a tropical environment maybe Thailand i dont know but the guy has a saw bout like a 290 stihl no gear all hes doing is hangin on with his legs and chunkin 2 or 3 footers down and he looks like he sittin around sippin a cold beer not even sweatin its pretty wild you guys stay safe man fear keeps you alive and thinkin you will be like little squirrels in no time when you get confidence in your gear.
This guy is the epitome of chill, just amazing monologue videos. Mental strength- check
Reg when u hang up you're spurs you should look into teaching the up and coming tree climbers I honestly think people could benefit from your knowledge.
9 months later I still watch this video this is the best video that I have personally ever watched on UA-cam as a tree climber
Sir, You are a master at problem identification and explaining on a level that anyone can understand. Thanks for the time and effort you spend helping people.
i think its just the accent
@@everett3938 Lol, it definitely helps!!!
Thanks thanks thanks Reg :-) as Buckin says “I am calm, I am at peace, I’m in no rush”.
Yes he does. I like that. I need to drill that conduct into my own.
If it was up to me this video would be played at every college or arb training organisation certainty in the UK where I live. Outstanding, truely outstanding, thoughtful, eloquent, and provides an insight that is delivered in a manner that I found simply was not available, it would be a terrible shame if this particular video was not widely consumed within arb training and early years development. Thanks Reg, your one of a kind mate.
Well said!
Havent commented before but I feel this might be useful to others, I've been a contract climber for 10years and the one and only thing I've found to really make the nerves go up are not having ground staff you trust or are even unsure their cerebral ability can comprehend the dynamics of rigging, it's all well and good working for a firm that has a boss that was and is very good, but for them to sometimes leave the job and leave the climber with ground staff that are doing the job for the summer or just dont care. I'd say to anyone going into subby climbing make sure everyone you work for has ground staff that can perform areil rescue make sure you can find out if they are even fit enough for resuce and can rig off well. I have been put into some seriously dangerous trees to only be told the decent chap wont be there and I will have to make do with the local crack head on 40quid a day. If someone had told me about these situations my stress and climbing ability would have improved to no end.
Reg you make alot of sense mate thanks for sharing your knowledge and mega thanks for the arbtrolley
That's why I work solo. I only work on small to medium trees and I take my time.
Thank you for you time and wisdom Reg. I just got down from a 100ft tree, highest I've been. I was up for hours last night in anxiety, I came across your video and just repeated the key points in my head until I fell asleep, and carried on doing that the whole way through the tree. I'm on lunch break now and my body is absolutely cooked. Hopefully these sardines give me some fuel for the next tree lol!
Been at it about 2 months, and the unknown territory was the source of all my anxiety. It's becoming a bit easier now.
You're a legend Reg!
Very thoughtful. I retired after 20 years plus climbing for a variety of reasons. But the most important was that I felt it was the right time. I had no accidents but saw some bad one's, felt like I needed a new challenge and realised that if my head and heart wasn't 100% into it I should stop. Now I landscape and periodically miss climbing but I don't regret stopping ever.
Reg, you should write a book.
Ah yes! I would buy that
Agree
But make it an audiobook.
New age G.F. Berenek
Best book to read when your job puts your life at risk = The Bible! I did not have the luxury of a mentor, just a series of greedy company owners who looking back were willing to put my life at risk for money because I didn't know any better. Prayers and faith got me through all those years and still gets me through when I am faced with a task that nobody else is willing to do. Lol about the many crazy excuses and shenanigans that people will do to get out of climbing or even just to get out of work. Sometimes, you just have to have faith.
Reg, no illusions, you’re not perfect cause you’re human but you are also deliberate, thoughtful and incredibly inspirational. You’re the kind of guy one comes across, a total stranger, but yet, you think I’d like have a beer with that guy.
Thank you brother thank you thank you thank you this is probably the most thought-provoking video I've seen in years I've been doing tree work for 22 years 15 of it climbing. With all that time everything you said in this video Perfect it was dead on point as soon as you said the word complacency I got emotional and teared up. Because complacency is almost cost me my life tree work is no joke and you should have a healthy fear always but thank you again you're really good Man reg a truly awesome human being I wish I had someone like you to work with take care brother stay safe thanks again for the video truly remarkable
“Weebles Wobble, but they Don’t Fall Down” kept me going in more than one tree early on! Thanks Reg for sparking some old thoughts I haven’t remembered for awhile.
I think like you said it's a fear of unfamiliarity, and that stepping into something unfamiliar might trigger some panic and inability to handle things. It's a mental challenge that almost has nothing to do with heights or trees in the end. The good thing about trees is you can incrementally push your comfort zone bit by bit to become quite comfortable in a situation that would be scary if you felt thrown into it before you trust your tie-in/gear/whatever. I've found climbing trees in my free time hugely helpful to push my comfort without added pressures that come along with being on a job
Hi Reg. I am a new subscriber. Buckin Billy Ray gave a shout out for you and I am so glad I made it over to check your channel out. This is psychology 101 for life and for being a tree climber. I truly enjoyed you sharing your common sense approach of what you do and how to build confidence for any thing we might attempt to do in life. I look forward to watching your videos and learning more about you. You are an interesting man. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Reg, you're such a good student of life and so good at relating your life lessons to others. Everything you said in this discussion rings so true and I could relate to it so well from my own past experience. I unintentionally got into doing tower work for the Amateur radio folk in my area and had to progress through the trust the structure and trust your gear aspect in my late fifties. Not until in my early seventies did I out of need to manage trees on my own property get into tree climbing. I'm now to the point that my only 120' climb line isn't long enough.
Another great video, it's something we all must try to overcome. Having full trust in your kit is essential. Daily checks and a good look at the tree helps a heap. Thank you Reg!!
Great perspective, and great to see folks like you on here to help coach and educate those who may not have access to a mentor. I have been climbing recreationally/ for personal tree care and I started with a pretty good fear of heights. It has helped my fear a lot, and one of the main things that helped is trusting the gear, trusting the rope, etc.
Reg, thank you for sharing your insights and experience about fear at height.
Very straight and to the point. I appreciate you taking the time to make and post
up this video. I was encouraged listening to what you said.
Thanks again and keep yourself safe!
Randy
Good teaching moment from you. That said, my last CPR class the instructor said 2500 Americans die each year from falls off 6 foot or less ladders. I tossed my 3 foot step ladder in the burn pile decades ago as I realized a 3 foot fall on concrete with tools laying around hurts. Worked in woods since 1975 and I have hurt myself more at home. Luck/skill for sure. 180' is the highest I found a yellow jacket nest while cone picking. Thanks for posting vids.
A truly exceptional video Reg. As you've touched on, complacency is a very real aspect of familiarity and I've seen an equal amount of injury from it as I have from beginners in any field. You've an immense ability to convey valuable information in a thoughtful way that invokes a strong sense of clarity. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Though I've only been climbing for a few years, I've been doing forestry work for over a decade & I simply think about my children & my wife anytime I feel I'm getting too comfortable with things.
That was amazing I have said the same things to many people over the years. Nice to have a video to reference for someone because sometimes we hear it different when it comes from somebody else glad you’re still putting out exceptional videos.
Thank you so much Reg I want you to know that I explain this the exact same way I actually started having my apprentice watch your videos I had a good mentor when I started and I just put faith in everything he told me to do( he climbed several of the very broad maple trees with me) and very rapidly I just started building a wealth of knowledge in my head of what you can do in what species of trees based on how they were growing as far as tie ins limb walks what cuts work well in what situations in what trees and I tell everyone even my fellow foreman to be careful doing certain things while in trees and alternative solutions just so we can all grow together and always keep from being complacent our career is not one that you can ever come to work and just say blah blah blah same thing different tree I always run through the worst possible scenarios before doing a tree and the entire time I’m in a tree I’m focused on how to prevent them from happening
Thank you, one of the most honest vids about this job i've ever seen, i love this job like i love skateboarding try and try again learn through the pain and celebrate the wins, knock on wood i've gotten lucky being caught by my rope a .5m from the ground after a fall from 20m, had croprice growth break off the stump and get dragged to the ground with it, and i've chickened out of heaps of climbs cause i don't like the feeling of the tree and some days thats what ya need to do, but its the drive to push yourself that keeps me wanting to go on, and things i've found that help is singing or making fun out of your anxiety like telling ya ground crew to stand back in case the shit falls out of ya pants, but having a break in the tree and just thinking of other stuff and resetting where your at....
I have been fortunate enough in my life to have great mentors. Listening to your video tonight brought me back to a time in my early climbing years. Having support from good mentors is the reason I chose this line of work. Thanks for offering your words of encouragement!
Great video Reg, a very real no bullshit video, no arrogance or showing off. Just genuine helpful advice, one of the best tree videos I’ve ever watched.
Thanks RC, this hit home with me! Once I get over 90’ and the wind picks up something comes over me and I have to talk myself through getting the job done. Thanks again for the great video ✅
Reg in a truck talking tree climbing is the best .. Speaking of heights, I think you just topped yourself. Excellent video Reg . Thank for your time and effort .
Well said sir! Always enjoy this videos. Seeing you up a fir 150 plus makes me feel at ease in a 80 ft oak. You are correct about sitting back in your saddle and trusting your gear. Thank you for the words of encouragement!
Thank you. I needed that chat. This is perhaps the best video you've put out. Sincerely
I would say this was much more than just help, it was what I consider mentoring - WELL DONE!
Cheers reg continuing to shed the wise old school wisdom from a dying breed of climbers
Always love hearing from you mate glad to know I’m not the only one still channeling fear to push thru sticky situations 6 years strong
Keep em coming
im 58 and i want to get into this profession. this was a great block of instruction and will definitely help me with regards to the perspective i should have on the fear aspect of this profession. well said and greatly appreciated.
Thanks for putting this so clearly. I wish I had you as a mentor 30 years ago.
Thank you so much man that really made me ooen my eyes and get over some of my fears i watch your videos and i have looked at you as my teacher on some things along with August and some others but again thank you so much
As mentioned below mate you are an inspiration. Your experience and knowledge really shines bright when we can see how calm you are in certain situations. I have been climbing and working as an arborist here in New Zealand for only a year now and it is hands down the best job in the world. I study Arboriculture and advanced climbing and am now a qualified arborist, but I still sometimes find myself in stressful situations aloft. Experience is the number one teacher, I'm still learning and am happy to admit that, better than having false competence sometimes. Experience, trusting your gear and the rest of your crew, and most importantly trusting yourself is key. I have worked with many experienced people such as yourself and people like you can teach lessons that no tech classroom or climbing session can provide. Thank you for being you mate, this stuff helps more than you think I'm sure. Look after yourself and stay safe up there my friend.
Muzz
So inspiring!!, you are such a thoughtful and generous person, love, love the channel.
Thanks Reg. That was brilliant.
Wonderful insight.
You are awesome at what you do brother! But of course,that goes without saying. Thank you for sharing with us. It's an honor and a real treat to watch "to me" one of the best in the 🌎. My helmet & muffs off to you my friend.
Thanks for your advice Reg. We look to folks like yourself as guides
Great vid as usual Reg.
The art of controlling fear is, reeling it back in when it starts to wander out.
Love this topic.
Love your humility and confidence in who and what you are as a human . Your a beautiful being Reg. I thank Christ for having come across your content and message
Another great video with powerful insights. I have been climbing for about 17 years and started with a fear of heights.
Progressing slowly and steadily is the key I think. Also having the strength to leave your ego out of it as much as possible, it’s human nature to want to gain people’s respect, but people who are really worthy of respect will respect you for being honest if you are not happy about something.
As someone who has suffered from anxiety, depression and a suicide attempt (not while up a tree!), and tried all manner of prescription drugs and therapy, by far the most powerful thing I have found to help is mindlfulness. Simply being in the moment as best as you can, breathing and letting go of any unhelpful thoughts. This too shall pass!!
Peace ☺️🌲👊🏼
I would do anything to work beside you and learn from you I mean that I trust you a 100% just by watching your videos you are an amazing man I wish I had somebody like you to teach me
Thanks for these thoughts. I'll be watching this again when I resume climbing.
I have worked at height in construction for 40 plus years ,and you are spot on Reg ( different discipline but the same emotions ) I have thought about this a great deal and I think a lot of the problems come from perspective , you can look up at a Building or structure from the ground and it looks nothing but ,when you are on it and look down, it can be terrifying for the newcomer even for experienced hands, There is no shame in taking a moment to collect yourself. Your words are wise and really should be on every curriculum for potential climbers .
Excellent talk Reg. Thanks for this. I'm relatively new to climbing and you certainly have addressed a lot of the common fears. One fear that I have that you didn't address is the fear of making a mistake that would lead to a fall. Such as when fliplineing up and bypassing a branch, or just moving around the canopy and having to unclip, move and then clip back in, and I think I'm clipped in and let go only to find that I didn't put the line in proper place or whatever, and now I'm falling because of a personal error. I'm sure there are a thousand examples of things that tree guys have done to hurt or kill themselves through personal errors and mistakes. Gravity is not very forgiving. My way of handling this fear so far has been to just move slowly and deliberately, and thinking through and calculating each move. I'm sure some of you guys have dealt with similar fears and I am interested in hearing your thoughts and how you've handled this. Thanks
Sounds like the fear is working in your favor, exactly how it should. You are doing everything right, well done 👍
Me too. I always still check my carabiners are working in the right way and analize the branch i want to pass my rope. This fear works on my favour (reg says....). Still thinking it's ok or not what i'm doing. Thank you
So well put by Reg regarding fear 'fear is keeping us safe if properly controlled'. or that's how I remember it (he said it much much better lol)
But same with gravity, we rely on it daily to stay alive but it can kill us too. Main point is respect. A good climber has to have a healthy respect for all (including inconvenient) aspects of working in the tree.
I found it was helpful to be self disciplined to follow "personal safety rules" I made up for myself. In time they become just really good habits and now contribute to a cooler head :)
It feels strange to thank a person you "met" in a video but I'd like to. I'm starting to work as an arborist in Spain and I've had really good and also bad moments on a tree, the last mainly from this doubts and demons (mainly doubts in my case) you talk about. I've listened to you, top to bottom, and as I said, I really want to thank you because your words touched me, taught me and have helped me already to accept myself a bit more, to trust myself a bit more and encouraged me to learn more about trees, equipment and myself too. As a naturally curious person, I find this path also a way to find out more things about the way my body and mind work and how I can put them to work together in a more peaceful way. All the best!
This is probably one of the best videos on You Tube .Not only does it help a new tree climber, but anyone trying to achieve a new goal.
Generally have been super scared of heights my entire life I’ve never really figured out how I got into this career path but you’re exactly right trust in your equipment and being confident in yourself will supersede your fear of the height
From a noobs stand point everything u said is spot on an the guys an girls around u can help make or break u thanks for ur input it’s helps a lot when a master at whatever tells u their troubles always helped me
Thank you so much for your content. I’m relatively pretty new to climbing I need to overcome the fears. Your video is going to be embedded in my brain on tomorrow’s job. Thanks brother. Keep the content coming!
As always , precise straight talking , love your vids . Amazing part of the world to be in your profession .
Thankyou so much I am so grateful to hear this!! ❤️❤️ I have noticed small improvements as time goes on, I’m pretty anxious 😟 about climbing, I really love all your work!, you and Buckin are my favorite guys to learn from after work, thanks 🙏🏼
Thanks Reg! I am new to climbing and I got to a point where I was questioning if it was really for me. After watching this video I had a turning point in my climbing. It was a combination of reminding myself of how strong my gear really is and the place I’m tied in. The other thing that changed my climbing is changing my breathing. I noticed that I only felt scared or uncomfortable when I was breathing heavy and tired. So I started taking a lot more short breaks to control my breathing keep my heart rate down. All of a sudden I was moving around and climbing taller trees with less and less fear!
Great insight brother!! Awesome video, breaking through those fears and anxieties, then conquering them, is such an amazing feeling!!
Reg, yours is the best arborist channel I have ever seen on YT. This was a great video on the right mental attitude to have in this type of work. Excellent advice. It could even be called Zen in the Art of Arborist Work. Much respect for the work you do. All the best.
You're just amazing. Thank you for your service with this video.
Once again, Thanks Reg! I have agreed with your fear philosophy before and I do think it is a very good way to stay focused on the task at hand, staying alive and doing competent work. I did not start to climb until I was 55, and will turn 65 in a week a or so, problem I have is I just don't get to climb as much as I want, but it does get easier all the time, and funner, learning to trust the rope etc is as you say very important, anyway I think this is a great help to many thanks again.
Awesome talk Reg hopefully the people that need the information take the time to sit and listen to a "mentor" because you live the work that you speak of. Thanks Reg!
Wise words dude the more we do, the more we learn, the better we get. Enjoying watchin your content so had to sub.
You're very good at giving advice ,you've done it a few times, just you speaking to the camera. In one of these you gave me the best advice any climber ever gave me " Never make a fuck it cut " .these types of videos are so valuable and helpful. Thanks Reg .
It gets easier!! I was a total nervous wreck- thought I might never beat it. I'm not there yet but a little better each time.
Thanks for lots of awesome advice! Love your videos
Really appreciate your videos. This one is excellent, as all the others have been that I've had a chance to watch thus far. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge!
Not many tree guys admit fear. But show me one who didn´t feel it, and I´ll show you a liar. I liked this video in particular. I feel the fear every time I am up there and controlling it is a bigger task for me, than planning the tree. You explained it very well
My first time spurred in I was 20 foot off the ground shaking like a leaf, and after my first gaff slip in loose bark I spent the next 2 years hammering my spikes into the tree, way way more than needed lol.
Your my choice for climbing guru. Thank you so much for all you share...it is the ground.
Wise words Reg, thank you for sharing mate.
This is not just good advise for climbing trees but for life in general. Subscribed!
Wow Reg, that was truly brilliant. Only just stumbled across your channel and this video but I was enthralled. Even though I may never climb a tree again (since I was a ‘fearless’ kid) those were wise words that you could apply to many other things in life. No wonder you come across as someone with Zen like calm! Take care and thanks again 👍
Helped a bunch. Thanks Reg. As a new climber (3 years) it helps to receive this information from someone with your experience.
Hi Reg, watching this has been a huge help for me! I froze on my first limb walk at height not long ago and it put a lot of doubt in me as to whether it was the right job for me. I told the guys I wanted to come down and did, but it has wound me up ever since.
Can't wait to get back up and give it another shot now.
Cheers!
how are you now with tree climbing.
I love this reg! Ur the man and this helps !!
Wise words man I’m a newer climber and you definitely look back on the previous year saying wow I wouldn’t even be close to going this high! slow and steady 🤘🌲
You are awesome!! I have watched this video at least 10 times. Hopefully one day I can take it all the way to the top of the tree…Thank you so much!!
absolutely true !very helpful, i was out of the game for a long time and recently restarted and the fear is back but I'm loving every minute !
I want you to know this video has been a great help to me ,, self taught, 62 years old , minimal gear , and no mates to climb with. But I love this stuff ,, and YES I am super careful. So far I have managed just over 30 feet, so this lecture helps . Thank you so much..
By the way I did get the book,, Body Language of Trees,, it was expensive at about 125.00 US but the book is as you described. Very informative, I have learned to better examine a tree and better assess it..
Thank you for the encouragement.. Good luck to you..
Joe
Thank you reg. This means so much to me.
I was gonna watch the entire video, but a swarm of bees showed up, made me get sick, & my phone went dead because I didn't have a charger😂👌
This was brilliant....
STAY SAFE BROTHER
Excellent, this is a great conversation starter for many of us, we all have scares and deffo for junior climbers trying to figure it out . Repetition, knowledge and familiarity sums it all up well
Amazing advice Reg, appreciated your focus, and helping others to become confident, safe climbers. A saying from my work is "at the end of day everyone goes home whole". Mostly, to emphasize safe work practices and risk mitigation in a dangerous environment.
24:35 Brilliant, now I'm scared of driving too! Jokes aside, cheers Reg, your wisdom is always greatly appreciated.🙏
Interesting thoughts, true words, thanks for sharing 🙏
People are lucky to have you as a mentor,for sure
This video went so in depth and you talked about things I haven’t heard anyone else say. Thank you for this video. I have always had a fear of heights but love Tree work and want to climb. I’ve set my mind to getting past the fear. I’ve also had the fear of the tree not doing what it should and just going opposite even though I do everything correct.
how did you get over the tree climbing fears and what where your fears.
Absolutely amazing. You have given me the confidence too strive forward in my career. Keep the good videos coming mate
August sent me over. How the YT algorithm has failed this bad in keeping me from your channel is beyond me. Look forward to your content and input in the future. Great video. Be safe. Thanks.
On the contrary, I was just killing time until you got here.
But seriously, scroll through the list, although I think only the previous 100 vids will be visible if you are viewing via cell phone. Still lots interesting stuff, old growth, explosives, hazard tree falling etc. I'm sure there will be something to your taste
@@Recoates lol, if its trees, climbing, and education I'll watch it. Thanks again man!
I appreciate this video more than you will ever realize sir. Thank you reg
Absolutely love all of your videos Brother! 👍💪
Like a proffesor. Thanks for sharing your knowladge
Great stuff thanks a lot. The book, the comparations.... and the humor👍👍👍love your videos
Thank you. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
Sage Advice! Lesson for my day. Thanks.
You are a great climber and teacher ,legend
Wow! This was like a guided meditation; it flashed a 1/2 dozen 'come to Jesus moments' thru my life experiences; priceless, thank you.
I fell off of a high dive ladder and landed face first on the concrete. Have been terrified of heights since then. This video actually helped me a lot over come the mental aspect of it. Thanks Reg!