If you’re not used to dangling on a rope hanging off a 200-foot old-growth tree, it takes a minute to find your climbing rhythm. You have to muster the balance and the quadriceps strength to stand up in your foot loops and push the top metal ascender up the rope with your right hand. Then, you sit back in your harness and lift your left knee while using your left hand to push up the bottom ascender. In this fashion, I inch-wormed my way up the Douglas fir.
Megan Bonham, my guide at Tree Climbing at Silver Falls, was relentlessly encouraging. She climbed beside me, coaching me upward and reminding me which piece of equipment did what.
It wasn’t all smooth climbing — I sometimes lost my equilibrium and unexpectedly swung around like a helpless baby monkey. And, a couple of times, I encountered pointy broken limbs keen on impaling me. But the thrill of being right up in the grill of such a stately tree, and the excitement of trying something so outside the norm, propelled me up. And when you get to the top of the climb? Ah, the forest view.
Learning to climb
The climbing happens in Silver Falls State Park, a gorgeous green space near Silverton, Oregon, known for its waterfalls. Aspiring tree climbers meet their guides in a trailhead parking lot, where they get suited up with gear. Once you have adjusted your harness and helmet, you’re ready for the practice tree.
If you’re like me, the idea of tree climbing evokes an image of clambering up branches. But this is all about rope work. My first few minutes on the practice tree involved trying to remember which ascender was which and swinging around stupidly. It seemed unlikely that I’d get the hang of it and manage to climb a tall tree. Turns out, my experience was pretty typical.
Bonham’s favorite part of her job is seeing people transform from struggling with their gear on the practice tree to successfully climbing. “Once we get into the big tree, just seeing how they learn to maneuver through the branches and everything and then the reaction when they do make it up to the top and have that realization of oh, wow, they did it!” she said. “It’s such a thrill.” She loves to see her clients feel proud of themselves.
Who climbs trees?
Bonham has personally guided a client as young as seven — a fearless birthday girl who zoomed up the tree while her mother had heart palpitations. The company’s oldest guest so far has been 89. People climb trees at Silver Falls on their honeymoon or to celebrate an anniversary. Most are on vacation. Some are local. Bonham fondly remembers one couple who had survived a medical scare with cancer and were spending a year touring the country and checking off their bucket list items.
“Just taking advantage of the time that they have,” she said. “That was really, really neat to be part of their experience.”
Tree camping
Guests can climb three trees at Silver Falls, ranging from 200 to 300 feet tall. You can climb the tallest to see the sunset, then rappel down in the dark. Or, if you really like it up there, you can book the tree camping option. “You get a beautiful view of the sunset, and rock to sleep in the wind,” Bonham said.
Much as I loved climbing the tree, I’m not sure how much sleeping I’d do while lying in a hammock or on a portaledge and harnessed into ropes. But it’s an intriguing idea. The guide prepares dinner in the trees for the campers and makes breakfast before rappelling down the next morning. You can tree camp from May 1 to September 30. Tree climbing is available year-round, weather permitting.
In addition to Silver Falls, the company has a location on Lopez, one of Washington’s San Juan Islands. Hmm. I’m already plotting more trees to climb.
