Cottonwood climbing

ClimbingTN · Dec 13, 2025

Eastern Cottonwood about 100 footer. I really don’t like working or climbing these but, I’m trying to toughen up. I got to 70’ in a union and called it good. I went up and down 2 1/2 times. I was using my new Vertec and Squir 2 rope. Yeah I know I’m playing with the dark side but, I’m also practicing for competition at Geezers. Just trying to get more efficient. I usually use RW but trying to get a little faster. Craig

Matias · Dec 13, 2025

Man, that is wild as all get up to me to see that kind of bark on such a slim stem.

moss · Dec 14, 2025

Eastern cottonwoods are pretty interesting to climb to say the least! My favorite was 110', a beastly tree surrounded by poison ivy until a straight line storm took it down. Damn, was checking my photos, was last in it 2009! Went down about 5 years ago. There's a nice northern water snake and eastern garter snake winter den (hibernaculum) next to it so there's still reasons to visit it laying on the ground.

In 2009 was using SRT mainly for access and switched over to DdRT to move up in the crown

My rec climbing buddy Paul doing the sloth relaxation technique

Snakes hung out near the base of the tree in early spring/late winter to get some sun

Thx for the cottonwood good times reminder!
-AJ

ClimbingTN · Dec 14, 2025

@moss AJ I saw some post about someone with a tree “diary” I think you commented on. I’ve been thinking of doing something to record, document or video some sort of rec climbing. I think it would be cool to share about the tree and/or the owner. I’ve seen some great trees on private properties. What ya think since you have experience with some of this stuff? Craig

moss · Dec 14, 2025

ClimbingTN said:
@moss AJ I saw some post about someone with a tree “diary” I think you commented on. I’ve been thinking of doing something to record, document or video some sort of rec climbing. I think it would be cool to share about the tree and/or the owner. I’ve seen some great trees on private properties. What ya think since you have experience with some of this stuff? Craig

I think that was Joe Maher out of Dawsonville, GA, he was a well known rec/research climber/teacher. One of his students William Cottrell posted a couple pages from Joe's climbing journal on FB, maybe you saw that.

I'm lazy, I document with photos or vid, writing it down is a much more durable record. I think it's a good idea no matter how you do it.
-AJ