Climbing trees is a recreational or functional activity that consists of ascending and moving through the canopy of trees. Professional arborists have been climbing trees since the late 19th century in the UK and North America, and many different techniques are used to climb trees depending on the style, purpose and individual preferences of the climber. A rope, helmet and harness are essential for increasing the safety of the climber. Other equipment may also be used depending on the experience and skill of the tree climber.
Some tree climbers carry special hammocks called Treeboats and Portaledges to the treetops where they can enjoy a picnic or a nap, or spend the night. The double rope technique (DRT or DRT) is used to self-secure the climber in such a way that the rope can be recovered without climbing back up the tree. Lead climbing is another technique employed by climbers, where protection points are formed by encircling the branches of the tree with slings. The single rope technique (SRT) is mainly used to reach the top of large trees that cannot be easily climbed.
Tree climbing offers infinite possible combinations of equipment that are used to create many varied systems and techniques for climbing trees. Henrik G Dahle, invited people to climb with him and interviewed people in the tree canopy, including former tree-climber challenger Leo Murray from Monkeydo, who now runs treetop adventures. Other artists include Christopher B Gray from Connecticut, USA. Kamila Wajda from Przybowka, Poland, and Cecylia Malik from Krakow, Poland, who has published a book about her year climbing trees. One drawback is that it does not necessarily involve climbing directly to the tree itself, since the vast majority of the time spent climbing is climbing the rope, and not the tree itself.
This system can be placed on the tree from the ground, or the climber can advance the rope up the tree during the climb. If an anchor is created, other climbers can climb the tree on the belay without having to lead. Ever since caveman climbed trees to reach the highest fruits, climbing trees has been a quintessential part of urban forestry. With proper safety equipment and techniques, arborists can safely ascend into a world of adventure in treetops.
