tree climbers in uk

yes it can be a tad dusty but not to bad if your ever down this way look in and we can go climbing.

Nice one lizardman that would be cool but i shouldnt think it would be any time soon . Its wales this year fun with the family , and a little sea bass fishing for me !

ok no problem any time/year.

Hi all, was about to ask the same question about UK climbers myself but hey, here's one. My name is Kev and I'm in Portsmouth, UK. I'm looking to find some buddies, friends or partners to climb with. I would climb on my own but can you imagine the worse case scenario???? Don't bare thinking about right? Anyway, hopefully a few more UK climbers might appear here. Kev

hi rebootuk
if your ever in cornwall I will gladly climb with you

Hey! New to the board and from the UK!
Northampton to be specific, anyone close?

Greetings Mowgli,
Seems a number of U.K. climbers enjoy the “free-climbing” sport. It is quite a bit different than being clipped-in and on-rope 99% of the time as it is with my type of climbing.

Your link to MySpace.com was a nice touch too!
Might you be Mowgli from The Works of Rudyard Kipling?

Welcome aboard TCI!
-Ej-
over in New Jersey, USA

Hi

I have just taken up tree climbing - live in Midlands near Nottingahm/Leicester- ?you anywhere nearby?

regards

Archers

Hi! I'm from Oxfordshire, although I do have a climbing friend in Derby, which isn't too far away. It seems there are only a handful of Brits who know about TCI. I've climbed trees for 24 years (since 10 years old). I discovered TCI in 2001 and now use ropes where necessary, although I do mainly solo-climb if it's easy.

I've climbed many types of tree, including the tallest and 2nd tallest trees in Britain, using a mixture of rock and tree climbing gear that suits my climbing style.

What kind of climbing (if any) have you done or would you like to do?

Michael

Hi Michael

Great to hear from someone.

I am still very much a novice.

I have had a weekend of 1:1 training and have enough gear and knowledge to climb any tree I might want to climb in UK (I think). I learned to climb about 2 1/2 months ago but then it took ages to get the equipment - not like America where there are loads of recreational suppliers who have 'packs'.

So I have (so far) only climbed about three trees - and now is the wrong time of year for a beginner because several times I have started and then it has begun raining. Whilst it may be ok in general terms to climb in the rain I want to be sure I get the hang of it all before pushing it.

Where are the tallest and second tallest trees (in UK)?


Anyway to try and answer your specific question

I only do climbing with ropes and it takes me ages because I am still learning - but even if I don't get very far (because it starts raining) I still think the feeling of being up in a tree is great.

Regards

Archers

(PS I chose this name because it is my Hash name (but that is another story))

Hi Archers,

A weekend of 1 : 1 training is more than I've had. Where did you learn? (I know there's a place in Cornwall and one on the I o Wight) - I taught myself to climb (somehow surviving long enough to become competent and learn what not to do- like not trusting ANY dead branches!) I learned single rope technique and alternate lanyarding, as well as the necessary knots from two booklets - Recreational Tree Climbing by Dick Flowers and The Tree Climber's Companion by Jeff Jepson. I also knew many things from rock climbing.

That said, I've climbed hundreds of trees but the number I have used ropes on are probably only just into double figures.

The tallest tree is near Inverness - a 210ft (64m) Douglas Fir called Dughall Mor. I climbed it in August with my friend from Derby. It had only ever been measured by laser clinometer so I am sure I was the first person ever to climb it. It is also the tallest tree in Northern Europe. The photo on my user profile is a still from a video I took while ascending the rope to the first branches at 75ft. The small dot to the right is my climbing partner, Dave!

The second tallest (although it has now been overtaken by a Grand Fir in Scotland, is another Douglas Fir at Lake Vyrnwy in Wales. I climbed that 4 years ago, also with Dave. It is 205ft (62.5m). However a local arborist had already climbed that one back in 1994 to measure it.

We 'ninja' climbed both of these trees (meaning that we did it without permission (which we didn't expect to get anyway) and without being seen, although by the time we got back down from Dughall Mor there were a few puzzled walkers coming past:unsure:

I'm guessing you've bought climbing saddle, static rope and a friction saver and are using double rope technique with body thrusting. I've never done that before but would like to a some point. Don't worry about taking your time; one thing I like about trees is that there are so many nice places to site and admire the view, unlike rock climbing, where everything seems to have a sense of urgency!

I thought you chose the name Archers because you listen to Radio 4

Anyway, I'd better get some sleep. Keep in touch. Maybe if I'm up that way (probably not until early next year) we could find a tree to climb.

Michael

Hi Michael

Yes - it would be great to climb a tree with someone else. Let me know when you are around the Midlands. Re your specific points ..........

Where did you learn?

It took me ages to find somewhere that wasn't at the other end of the country but eventually I located:

http://www.bushcraftadventures.com/courses.html

in Herefordshire.

This is run by a really good bloke called Peter Colley-Davies and he majors in bushcraft (Ray Mears type stuff but a lot cheaper) but is also qualified to teach tree climbing. The wood in which you learn is great. There is basic camp site (eg) chemical toilet but he was having mains water laid on while I was there. You can camp for £5 per person per night (plus cost of firewood if used). The site is a 30 acre wood and from what bit I saw has some good trees.


I'm guessing you've bought climbing saddle, static rope and a friction saver and are using double rope technique with body thrusting.

I have climbing saddle, 50m rope, 5m rope, karabiners, throw line and bag, petzl ascender, prussic loops. I bought two leather tree savers from America - not too expensive as dollar is really low at moment eg see

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/best-buy-usa

I also have some more unconventional gear - a long fishing pole I bought cheaply from a fishing shop - I cobbled together a hook to go on the end and I have found it really useful in retrieving lines wrapped round branches the tree I want to climb is in a difficult position and getting the first line up is really hard).

I am not sure of the terminology – I just know what I have been shown but I think it is a dynamic rope. I can do body thrusting but tend to use the ascender.

I thought you chose the name Archers because you listen to Radio 4

There is a connection but not what you would ever guess.

By the way - if you don’t know about Hashing (nothing to do with hashish) see:

http://www.hhh.org.uk/

and click ‘about us’ then ‘what is hashing’

regards

Archers

That website from Herefordshire looks interesting. I've got the Ray Mears Bushcraft book, but with black & white sketches, it's hardly a substitute for a personal instructor!

Regarding equipment: I started with a skateboard wheel with a nylon cord tied around it, which I kept in a jam jar. I was also using dynamic rope (i.e. stretchy rope for rock climbing) which was very hard to ascend as most of my effort was taken up by taking up the stretch in the rope before gaining actual height. I now use a Big Shot (catapault from Sherrill Inc.) attached to an 8ft glassfibre pole to fire a 12 oz throwbag attached to some ultra-low friction chord over the first branch. My rope is 100m of black 10mm static rope (very low stretch).

I usually anchor one end to a nearby tree at ground level and use hand and foot ascenders to climb the other end of the rope. Once in the tree, I use a short rope to get to the next branches if they are beyond reach. Otherwise, I climb the branches, using two adjustable loops of rope (lanyards) for protection by placing one around a branch above me and removing the previous one.

This works fine for tall fir trees. However for trees with spreading branches I will need to start using a split tail rig (essentially two much longer lanyards) so that I can 'skywalk' through the canopy by simultaneously adjusting the lanyards, which are attached to seperate points above me in a 'V' arrangement. I've never done it before but that seems to be how it works!

Hashing? Never heard of it until now. Getting a thirst first would definitely make the eventual drinking session more enjoyable -although I just seem to crave water when I've been running:woohoo: This seems to be forces thing. Are you a military man?

Michael

Hi Michael

Are you a military man?


No, but I'd say you have to be a bit childish to go with the flow of Hashing - probably a bit like tree climbing.

A lot of people are ex-military but other factors like being friendly and just having a good laugh are more noticeable.

I recently listened to (on CD) \"Raw Spirit: In Search of the Perfect Dram: by Iain Banks\". In it he says something like

“the point about growing older is not to stop doing the things you enjoyed as a child but to find new things to enjoy” I'd say that is what I am trying to do.

Anyway - have ago at hashing - there seems to be loads of hashes in Oxfordshire - just pick one that is local and I can almost guarantee you a warm welcome, a free half pint (part of the ‘down, down’ – another childish feature) and as a 'virgin' (lots of hash names and terms have an innuendo - part of the childish thing again) you won’t have to pay - it only cost about £1.50 anyway - or at least that is all it is at the Quorn hash.

On the tree climbing – your kit and approach seems very different to mine so I will look forward to meeting up for a climb – I might even be able to get up into the tree in less than 2 hours by next Spring.

Regards

Archers

I couldn't agree more about never stopping doing what you enjoy just because you've grown up.

2 hours to get up a tree isn't too bad if you're a beginner. However, in contrast to what I said about taking your time, my record to get to the top of a 75ft Beech tree and back down to the ground is about 2:50. Obviously there wasn't time to worry about things like ropes:S I had been climbing for about 15 years at the time and had climbed that tree over a hundred times. However I don't do that kind of thing anymore. To climb up and down the 210ft tree in Scotland took me about 2 hours at a leisurely pace.

Are you called Archers because that's what you like to drink? (Keep trying Michael!)

Goodnight.

Michael