People climb trees for many reasons: for work, for exercise, or for just plain fun. Tree climbing is also a great way to connect to the natural environment around us. Despite the fact that trees are likely to be the largest living organisms most of us will ever interact with, most of us take them for granted. Humans were climbing trees long before they planted fields or built cities. Tree climbing is a past time for which humans are very well suited; our opposable thumbs and excellent stereoscopic vision can both be attributed to our species' long history of climbing trees. You could say that tree climbing is in our blood.
Almost everybody. As children, nearly all of us have climbed the tree in the backyard (much to our parents' horror). In fact, climbing trees is so common among children that it is likely a necessary and normal part of childhood development. As adults however, it is all too common for the fear of heights to overcome the love of climbing. This is unfortunate, because when done appropriately and with the use of the right equipment, tree climbing can be quite safe indeed (probably safer than driving a car on the freeway these days). Most tree climbers today are there to work, such as arborists, loggers, and utility workers. This is changing though, as more and more people begin to climb trees for recreation and enjoyment. Many rock climbers and mountaineers consider tree climbing an excellent way to practice their skills and techniques in a safe and easily accessible environment. Whereas cliffs and mountains are often remote or scarce, a good climbing tree can usually be found close to home.
There is no single best way to climb a tree. Climbing methods and techniques are as diverse as the people who employ them. A good tree climber should be able to select from a number of different methods to find the one that best fits the unique characteristics of each situation. In general, tree climbing methods can be divided into a few broad categories.
Spur climbing is usually employed by arborists or other tree service technicians in a removal situation. In these cases, the tree is climbed using a pair of spurs, or climbers, which are strapped onto the legs and have a gaff protruding near the foot for stabbing into the tree to stand on. This is done in conjunction with a flipline or lanyard, which goes around the tree in front of the climber and connects to steel d-rings on the climber's saddle on either sides of his/her hips. This method of climbing trees is similar to the method employed by utility workers climbing poles. However, due to the harmful nature of spur climbing to the tree, it should not be employed except when the tree is being removed.
Non-spur climbing means climbing the tree by any means other than spurs. Usually this entails installing a climbing line and simply climbing the rope. This method of climbing requires the use of prusik loops or mechanical rope grabs called ascenders to be safe. This is the preferred method among recreational tree climbers because it does not harm the tree. Non-spur climbing can be divided into two main categories:
1. Single rope technique: this method employs the use of a single line, attached at one end to a strong anchor point such as a crotch or a branch. The rope is climbed using prusik loops or ascenders. Descent is accomplished with the use of a belay/rappel device such as a figure 8. This method allows the climber to climb longer pitches because the rope is not doubled, and thus works best on taller trees. A static kernmantle climbing line is usually preferred for this method because it maintains a firm, round shape for use with hardware such as ascenders and for its low stretch.
2. Double rope technique: this method involves the use of a single line, but doubled over an anchor point so that both ends of the rope are at the bottom. The double rope technique allows greater maneuverability up in the tree by enabling the climber to take in or pay out slack more easily to go up or down. For this reason, this is the method used most often by arborists and other tree service technicians. The tautline hitch, blake's hitch, and French prusik are some common friction hitches used by climbers to belay themselves in the double rope technique. This method is harder on ropes because they slide over the branch or crotch under a load, resulting in friction and abrasion to the rope. Because the rope is doubled, this method also forces the climber to climb shorter pitches. Arborist lines are preferred for the double rope technique because they are more supple and pliable than kernmantle, thereby enabling the use of friction hitches for self- belay.
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