Climbing Redwood Giants

[Dan Curtis]

Talking to another arbtalker today got me thinking about this film. It was done at the same time as the National Geographic issue on redwoods.

 

Climbing Redwood Giants | National Geographic Channel

 

Apologies if it's been posted before, just thought I'd share incase you haven't seen it:thumbup1:

[Dan Curtis]

Oh and if you haven't seen this months Nat Geographic issue...GO BUY IT NOW! Sequoiadendron giganteum extravaganza, and another composite shot of the second largest tree (in mass) in the world!

[Dan Curtis]

37mins, first time I've seen anyone climb with a crossbow attached to their foot! Hadn't noticed that before!

[Brushcutter]

What an amazing program.

[finky]

the free poster in this months national geographic is well worth a fiver of anyone hard earned.... breath taking to say the least.

[mdvaden]

Talking to another arbtalker today got me thinking about this film. It was done at the same time as the National Geographic issue on redwoods.

 

Climbing Redwood Giants | National Geographic Channel

 

Apologies if it's been posted before, just thought I'd share incase you haven't seen it:thumbup1:

 

No apologies needed ... thank you ...

 

This full version was on their Youtube channel in 2011 and vanished after a few months. I'm glad it surfaced again so I can start linking to it again.

 

Refreshing ... doesn't that music in the beginning send a charge up your spine ...

[Dan Curtis]

Another one for you

 

Edited January 9, 2013 by Dan Curtis

[Oxman]

Redwood Climbing Video with Crossbow Linesetting

 

In the first week of January, 2002, Jerry Beranek & I shot a series of 3 videos showing how a crossbow can be used to set ropes for recreational tree climbing in 2 redwoods and a giant Sitka Spruce. A decade later, in 2013, these previously unreleased videos are now being presented to the public for the first time.

 

The importance to the timeline of the sport of recreational tree climbing was the transition from spur climbing to line launching and using mechanical ascenders to climb the rope using single rope technique (SRT).

 

Jerry & I had climbed the 15' dbh Ralph Stearns Dyer redwood in Montgomery Woods State Reserve together in 1987 using climbing spurs strapped to our feet. That story is on my website: Treedr.com - Redwood Climb

 

The climb of the Stearns is also on the CD-ROM entitled, "A Tree Story" http://atreestory.com/grafs/CD-Main-Page.pdf. Also on the disc are stories of the giant Spruce, and the redwood at Jughandle Creek.

 

The practice of spur climbing lost popularity because of the damage that can lead to decay from piercing the bark in many places. In 1997 I aquired a crossbow to survey bird nesting sites in the Olympic Peninsula as part of development of the Habitat Conservation Plan for the Marbelled Murrelet.

 

The modern method of canopy access is now accepted as using any type of bow with a fishing reel mounted to the forearm stock. Other climbers were introduced to crossbow use in the August, 2002 video of the Bogachiel Spruce, where 25 climbers ascended a pair of 10' dbh spruces in Washington. A 10 minute segment of this climb was broadcast on CBS "Sunday Morning" TV show. Tree Climbing Takes Root - CBS News

 

The first tree Jerry & I climbed during that January, 2002 trip was the Giant Sitka Spruce in Mendocino, California. It is located in a steep valley protected from wind. The Giant Spruce is in one of the most southern groves in the species range of the Sitka Spruce. Another video of climbers in this tree, entitled "The Giant Spruce", is available on Jerry's website: atreestory.com

8 minutes

 

 

The second tree was the Jughandle Creek Redwood. This famous flat top tree has been featured in other Beranek Publications. It is a very photogenic tree with low limbs that can be accessed by hand thrown weights trailing thin cord. Standing on the top branches allows a 360 degree view of the ridgetops, all the way to the Pacific coast. It was filmed on a hot, sunny day, thus the reference to the B-52's lyric, "pass the tanning butter".

9 minutes

 

 

The third tree is the Reynolds Triple Redwood, next to the Hiway 101 freeway offramp in Piercy. This tree is actually 2 trees about 6 feet apart. One is 10' dbh, the other is 15' dbh, but splits into 2 trunks just above the gound. In it's youth, it may have been 2 trees side by side. The location is on state park land on Hiway 101, just north of Confusion Hill & the Redwoods River Resort, and south of the Avenue of the Giants. We were able to use the rope to hook & break off lower dead limbs to allow safer access. The sound of the brush chipper of a road crew can be heard in the background.

11 minutes

[Dan Curtis]

Thanks for the links oxman! Gonna watch them tomorrow with a beer. Would love to have a climb with Jerry!

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App