Until I can get my act together and get a "real" post up, here are some pictures from this weekend. Scale is a difficult thing to capture in photos, but I've tried to get some perspective for you. We were back up in
The Sentinel (which I just realized I've been spelling wrong this whole time), which is sort of our default climbing tree because it's close.
This is a shot of the branch I was sitting on at the end of my climb, looking straight out into the surrounding forest.
Here is a shot from that same branch looking down at our gear on the ground. For anyone who knows what they're looking for, I DID have safety knots in my rope. You just can't see them in this picture. I had one about every 8 feet-I wasn't taking any chances here! The trees with the tops that look like stars are Cook pines.
I took this picture on the way back down. My back was actually to the trunk, so I was twisting around trying to get a good shot of the root system, which covers a huge amount ground. I kind of like the swirly effect I got as my rope was swinging me back around.
Here is a little better shot of the root system.
This is a shot of the branch I was sitting on at the end of my climb, looking straight out into the surrounding forest.
Here is a shot from that same branch looking down at our gear on the ground. For anyone who knows what they're looking for, I DID have safety knots in my rope. You just can't see them in this picture. I had one about every 8 feet-I wasn't taking any chances here! The trees with the tops that look like stars are Cook pines. 
I took this picture on the way back down. My back was actually to the trunk, so I was twisting around trying to get a good shot of the root system, which covers a huge amount ground. I kind of like the swirly effect I got as my rope was swinging me back around.
Here is a little better shot of the root system. 
6 comments:
How high were you? Looks high; too high for me at least. Of course, I get dizzy at about ten feet. :)
Do you wear special gear to climb? Like special boots, or something? It doesn't seem like there is much to grab onto, that's why I ask.
I was about 65 feet up. You wear a harness, like a rock climbing harness, but a lot more substantial, and that attaches to the rope that is slung over the tree branch. There are a series of knots tied in the rope that allow you to move up and down, so it's all essentially manual labor to get yourself up and down, but it's not as bad as it sounds! You can use your legs for a lot of leverage. It's a very eco-friendly way of climbing trees-you're not using spikes or anything to dig into the tree, and there is even a plastic tube that straddles the branch that you can feed your rope through so your rope doesn't wear away at the bark on the branch. Nobody enjoys rope burn, not even the trees!
looks like you had a great time! those are some really cool looking pictures.
Thanks, it was fun! Our climb was cut a little short by rain, but it was a pretty light rain, and it was nice on the hike back down since it had been a pretty warm day.
Sheesh... you weren't taking any risks? But ... but ... you were UP there in the first place! LOL!
I love the swirly pic, and the tops of the trees like stars - that's a perspective I am never likely to see.
Looks a lot of fun. Providing someone else is doing it. ;)
Jay-LOL, good point about being up there in the first place! Ok, "given that I was about 65 feet up in a tree, I wasn't taking any unnecessary chances."
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