My 16kg 'bell of fury

During the growing phase, some (not all) of our date growers dust with Malathion dust. This is done several weeks prior to harvest.

A very tiny portion of the dates have been exposed to ordinary sulphur dust, the kind of elemental sulphur that is mined from the ground. This is not typically done to Medjool dates but is done to other date varieties that may be harvested in some of the same large grove bins.

At the packinghouse, all the fruit is fumigated with Methyl Bromide gas. This is a very commonly used food fumigant and we have been successfully using it for decades and decades with zero complaint or difficulty.

The class is usually one day, from 9am-3pm. We met at a small inland lake on the west side of Traverse City and found Dick, Karl and a few other guys waiting by a beautiful tree. It was known as a “tame” tree to them, mostly because they had trimmed off all the dead branches and cleaned up anything that would poke you if you slid into it.

After the group got there, about 8 of us, we learned the techniques. How to tie the knots, how to don the saddle, climbing techniques, and rope throwing techniques. All of it was really easy stuff. Nothing too complex, which was a breath of fresh air compared to what rock climbing is all about.

Essentially, the process is simple: Step 1: Identify a good limb to set your rope on. It needs to not have a sharp crotch (where the rope can get stuck), and should be clear of dead limbs. Step 2: Get your throw line ready (we used thin line, about 1/8” with a 16oz weight on the end) and hurl it up over the limb. This can take a bit of practice to get it to land in the correct place. Step 3: Attach a bark protector to the climbing rope, with a slip knot below it to ensure proper placement in the crotch of the tree. Step 4: After the throw line is up, retrieve your weighted end, and attach your climbing rope. Pull the throw line back over the tree, pulling the climbing rope with it. Step 5: Once the bark protector is in place, “pop” the knot open to lock it in place, then untie the throw line. Step 6: Tie one end of the climbing rope to your saddle using a “figure 8 on a bight” knot. Step 7: Tie a Blakes Hitch to the other end of the rope and haul your body up so it’s tight.

From here, you’re ready to climb. We did a bunch of different techniques to climb, but the most basic is the “Hip Thrust” method. We just leaned back and threw our hips up in the air, while pulling down on the loose end of the rope. Once we had slack, we’d slide the Blakes Hitch up to hold us in position.

This is called the Double Rope Technique (DRT) and is the easiest way to climb, possible. The cost of the gear is $350, which is a STEAL if you want to pick up a new hobby.

You don’t need anyone to spot you while you climb, but company is always nice.

Finally, the view you have on the world is totally shifted once you’re in the tree. People don’t regularly look up, and we can hide behind trees like squirrels, just watching everyone. Wearing natural colors helps blend in, too. Watching the world from above gives you a new sense of understanding of the ecosystem and how everything is intertwined. Animals are not afraid of you when you’re in the tree – they must think you belong there.

If you ever get the chance, go climb a tree! Tree Climbers International and http://www.NewTribe.com are great places to learn, chat, and purchase gear.

Please post photos if you’ve ever been tree climbing – I’d love to see them!

The biggest take-away here should be that you don’t need to do the same old activities to be healthy. Switching it up, having fun trying new things, and exploring new terrains is way more rewarding than running the same 3 mile loop every day. So – switch it up! Enjoy your life, and stay active.

Recreational Tree Climbing with Dick Flowers

Being from Northern Michigan, I realized I would never get the chance to climb rocks, mountains, or ice cliffs more than one or two times a year. The sandy dunes of the Third Coast were the only way I could really experience the height some people witness after climbing mountains with their gear on their back. I knew I wanted to do the same sort of thing, but never knew how.

Then, an old friend of mine was hired, while in college, to work for the US Department of Forestry to do seed harvesting in southern California. He was climbing the redwoods and other massive trees, picking seeds to be saved in a seed bank. That got me looking, and I set out to learn more. After days of researching, I decided to pick up a book by Dick Flowers on Recreational Tree Climbing.

After I got the 55 page book, I read it back and forth, multiple times, enjoying the story every moment. Somehow, as luck would have it, Dick taught at the local college in a neighboring town. That’s right – a world-class tree climbing expert lives only 25 miles from me! The rest is history, as my girlfriend purchased a weekend class for the both of us, for my birthday.

Boy was the class AWESOME.

Keep reading at Part 2!