Sea legs/tree legs?

Hi yall
I recently helped out as an in tree tech at the Australian tree climbing champs. Ended up spending 4hrs in the tree, short break the another 2. when I came down I felt like I was still in a swaying tree or at sea. Anyone else had this? I think if you've spend the night in the tree boat you would have major tree legs. any thoughts?
Cheers

I do find that that does happen to me either from being in a tree or in a boat on the river.

You feel the nature sway.

I like to call it Mother Nature reminding me that all things move.

I've felt \"tree legs\" after I've returned to the ground too. Brings back memories from the 80's when we used to rollerskate alot. We'd take off our skates and it still felt like we had 8 wheels attached to our shoes!

Hey Zionstree, I think you may have coined a new term to post in the tree climbing terms/vocabulary section of this forum! \"Tree Legs\". I like it.

I think if you were in a tree with lots of wind over many hours you might get that motion effect when you get out of the tree. I've found that sleeping in a tree doesn't cause anything like that. If anything I feel more rested and ready to go than sleeping indoors or on the ground. The best part is that you can wake up and immediately take a morning climb, without having to climb up from the ground. I've never noticed sea legs from regular climbing, even after many hours straight in a tree, if anything my balance is more tuned up than usual when I get back down to the ground. I think there is a difference in response between \"passive\" movement (the boat/waves bouncing you or the movement of an airplane over which you have no control) and movement which you initiate, ie: you're flying the plane, or in a tree you're controlling your movements.

Which reminds me, has anyone noticed that their balance and overall movement on the ground is better since they've been climbing regularly?
-moss

I've been climbing trees for so long that I've forgotten what my sense of balance was like beforehand. One thing that has definitely become highly developed is that before I make each move I instinctively know what will happen to my state of balance - no surprise tipping or swinging. Often I will rest my foot or hand against the trunk or a small branch will just a couple of pounds of force to keep balance during a move. My climbing motion is slow and smooth, probably like a sloth or a T'ai Chi artist, as opposed to the struggling, heaving & lunging of inexperienced climbers.

Also, you get to know exactly what your reach is with your hands or feet either climbing up or down.

Michael

I like the tai chi analogy. I recently had a chat about being 'smooth' in the tree and how it takes real skill. Apparently the ITCC world champ doesn't look like he's trying hard or moving too fast, but when you look at the clock you say \"whoa thats quick!\"
I dont think quick should be an ideal, smooth is what its all about.
I was very impressed with the balance and smooth movement of a competitor in the Australian TCC and I think he is the oldest guy in the comp. Gives me hart for the future!
Tree Climbing seems to have many parallels to Chinese martial arts- Hard/soft, fast/slow so as Tengu says 'Keep balance'

Respect

Absolutely! Balance and smoothness are almost the same thing - one is not possible without the other. It is the most efficient way to do anything.

I've seen rock climbers in their 60's do routes that I, in my 20's at the time, had no chance of doing. The fastest running races are those which are evenly paced, the fastest laps of a grand prix circuit are those where the car doesn't appear to be fighting at all in the bends. One of my teachers at the Guitar Institute in the '90's could play at close to 20 notes per second while having a conversation with the class - his fingers hardly looked like they were moving!

I've still got a lot to learn