Learn About Tree Climbing

Back to basics Remember when you were a kid climbing trees was one of the most fun things you can do, you could go higher, faster, but these are not kid’s. They’re full grown adults who are enjoying the newest extreme adventure sport, tree climbing. Victor and Carol Gang use ropes to climb 70 feet and higher into tree tops, the goal remains the same it’s all about getting up high in the trees. Victor: Pretty simple system an nice part about it is when you let go of it you just stop moving and you’ll go training toward the ground. Carol is always fit. She climbs so well because she’s light so I always try and keep up with her so that’s a positive thing for me, it’s encouraging. Only use tree climbing rope or arborist rope because it’s flexible and can withstand friction. Carol: It does let us spend the time together and I can learn from Victor too because he’s a good teacher. Victor: Before we clip on let’s go ahead and check all the knots for the last time. Victor learned how to climb trees from Peter “treeman” Jenkins the founder of the sport and tree climbers international. Peter: I’m a certified arborist by profession which means I’m a tree sergeant and I kept getting request for my clients to take them up climbing trees not that you know there’s a heck a lot more trees and rocks how come it’s not a sport. So I started it. Okay, rotate your arms slowly. Victor: I took a what they call a basic intensive class and learned how to climb and move about the tree and get the ropes up there. It was pretty involved it was fun. Peter: Come in with an open mind when you come in to tree climbing and stretching, it’s a new thing, it’s a lot of people have never just hung on a rope so trust the instructor and trust the equipment and trust yourself. In tree climbing we use the rope directly to climb. This is climbing too. Rock climber uses hands and feet. The most important thing is to get good instruction and get it form a certified instructor. If you’re not like most people and you don’t do chin ups every morning. You don’t have a lot of upper body strength you probably want to use a foot loop. The basic course, it’s a 2 day course $400 and what that includes is all your equipment and you learn how to climb basically most of all of your trees on your own safely. This I a butt strap harness as you can see it’s big wide strap and you sit in to it just like a swing set. Once you completed the 2-day basic intensive tree climbing course yeah you’ll be set up to climb just about any tree. Victor: It was very great for my inner image. Let’s tie the friction knot. This is what allows us to climb. This is called a Blake’s hitch. Peter: The good thing about recreation tree climbing is almost anybody can do, it’s really not difficult. You can’t fall and get hurt because you’re hanging from the rope it’s very safe. Both instructors and students of tree climbers international agree that nothing tops the feeling of being up high in a tree. Abram Winters: It gives me a perspective to look at life. I enjoy the adventure of being there. Carol: I just like the sense of climbing, the sense of being up and having a birds eye view of things. Victor: The nice thing about this sport is you can take it at your own pace. Peter: So to come down grab the down rope with your hand here so like a backup and very, very gently pull straight down on this knot. A tree sleeve goes between the rope and the tree to protect the bark from friction damage. It’s a full body workout but it really, really accentuates your upper torso. This is called a double rope climbing system. The rope goes up over the branch and it comes down and you have two rope ends right here hanging down. The equipment involved in tree climbing is not really expensive. You’re going to need a good harness that’s going to cost you about $100 you’re going to need a good climbing rope, you’re going to need an arborist rope, that’s going to run you about $125 you’re gong to need a few carabineers and short ropes. You have a basic get up that’s going to run you about $350. And this is a triple locking carabineer made by – Now the reason I call it triple locking is because you have a little button here. You have to push, you have to twist then you have to open this 3 movements to open that carabineer. Ready to go out in a limb, go to fine living.com and look up tree climbing to find a class to get started.