About Chainsaws & Climbing

Real canopy training, real chainsaw control, and real survival skills for the tree industry.

“You can’t always spike a tree.” — Chainsaw Clay

I’ve been climbing longer than I can remember. The canopy became normal before the ground ever did. This page breaks down the heavy details behind how I climb, cut, move, and survive in the tree world— and how you can learn the same systems through focused courses.

Throwball Techniques & Canopy Access

Why throwball technique is everything

Throwball is the first real decision you make on a tree. It decides your tie-in point, your rope path, your swing options, and your escape routes. A sloppy throwball means wasted time, bad angles, and dangerous positions. A clean throwball means you own the canopy before you ever leave the ground.

In my training, we go deep into:

Choosing the right throwline and weight for different tree structures.
Reading branch unions and load paths before you ever set a line.
Building repeatable throw routines so you don’t “hope” for a good shot—you create it.
Managing tangles, friction points, and redirects so your rope runs clean.
Using throwball to set up future moves, rescues, and work positioning.

Throwball isn’t just “getting a rope in the tree.” It’s the first blueprint of the entire climb.

Open Throwball Techniques Course

Advanced throwball scenarios & problem solving

Real trees aren’t clean training trees. You’ll deal with storm damage, dead tops, rotten unions, and tight urban spaces. We cover:

Setting lines in compromised crowns without loading weak wood.
Using multiple throwlines to build safe, redundant access in complex trees.
Throwball for removals vs. pruning vs. rescue—different goals, different lines.
Managing throwball in wind, rain, and tight backyards with limited space.

Every scenario is built to make you faster, safer, and more intentional with every shot.

Advanced Throwball Scenarios Course

Gear, Safety & System Building

Building a real climbing system, not just buying gear

Gear is only as safe as the system you build with it. In this training, we break down:

Harness selection based on your style, body, and typical jobs.
Ropes, friction devices, mechanicals, and how they interact with your movement.
Backup systems, redirects, and how to build redundancy without clutter.
Helmet, eye, ear, and leg protection that actually fits the way you work.

We don’t just list gear—we build a system that matches how you climb and cut.

Gear & Safety System Course

Safety as a habit, not a checklist

Safety in the tree industry is more than PPE and rules. It’s habits, awareness, and communication. We go into:

Pre-climb mental checks: reading the tree, the crew, and the environment.
Building routines so you don’t skip critical steps when you’re tired or rushed.
Understanding how gear fails, how people fail, and how to catch both early.
Creating a culture where safety is normal, not annoying.

Safety is what lets you climb for decades, not just seasons.

Safety Habits & Culture Course

Climbing Techniques & When to Use Them

You can’t always spike a tree

Spikes are a tool, not a lifestyle. You can’t always spike a tree—sometimes it’s illegal, sometimes it’s unethical, and sometimes it destroys the very thing you’re supposed to be caring for.

We cover:

When spikes are appropriate: removals, dead trees, and specific hazard situations.
When spikes are absolutely wrong: live pruning, sensitive species, client expectations.
Rope-only access and movement for pruning and long-term tree health.
Transitioning between spike work and rope work without losing control or position.

The goal is to make you a climber who can work any tree, not just “spike trees.”

Spikes, Ethics & Rope-Only Climbing Course

Movement, canopy flow & timing your techniques

Different trees, different jobs, different techniques. You don’t climb a storm-damaged oak the same way you climb a healthy maple for pruning. We go deep into:

Single rope vs. moving rope and when each shines.
Using redirects, midline anchors, and canopy anchors to control swing and reach.
Reading limb structure so you move with the tree, not against it.
Building “flow routes” through the canopy to minimize repositioning and fatigue.

Climbing becomes less about fighting the tree and more about moving with it.

Canopy Flow & Movement Course

Cutting Techniques for Climbers & Ground

Tree climber cutting vs. ground cutting

Tree climber cutting techniques are a lot different and will make you a better, safer, faster cutter on the ground. When you cut in the canopy, you’re balancing:

Weight distribution and swing paths of limbs.
Rope tension, taglines, and rigging forces.
Your own position, lanyard, and escape routes.

Learning to cut in the tree forces you to think about physics, angles, and consequences. That mindset makes your ground cuts sharper, safer, and more intentional.

Tree Climber Cutting Techniques Course

Advanced rigging cuts, balance cuts & control

We go into:

Balance cuts that keep limbs stable until you’re ready to move them.
Step cuts, snap cuts, and controlled releases in tight spaces.
Working with friction devices, blocks, and natural crotch rigging.
Managing saw position, body position, and rope position at the same time.

The goal is simple: every cut is intentional, controlled, and predictable.

Rigging & Balance Cuts Course

Navigating the Tree Industry & Clients

Surviving the people, the clients, and the business

Knowing how to climb and cut is only half of it. The tree industry is full of personalities, egos, shortcuts, and pressure. You need to know how to:

Read crews and companies—who’s safe, who’s reckless, who’s worth working with.
Protect your name when others don’t care about theirs.
Walk away from bad jobs and bad clients without burning your future.
Build a reputation for honesty, safety, and real skill.

Your name is your harness—you fall with it or you climb with it.

Tree Industry Survival Course

Finding clients, communicating, and keeping a good name

Communication is a safety tool. When clients understand what you’re doing and why, they trust you, pay you, and recommend you. We cover:

Explaining risk and process in plain language clients actually understand.
Setting expectations so “surprises” don’t become arguments.
Using photos, videos, and simple diagrams to show what you’re planning.
Following up, staying reachable, and being the climber they call first.

A good name in this business is built one conversation, one job, one climb at a time.

Client Communication & Reputation Course