Q-link/ loony alert

PCTREE

PCTREE

Treehouser
Joined
Nov 3, 2007
Messages
6,033
Location
Charlottesville VA
OK just a quick blurb about something that I find interesting. So as some of you might have picked up on I have for a while been having fear issues revolving around climbing. This has been going on for a while since I had a pretty bad fall about 5 years ago whilst ascending a tree. Short story piece of gear failed, I fell 37'. Since that time I have been paranoid about gear failure to the point of me using steel biners on my hitch climber etc. I developed the Wraptor to make a safer ascent method. Problem is the fear is still there to the point where I was trying to get an appointment with a hypnotist to see if it would help. Anyways last thursday I had a regular run of the mill job and had 4 tall trees to trim, first tree was a red oak which just got elevated off of the house. I set my Wraptor line over a HUGE crotch in the tree and girth tied it with a bowline, backed up with a half hitch (paranoia) . Wraptor rope is NEVER used for anything but personal ascent so is never shock loaded etc etc. Proceeded to Wraptor up. The tree had a lean so I was dangling in mid air. I started to get scared on the way up, worrying about the rope breaking, the knot coming undone, whatever. At about 60' I had to fight to not panic and come down. Obviously this is not rational, I of all people know from extensive testing that Wraptoring is safe, but this is how my mind has gotten. At the end of the work day it has gotten to the point where I am mentally exhausted due to being scarred all day.

Anyways this weekend Whylie my daughter was playing with my wifes jewelry box and I just happened to notice a necklace / pendant that I bought Sam years ago just because the idea interested me. The pendant is called a Q-link and is supposed to help calm you. I saw that and figured what the heck, Sam doesn't wear it I might as well give it a shot and see if it cheers my grumpy ass up any.

Anyways Monday morning rolls around and I had a pretty tall dead oak to take down which had some vertical cracks in it due I believe to wind rotation, kinda scary but I could rope into another tree. I Wraptored up and roped her out without so much as a thought, didn't really think about it much, went to next job and did a walnut tree with a 45 degree lean no problemo. Tuesday I did a Huge oak TD covered in vines which had a big lead that went way out in one direction and was taller than the rest of the tree , this made most sense to use as lowering point so I used the crossbow and set a line and Wraptored 90' up 25' out from the stump and set my line cut out brush and proceeded to get busy getting her down. That was our job for the day but we got done so quickly that we fit another one in in the afternoon and when I got home I still felt fresh as a daisy so went for a mountain bike ride with Rufus. Yesterday another ugly TD, leaning over 2 houses covered in ivy. Same deal just rolled it out and then after work went for a road ride.

Obviously this could all be psychosomatic but whatever it is Ill take it. It is so refreshing not fixating on failure every second of the working day and the change occurred the same time I started wearing the Q-link. Just thought Id put it out there for some of yous to think on...... and ridicule the living snot outa me too obviously....:P
 
Naw, interesting story. My climbing mentor here, the first to help me off the ground, is covered in jewelry, necklace and bracelets. Mostly tiger eye stone and something else that he says protects him. He had a bad fall once too, with broken ribs. What they call a Toby here, a person whose job is to work above ground capable of different things in different industries, a lifetime of experience at it. He looks pretty cool with all those beads too. Included with his style of dress and dark shades, people think he is a yakuza. :lol:
 
Well, keep a spare in the truck in case it gets ripped off mid-removal!

Jay, lets see a picture of that cat!
 
Sure thing, Rob, but it is on the job, so he has taken off all the jewelry that only protects him during other activities, not climbing. :lol:
 

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You always came off to me to be a very confidant climber, Paul. Surprised to hear of your troubles. I to think about the what if's, and gear failure at times. Probably just part of the gig I guess.

Q-link...I wonder what else it cures :D
 
Wow, no one's teasing you. I feel emboldened to admit I've been cuddling up with my old teddy bear at night because of some odd dreams I've been having. I feel much safer at night now.

Good for you Paul, I hope it keeps working for you. To be honest, riding the Wraptor doesn't feel as secure to me as going up with ascenders.
 
I think it is just a mind over matter thing. Just like these new balance wrist bands. Just a rubber band thing with 2 disc on it opposite each other and your mind set is it is going to give you better balance etc. Mind over matter with positive thinking.

I have a fear of falling and I only went 20' down landing on my back hip area. Broke something in lower back and was just glad to not be dead or paralyzed for life.
I had got in a hurry resetting a treestand steps for my wife to hunt out of stand when I was tagged out at 2 already. Didnt use my harness etc and it cost me big time. I had to lay in the woods till someone heard me yelling out from time to time.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12
Old Monkey said:
To be honest, riding the Wraptor doesn't feel as secure to me as going up with ascenders.
Click to expand...

OM 3 years ago Wraptoring felt strange to me as you feel that you are not connected to the rope as the rope moves so freely though the unit. I think it is harder for the older ones of us who are so set in our ways. My fear isn't logical, but is very real, the worst for me is riding the ball of the crane, nothing below you, nothing to grab if something fails..... Nothing can fail but there ya go.....
 
Paul, I agree that riding the crane ball can be really spooky. I have to concentrate on looking at where I'm going and not looking down at the ground.

I'm really glad you found something that works for you. I have a 'guardian angel' clip that a dear friend gave me one day out of the blue about 10-12 years ago. I keep it on the sun visor of the pickup and it has kept me out of trouble many dozens of times. It's difficult to explain the feeling of calming reassurance but it is so very real.
 
Well I don't trust ropes even if they were 2" thick .Now steel I could walk a half mile in the air ,which is an exageration of course .;)

What ever works though .Here's what I found that works for me .Focus on what you are doing ,use your perifial vision on the ground to keep things in perspective but don't dwell on it .
 
There's a lot of psychology in tree work. I was in an oak today and tooling around on the branches. I noticed that my line was slack the whole time and everything I had done was just balance. I can't for the life of me balance on a beam one foot of the ground, but put a saddle on me and a rope, even if the rope is slack, I can balance and do all sorts of stuff.

As for feeling more secure on ascenders, I think its the bounce. I feel the rope in a way that I am used to. With the Wraptor its a smooth even ascent in which I don't feel the rope in a way that I am used to.
 
I find riding the crane hook scary as hell, but i love it, especially after my feet touch the ground again. The first time I did it the operator asked me if i was up for it, I said yeah, but was thinking something else. He took me up, I mean way way up over the trees to drop me down. No way I could look down. I figured he must have said to himself, let's get it over with. Never will forget that.

I carry a small medallion that I purchased at an old and famous temple, supposed to bring good luck. I only carry it when doing tree work, don't want to dissipate the power. If I forget to put it into my pocket before leaving the door, my wife asks and reminds me. Sometimes she will put it into my pocket before I even get dressed.
 
Riding the ball doesn't bother me one bit; it's just another tool. I really love how smooth the bigger cranes are.
 
On the 25 ton which is about all I ever ride, I like how the operator can just slow you down so nice and gradually bring you in to the crown. So much power and such finesses, it's a cool feeling.
 
I may never ride the ball it's illegal here, stupid I know. It's only allowed if the tree is deemed to dangerous to climb and you're supposed to be cleared by compo beforehand, uh-huh. I have been in a manbasket on a crane a few times and I find it very secure feeling compared to say a bouncy old bucket.
 
Bah, I'm a smooth azz operator. A bucket has way more flex with me in it than say a 22 ton crane with me on the end.
 
Knock on wood I never had a close call of any kind in 11 yrs of climbing. As they say the intermediate climbers with about 7-10 yrs experience are the most prone to screw up and get injured.
But I think of the guy killed a few years back whose boom cylinder failed on his bucket truck while clearing lines. He only dropped 20 feet. The guy was owner of WestMan Tree Service of Brandon, Manitoba. He was in the biz for over 35 yrs. Truck safetied every 6 mths.

You never know.
 
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