Building a couple routes into a large tree

I have several trees in my backyard that are about 7 feet in circumference and are quite sturdy, as well as many other size and width trees. I would love to set up a couple routes in my backyard as I live far away from the closest climbing gym.

Has anyone done this?

Advice/warnings/recommendations?

Thanks

There was an almost identical thread on ST a week ago. I sent you a PM with the link. In general, it is a bad idea and should be avoided. You could use the trees as bracing for a climbing wall but screwing holds into trees is ill-advised for a number of reasons.

cool, thanks, there goes my dream of a labor-unintensive fun natural climbing apparatus

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Jim Titt wrote:http://www.monkeyhardware.com/index.php?Lang=en Let your dream become reality!

looks sketchy. maybe less sketchy than my current method of just free climbing to 40 ft.

im thinking set up a top rope at a branch point and adding just a few holds along the way, rest of it just use the tree.

Shit dude, you own property with trees on it that you're free to use how you see fit. The sky's the limit.

Rather than building an entire wall to anchor to the tree. You can instead get some big fence posts and strap them securely around the tree, then just place your holds on the fence posts

The Blueprint Part Dank wrote:Shit dude, you own property with trees on it that you're free to use how you see fit. The sky's the limit. Rather than building an entire wall to anchor to the tree. You can instead get some big fence posts and strap them securely around the tree, then just place your holds on the fence posts

strapping things doesnt sound so secure. bolting/screws sounds better. would love to just screw in holds and build a top rope anchor, rope climb it in case holds pull out.

Those big trees sound pretty nice. Personally, I wouldn't want to fill them full of big lag bolt holes and increase the chance of them getting diseased. If you would use them for timber later they would hurt the value also (forget sending them to the saw mill if any of the bolts break off in the trunk). Depending on the type of wood, the metal can create big internal stains in the trunk. Leaving tight straps on them for a long period of time is not good for them either. I bet after playing on the thing for a little while, it would quickly loose its novelty appeal anyway. Personally, I would climb it like God intended, free solo from branch to branch :) Hanging on near the top where it gets really skinny and swaying in the breeze is way more intense then TRing some boring basically vertical line of gym holds. For actual training you are better off making a system wall, I'd think.

jamesldavis1 wrote: strapping things doesnt sound so secure. bolting/screws sounds better. would love to just screw in holds and build a top rope anchor, rope climb it in case holds pull out.

If you get some industiral webbing and a ratchet, then bury the base of the poles into the ground, you'll have a bomber set up and not kill the tree.

You way will work. Just know that your tree might die sooner rather than later. But that's not a given by any means. Lotta variables. Type of tree, climate, native termite/pests. Just be damn sure that top rope branch is solid, I would personally inspect it before every use. Falling from a dislodged hold is one thing, pulling a tree branch down on your head is another thing altogether

I've done this. It was stupid and like M said, lost its appeal quite quickly. If you're really wanting something to help get the climbing jimmies out when you're bored, build a little bouldering wall. Also, it did kill the majority of the tree I did it on. ... But in the winter it rules... we set up a hose at the top on 'mist' and leave it for a few hours during a super cold night... homemade ice climbing wall.

Good opportunity for this (strapped, not bolted):

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