Rant: Old timer made me rethink how I climb trees

I ran into a retired arborist named Jerry at the supply yard last Tuesday. He watched me loading up my gear and asked why I still use a traditional climbing saddle and flip line. I told him it's what I learned on 15 years ago. He just shook his head and said 'you're killing your lower back for no reason.' Then he walked me through how he switched to a positioning lanyard system after his second disc surgery at age 48. That conversation has been stuck in my head for a week now. Has anyone else switched from classic DRT climbing to SRT and felt a real difference in fatigue?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade_johnson27d ago

I mean, that bit about 'killing your lower back for no reason' really hit me. Maybe it's just me but I bet nobody's thinking about how DRT locks you into that hunched posture compared to SRT.

hayden_nelson8527d ago

Yeah @jade_johnson, Jerry told me he started doing yoga with his wife after switching too.