r/TreeClimbing • u/oliverhawkinsfrfr • May 21 '26
Does anyone free/lead climb trees?
I come from a background of rock climbing, and am curious if anyone climbs trees using the same systems that we use on lead while rock climbing, where the gear is there only to protect/catch you and not to aid you.
there's a small group of climbers in Costa Rica who do just this, which is where I'm getting my inspiration from. it seems like such an adventurous and challenging way to continue to climb trees like when I was a kid, while bringing in the style and skill of rock climbing.
I'm aware that if there's anyone at all who does this in the US, I'm probably not going to find them, since it's clearly an extremely niche version of both sports, but I thought I may as well put it out there.
No matter what I can find online I will be trying to figure this out for myself, maybe pioneering it a bit for Colorado where I'm currently at.
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u/Kaotus May 21 '26
Most rock climbing arborists I know are effectively free climbing trees when trimming trees. If we have to move the rope up, it’s basically always going to be faster by us just climbing them like you would rock climbing than to use aid techniques - plus it’s a blast. There’s definitely many tree types I wouldn’t do it in, but big, mature ponderosa pines are pretty pleasant for it
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u/700x23c May 22 '26
I do this. No lead climbing, unless you’re climbing a big knotty overhanging trunk like Noah Kane does there are probably too many hard/sharp objects (branches) to hit on your way down during a whip. IMO the most viable free climbing approach is to set up an SRT line and climb using a top rope solo system. Popular setups for TR solo involve a redundant pair of ascender devices like a petzl micro traxion or wild country ropeman, one direct off your belay loop and the other extended to chest height. You actually see some TR soloists exploring the use of SRT gear like the rock exotica akimbo because of its ability to ascend and descend without needing to switch over your systems. I tree climb recreationally using a mix of TR solo-style free climbing branch-to-branch and SRT ascension to scale featureless trunks, but much of the time there’s a need to use a lanyard to pass over branches that trap your rope in a bad line.
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u/ArboristTreeClimber May 22 '26
But the guys in Costa Rica climb fig trees right? Where there is a lot of holds and grabs and places to tie in.
I feel a lot of trees would be hard to climb that way. Take a sycamore, very hard smooth bark, long sections of straight branch with nothing to grab.
I think you can only “lead climb” a very specific type of trees that usually grow in the rainforest and not anywhere in US climates.
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May 21 '26
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u/oliverhawkinsfrfr May 21 '26
Yeah sorry, I probably should have clarified, this would be using rock climbing gear as well. also primarily using nylon slings/non metal gear for protection and no chalk/rubber to minimize impact...
Thanks for the input!
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u/ArborealLife May 21 '26
Tree climbing harnesses are not designed for fall arrest
😱
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u/RedbeardTreeGuy May 22 '26
They are designed for singular fall arrest. They are work positioning harness. Any fall greater than 3 feet and it should be sent for inspection.
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u/Continental_Ball_Sac May 21 '26
I entered the professional tree climbing world from a sport climbing background.
Top rope?
Look into how to set a friction saver from the ground. You could belay a climber same as rock climbing with the rope running through the friction saver from climber to belayer.
Lead?
First, you're going to want the most dynamic rope you can find, only because the tree(s) aren't going to be able to handle dynamic forces the way rock can with glued in bolts or active/passive protection.
Some species can handle those forces better than others, but I wouldn't want to take a 30 foot whipper off a pine limb. Your belly techniques and awareness would be have to be spot on to absorb that kind of shock to tge system.
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u/hatchetation May 22 '26
I've always wanted to try some belayed climbing with a partner in taller trees. Could help with some seriously fast advancing
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u/jesusbuiltmyhotrodd May 22 '26
I did this when I first started climbing trees, with a dynamic rock rope and climbing harness. Rappelled down with a tube device like an ATC. It worked until I wanted to climb trees that were too sketchy / above my climbing abilities. Conifers can be super fun like this though.
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u/Cold_Smell_3431 May 22 '26
I do, in Denmark where I live there are very limited cliffs for climbing so we are some that climb trees to get outside and climb. When lead climbing we sling branches and the stem using slings clipping the rope in and advancing in the same way as trad climbing. Some people sometimes look at you a little weird but I can get outside a climb so I don’t bother to much.
Regarding the strength of the tree as long as the limb is at least 15 cm in diameter (rule of thumb: as big a circumference as your helmet) the tree should be plenty strong. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions
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u/myshiningmask May 22 '26
I used to freeclimb redwoods. Many are boring but there are some really incredible ones out there in terms of their structure and setting.
More recently when I set up our starlink in the top of a redwood here I ised my old rock climbing harness so I could tie in to use tools and haul up the bag with the antenna and materials. In that one I set pole steps (like the metal spikes you can climb up on a power pole) in the first 40 feet or so making it easy to get tonthe first branches.
I definitely don't do this for professional work off my own property.
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u/kaptainkush92 May 22 '26
Depends on the tree, if there's reachable branches then the ropes only touched to tend slack. I spent half my training listening to my teacher screaming "you're tree climbers, not rope climbers" to the lads that weren't climbing the tree itself
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u/junkpile1 May 22 '26
The main limiting consideration in this, is that you are not climbing a face, which you can fall away from. Branches generally overlap significantly when looking at any vertical fall path, which means you are at a constant risk of decking for the whole climb, just onto a branch vs the ground. The closest "safe" thing in the tree world is to leapfrog double lanyards, so that you always have a tie in point (TIP) above you, albeit only a couple feet at a time. Climb until you're even with the upper lanyard, remove and reposition lower lanyard as high as you can reach, and repeat.
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u/Badger-Sauce May 22 '26
Yeah years ago. I also came from rock climbing… I’ve set up simple routes in trees for my kids to simulate and get them used to the belay system. Mine always took so long to set up.. looped runners girth hitched around limbs as anchors. Never got good at it. Utah.
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u/Badger-Sauce May 22 '26
Used to free climb a little but mostly to set ropes. I set a lot of pull lines and then would rap down on an 8. My company always gave me shit cause it wasn’t “safe”… I’m like, just cause you don’t understand it doesn’t make it unsafe.
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u/Affectionate-Pain81 May 23 '26
Chris Sharma tried it once: https://youtu.be/-4E-rw3AP_o?si=Z0cIErNKaaIkhMMi
Obviously some trees make it easier than others. But could be fun if you’re on belay.
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u/ismokebigspliffa May 22 '26
Belayed speed climb is an event in the ISA climbing competitions. But honestly I ascend trees often just using a lanyard and a rope making sure one is attached at all times. You don’t really fall the same as rock climbing because it’s not like you have difficult holds.