Backpacking and tree climbing

Nick---The rope I'm playing with at the moment is an old climbing rope from the past. Don't worry. I'm only playing around a few feet off the ground. I have a new rope ordered and will not be going higher than four or five feet until the new rope gets here. The rope I've ordered is the same stuff you are quoted as liking in the New Tribe catalog.

About the biners...I agree with Nick...the saleslady was looking out for you. If you are cold, wet and not thinking clearly, your triple lockers may be looking out for you.

RE: your rope. I HEARD the ankle snap on a girl once from a six INCH fall. She was starting a chimney (rockclimbing) and was barely off the ground when she slipped. Her foot landed right on top of a 2 inch high peaked rock, rolled the ankle and it snapped...not a pretty sound. We carried her off the mtn.

You don't have to be very high to get hurt.

Now, go have fun.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Well, I got my new rope and I’m ready to go higher than the three or four feet that I’ve been playing with. Before the weekend is over I may even take a hike and try doing this stuff out on the ridge. There are several nice short conifers out there that will give me a view. Maybe it won’t be too cold and windy.

I’m discouraged that very few of you seem to have an interest in taking your climbing out into the forest. There was very little response to my thoughts about trying this along with my backpacking. Would it be more interesting if I proposed this as an activity that could be done along with canoeing instead of backpacking? I suppose that citified climbing has its attractions but I would much rather head out to the backcountry where the deer and the antelope play.

I may be new to climbing trees but I am not unfamiliar with other forms of aerial adventure. I find it interesting that several of you seem to be extremely concerned about the possibility of carabiners opening themselves and you spend great amounts of time arguing the virtues of those carabiners that screw shut versus the other locking kinds and vice versa. I should think that those of you who are aware that falls can hurt and sometimes kill would be diligent in monitoring your equipment to the point that such conversation would be irrelevant.

I also sense an attitude of self-righteousness among many of you who seem to have an uncontrollable desire to lecture newbies whom you assume to be too dumb to take care of themselves. When I mentioned that I was practicing on an old rope a few feet off the ground, I was quickly lectured on the dangers of falling. Just so you know, there was a very thick pad of the sort used by gymnasts and pole vaulters under me to protect me in the event of a fall. The pad was still there last night as I practiced on my brand new rope. Please don’t think that I’m too dumb to look out for myself, OK?

Have any of you Georgia folks been climbing along the Chatooga River? I was hiking there last weekend and found a large white pine along the river that had string running up all the way to the top of the tree. The string was tied off to some laurel on the side of the tree away from the trail. This would be a great climb, but it’s higher than I’m ready to go now.

Hey Burt,

I don't know nothin' 'bout no line in no white pine along the Chattooga River. That's my story an' I'm sticking to it. And I don't know nothin' 'bout the line you didn't find in another white pine a few yards farther north. But if this is just a few yards from Ellicott's Rock then, uh, you may want to talk to my brother. I can honestly claim I had nothin' to do with it; all I did was stand there and watch. And, while others on this board may think you're some dumb newbie climber, anybody who could find that line has to be pretty smart.

And, for the record, I use triact 'biners when I'm facilitating a climb for kids, but I use screwgates for my personal climbing because they're a whole lot easier to open in an emergency. Climbers who think the screwgates are unsafe should clip into one, climb up just two or three feet and try to get unhitched from the rope without using a foot loop or some similar device.

By the way, is that new rope the chameleon? If so, how do you like it? Can you give us a report?

Wild Bill from Dawsonville, Ga.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Originally posted by burt
I’m discouraged that very few of you seem to have an interest in taking your climbing out into the forest. There was very little response to my thoughts about trying this along with my backpacking.

I climb in the forest whenever I can Strip your climbing gear set to the bare minimum needed for your target trees. It's a challenge because forest trees require longer ropes and it's nice to bring along SRT gear for those long ascents to the first branch. It takes some trial and error to figure out what works best.

It's worth noting that any tree that has never been climbed has the characteristics of a wild tree. That's the beauty of it, each tree contains its own sort of wilderness even if when you look out of the top you see city lights (at night).

I have enough to learn about climbing that any tree is going to provide something interesting. Being in the woods is the best but don't pass up on climbing opportunities close at hand.
-moss

By the way, is that new rope the chameleon? If so, how do you like it? Can you give us a report?

I picked up 150' of it and have climbed on it regularly. It's good stuff, seems a hair skinnier then Fly. It has the characteristics expected of a 24-strand rope: smooth as silk, a little more difficult to grab. It's nice and light for carrying into the woods. Good color for blending in.
-moss

Burt,

Try to get the chip off your shoulder. I'm the one who "lectured" you about falling. I am glad you already know all you need to know...I was taking the time to share my limited experience with you. Some folks don't realize a fall of less than one foot can be a problem...I'll know not to waste my time trying to relay info to you next time.

Re: folks getting uptight about biner types. Some of us also do "treework" which often involves being near ropes under tension that may come up against biners. We don't want something that can inadvertently come open when we don't want it to. Also, sometimes the unexpected occurs in treework...a roped limb swings in an unexpected direction. I have heard of climbers becoming part of the rigging when an errant rope opened their biner as it brushed past them. Sometimes there is not time to "be diligent in monitoring your equipment to the point that such conversation would be irrelevant. " Life can happen too fast to "be diligent" sometimes. That is when pre-thought out equipment use can make a difference.

Just sit back, relax and learn a little.

And, yes, I think your backpacking idea to remote trees is pretty cool. I bought another NewTribe that I'll probably use for that...I'll keep it stripped down to the minimum. It will help me get to the tree I hope to put Treeocache #2 into...Nick already did Treeocache #1.

Take care. Let us know how b-packing and climbing work out.

You need to understand that many of us here are protective of recreational tree climbing’s record of no deaths or serious injuries to date. It is something we as seasoned climbers actively promote and defend here. When you introduce yourself as a new climber, you instantly arouse a strong sense of protectiveness from the community. This is not because we feel you are stupid, we want you to have safe adventures. A simple mistake, like using “an old rope” will send up red markers here with quick coaching to get good safe rope instead. I think you will be missing the boat if you interpret coaching from experienced climbers as babying you. We have no idea of what you know and what your gear looks like.

So I will add a couple of remarks to you as a new tree climber.
1. Buy the Tree Climbing Basics DVD so you can quickly get an idea of how tree climbing works. That is why it was produced.
2. Be very careful of solo climbs in the wilds by yourself. If you get hurt, and there are many ways to get hurt in wild trees, you will have little chance in getting help. Evacuations are difficult too if you are discovered in time. Climb with an experienced climbing buddy when ever possible. If you must climb alone, have your location known to someone else with a definite check in time. A simple sprained ankle getting to your remote climbing tree can have disastrous implications if help is not nearby.

Happy climbing to you. Ask questions often here and make sure you know the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques, like single rope technique.

Wild Bill---Who's your brother and how do I reach him. If you have been climbing around Ellicott's Rock then it sounds as though you and your brother may be the backpackers I'm looking for.

The Chameleon is nice but since I haven't used a lot of arborist-type ropes I have very little to compare it with.

Hey Burt,

Hiking and climbing, along with canoeing and climbing, are among our favorite things to do. And the northeast Georgia/western Carolinas area is a great place to do it.

And we're not against showing those who're willing to learn the ropes, so to speak, a few of our tricks -- like how to get to the top of a 125-foot tulip poplar, white pine or eastern hemlock.

Contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or my brother Joe at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Maybe we can work out a day to get together in the wilderness.

Burt---If climbing in wilderness is what you are looking for, then, by all means, contact jmaher. I’m interested in the same sort of thing.

Also check out the following blogs at wilderness.net

www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&WID=39&tab=Blog

www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&WID=343&tab=Blog

Went back to my tree on the ridge yesterday and had another good, although low climb. Cold and windy but not the sort of thing to discourage if prepared.

Yes, I will be in touch with Joe. Our paths have already crossed in a figurative sense. We have both done blogging at the wilderness.net website.