Follow the Leader - A training recommendation (idea) from a budding recreational climber.

[Zebco Kid]

Hello All,

I hope the day finds everyone well.

As is quite evident from my steady posts, I'm kind of strung out on this tree climbing thing. I spend a good amount of time watching all of the videos that everyone has posted, and reading the discussions/debates/advice on this forum.

I recently purchased Lawrence Shultz's tree SRT series. In his videos, he shares a myriad of techniques. During his instruction, he said that there are many ways to approach the situations encountered in the canopy. His recommendation was to pick the one you like from the various climbing categories.

I thought it would be cool for us hands-on learners to follow an expert through the canopy. We would then follow, one by one, and emulate the techniques deployed by the instructor. A learning train of sorts.

As a simple example:
1. Secure SRT canopy anchor with QuickLink and Texas Tug
2. Ascend the rope with foot lock and rope walking techniques.
3. Connect to another limb with throw bag and grapnel.
4. Secure new TIP with DRT, using a retrievable cambium saver.
5. Deploy the Ponytail Technique to shift your line from one side of the truck to the other.
6. Lower to ground, and retrieve all gear with throwline to avoid damaging life-safety equipment.

Anyway...that's my big idea for today. If you're doing some teaching, this would be a great way to learn in my humble opinion.

Cheers.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

A classroom that I've created for group teaching is built with a tree above but feet on the ground. Ropes are hung with space between them. Climbers work their way through the progression of skills.

Take spray paint or lime or flour to mark off the limbs that the climbers 'walk' It class is held during the dormant season and its sunny the branch shadows work too.

After students pass a skills test the next class could go off the ground. Having everyone on the ground at first makes it easy for the teachers to coach.

 

[ghostice]

Maybe have a look at some of the more recent August Hunicke videos on AdTube - he's stepping through beginner stuff lately and talking about it a lot. Even if you've been climbing a while they're a good mental check ride to go thru I find. Most pleasant way to down some Capt Morgan at days end and watch someone else's day!
After a while too, you'll probably just find which style(s) are"best-est" for you and the trees you're in and stick to it. Nice to be able to do other stuff but personally I have no desire to go back to some of the stuff I've tried in years past.
Cheers

 

[Tony]

What you are proposing is a lot like a climbing competition.

Go do that.

Tony

 

[moss]

After I go over on the ground basics like throwing, tying knots, basic tree assessment etc. my best teaching tool is for new and more experienced rec climbers to climb with me in the tree. Often it takes a simple comment like "Use your legs and feet on the tree to control your body position!" to make a huge difference for a new climber. Experienced work climbers have internalized so much of what it takes to move smoothly in a tree and tend to focus more on rope/gear technique when they're teaching in videos. Makes sense.

Nothing makes up for hours spent climbing, your body will work on gaining efficiency over time, without you trying to do so consciously. Once a baseline of gear and implementation safety is reached it is more about "how to be in a tree" than it is about the gear. Take any experienced work climber and take away their usual day-to-day gear and they'll still excel, they know how to be in a tree.
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As far as the concept "rec climbing" goes, it means different things depending on what you want to do in trees. For work climbers it is often oriented towards competition skills or acquiring more effective work skills. That is true for technique too, much of the teaching you'll see on YouTube is oriented towards improving technical work skills. I teach many climbers who are primarily interested in rec climbing and are not working climbers, I think of it as a different "class" of tree climbing. I try and lead them towards more efficient climbing skills but there is no rush, there is nothing to get done except enjoy solving the "problem" of getting around a tree safely, and perhaps more importantly: enjoy being immersed in nature in the crown of a tree.
-AJ