Climbing a cottonwood

I'm planning on climbing a very large wild Eastern Cottonwood, Populus deltoides. It has a robust canopy structure and is healthy looking for a species that's reputed to fall apart in old age. The main trunk is fairly straight. It must be one of the exceptional ones.

Any comments on this species as a climbing tree? The wood is known to be soft and light. I imagine that I will increase the minimum branch diameter for tie-in from 6" to maybe 10" or 12". Anything else to consider?
Thanks,
-moss

Moss, you're already aware of the biggest feature of this tree, the soft wood.

The skin in thin, too. Make sure you use your friction saver and step gingerly!

Have fun! I've treeboated in a cottonwood before. They sway in the slightest breeze

love
nick

here in the high desert cottonwood get to a height of about 80ft and spread out at about 60ft.The bases get to 10ft dia and down by the mojave river the get misletoe and lots of deadwood.Be carefull when tieing into the tops at less than 6
inch in dia double crotch whenever possible.Good luck....robdog

Thanks Nick and Robdog. Good to know about the thin bark. Also double-crotching when getting higher into the smaller branches sounds wise. This tree has a 12' dbh and has a more vertical as opposed to a spreading canopy structure.

I'm very conservative and put a friction saver in on all TIPs (except temporary lanyard TIPs) even on the most knarly barked trees, low impact is the way to go, not to mention it makes ascending less work.
-moss

This sounds more like a lombardi poplar,Vertical and no spread,maybe the cottonwoods there are a little different.Whichever the case pick yopur tie in well and redirect whenever possible.......dawg gonnit

robdog...please can you shrink down that picture?

Greeting's moss we dont have P.deltoides in this country outside of an arboretum . but hybrids of P.deltoides and P. nigra , such as Populus+ canadensis are common as shelterbelts . some times reaching maybe 110 /120 ft but more likely at 70/80ft. on the down side there made out of the same stuff as carrots. and dont need much of an exuse to snap. try to anchor not just over a limb but also round the stem from which the target limb grows . climb safe !