King of the swingers
Peering down from my perch 70 metres above the forest floor, I curse myself for ignoring my own advice. ‘Go easy on the water, bring a fleece, and don’t switch on your headtorch if you can avoid it.’ Now, gently swinging in the morning mist, I’m bursting for a wee, shivering from head to foot and sporting a throbbing lump above my right eye from an angry night wasp attracted by my torch light.
But none of it matters. Not really. After all, this is my favourite place on Earth. The views are other-worldly. Rolling mist yields gently to the rising sun, illuminating orchid-clad branches to the horizon in every direction.
I can already hear the rustling of a waking orangutan in her understorey nest beneath me and the bizarre honking of rhinoceros hornbills as they glide gently across the river. My colleague, silhouetted by the sun in an adjacent tree, leans casually against his ropes, happily puffing smoke rings into the sky from an enormous pipe. Then the gibbons start their great call, performing a duet from a giant white menageries tree nearby. This is what it’s all about. All the sweat, stings and cursing of rainforest canopy exploration are worth it for these special moments.
Canopy challenge
Despite the occasional beauty and calm of the rainforest canopy, this environment easily rates as one of the most demanding on Earth for scientific study and exploration. Tropical trees in the Old World rainforests touch 90 metres, often with no branches for the first 45 metres. This is precisely why it’s such a buzz to explore. We still know so little about the incredible interwoven complexity of the canopy, yet it’s vital to our understanding of climate change, biodiversity loss and forest health. More than half of all life on Earth may call the canopy home, and it’s possible that up to 90 per cent of the invertebrates found there are still unknown to science. Overcome the mammoth logistical and technical obstacles and climb into the rainforest canopy, and you’ll instantly become a pioneer.
Since the first intrepid expedition to French Guiana, led by Major RW Kingston in 1929, technical canopy access has really grown up. Back then, naval cannon fire lit up the forest floor as ropes were shot into the trees, boatswains chairs were attached and the long haul with blocks and tackle began. Now, with caving, climbing and industrial equipment being employed alongside the tools of the arboriculture trade, almost anyone with a bit of imagination and a head for heights can follow in the footsteps of these original explorers.
Modern canopy climbing in the tropics is all about preparation and, in particular, streamlining your kit to the bare essentials. No seasoned canopy explorer would haul anything redundant up 70 metres of slippery, ant-covered giant in temperatures of 35°C. The tropical heat and humidity sap strength incredibly quickly, so every gram counts, and if there’s an emergency, you don’t want anything to get in your way.
A bug’s life
As an ecologist, the huge, unexplored biodiversity of the canopy particularly excites me. Thousands of species of unknown invertebrates crawl, fly and jump into every orchid, fern and tree-hole. Yet when you’re climbing, invertebrates aren’t your friends.
Many tropical trees are positively bursting with bees, wasps and hornets. If you are attacked en masse, and without systems in place to help, it’s going to be messy. Who’s going to come and get you when you’re surrounded by 10,000 angry bees? Not me.
Every time you put your hand around a branch for a better grip, or haul your sweating body through a 400-kilogram epiphyte, you risk disturbing a nest. If you’re lucky, the local hymenoptera will just be a complete pain. If you’re less fortunate, then you may be in real trouble. From the mild irritant of the single wasp sting to the life-threatening dangers of a mass bee attack, you need to be on your guard with a full head-net in your top pocket (no good if you have to search for it when you need it) and at least two adrenaline auto injectors in your bum bag.
To add insult to injury, formic acid produced by the ants swarming over your anchors can weaken ropes by up to 50 per cent. It’s therefore wise to use steel strops rather than fabric slings when rigging and to check your kit daily. Remember that both insect repellent and sunscreen damage ropes, so neither treatment can be used.
The extreme apparent temperature (a combination of heat and humidity) and the rapidly changing weather are serious concerns in the tropical canopy. Extreme humidity and the highly physical nature of climbing don’t mix well. The human body’s heat regulation systems break down when sweat fails to evaporate properly. I’m well aware of the first signs of dehydration: paranoia, confusion, a sense of impending doom, irritability and even vertigo.
I combat dehydration with a little routine that involves taking six steps up the rope followed by two gulps from my Platypus hydration bladder and straw. By the time I reach the top of the rope, I’ve drunk a litre of fluid and am ready to start work, safe in the knowledge that I’m reasonably hydrated.
To combat heat problems, you also need a lightweight helmet such as the Petzl Meteor. This brilliant polystyrene head protector weighs only 235 grams and has so much ventilation that you really can forget that you’re wearing it. Don a normal helmet with poor ventilation and you’ll cook.
Long trousers and sleeves are vital if you don’t want your skin slashed by thorns, grazed by bark, burned by the sun, or generally attacked by all manner of spineless wonders as you struggle through the understorey. High-wicking fabrics are great once you’re in the canopy, where there’s a bit of air movement. If you’re male, be sure that your trousers are designed for a harness or you’ll end up feeling distinctly irritable.
There’s no point taking waterproofs. At the first sign of a storm, you need to be getting out of the tree, not struggling into your poncho – the metal climbing equipment dangling off your harness is a perfect lightning conductor.
Aim high
Getting a rope up into a tree has the potential to be incredibly time-consuming if you have the wrong kit – even then, it can take hours or even days – so it’s worth splashing out on the best.
In South America, most people use a crossbow or line-firing gun. However, in many politically sensitive forests around the world, it isn’t a great idea to be carrying around a trigger mechanism decorated in camouflage colours. For that reason, I prefer a giant catapult called a Big Shot, as nobody worries about what is essentially a bicycle inner tube.
The Big Shot is a fantastic invention. It’s a very large slingshot that can be mounted on a pole of any length (usually around three metres for large trees). It fires a leather bag filled with lead shot high into the canopy. The bag trails a fine, waxed line called a Zing-It. For very high shots, you need even thinner kite line and a lighter weight. However, the effects of friction added to the weight of line being dragged by the throwbag means that your line may not come back down again.
Climbing is a techie’s paradise. There’s a vast array of suitable equipment on the market. If you’re working for a university or a company rather than just climbing for your own entertainment, you need to ensure that you adhere to UK safety standards for work at height. All your kit needs to come with conformity certificates and must be bought from specialist work-at-height manufacturers. Two points of contact are necessary at all times and equipment needs to be checked daily for wear and tear.
The inevitable sweat you constantly pour onto your equipment can cause serious problems. This is because salt is an extremely rare resource in the rainforest canopy, and a significant number of animals will cheerfully chew through your ropes once they have acquired a taste for your perspiration. Despite their high cost, ropes have an average lifespan of just six months in most tropical forest environments.
Petzl has cornered the market in rope access hardware and makes some fantastic equipment. That said, there are plenty of other manufacturers producing excellent kit. My personal rig consists of a Heightec Treehopper harness, a Heightec chest harness, a Petzl ID or Stop descender, a Petzl Shunt ascender, a hand and chest ascender, and adjustable leg loops.
Step on
I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to footwear. I used to swear by the genuine US Army jungle boot for climbing. They’re great in leech-infested mud and provide good ankle support when climbing.
Unfortunately, their grip-holding abilities on wet bark are less than spectacular.
Some of my more adventurous colleagues have been climbing for years with specialist trail-running shoes such as the Inov-8 Mudroc. These perform especially well when branch walking and give great grip in nearly all situations.
If you’re doing anything really technical, you’re going to need specialist footwear; otherwise, visit a reputable purveyor of army surplus and save yourself £50.
The rainforest canopy is unlike any other environment on Earth. If you can overcome the technical challenges and end up swinging 80 metres above the rainforest floor, you’ll have done something that few people have achieved. It’s certainly a challenge, but the rewards for brave souls are exceptional.
Don't forget...
...a cheap hammock to set up on the forest floor when you’re ground-crewing for your buddy. Watching your colleague high in a tree can give you a stiff neck very quickly unless you lie down. This is the perfect excuse to spend a few hours swinging gently near the ground.
John Pike is a canopy access specialist, scientist and explorer who teaches researchers to safely reach and study rainforest treetops around the world. For more information, visit www.canopyaccess.co.uk
Stockists and information
Abacus Equipment: 01473 232 678; www.abacus-ise.co.uk
Buxtons Arborist Supplies: 01785 712 397; www.buxtons.net
Cave and Crag: 01729 823 877; www.cave-crag.co.uk
Falteimer: +41 71 350 1718; www.falteimer.com
Heightec: 01539 728 866; www.heightec.co.uk
Inov-8: 01388 744 900; www.inov-8.com
New Tribe: +1 541 476 9492; www.newtribe.com
Pete Bland Sports: 01539 731 012; www.peteblandsports.co.uk
Petzl: 015396 25493; www.petzl.com
Proclimber Arborist Supplies: 01558 685 862; www.proclimber.co.uk
Samson: +1 360 384 4669; www.samsonrope.com
Sherrill: +1 336 378 0444; www.wtsherrill.com
Silvermans: 020 7790 0900; www.silvermans.co.uk
SP Services: 0500 676 999; www.spservices.co.uk
All prices quoted are recommended/suggested retail prices
September 2008
But none of it matters. Not really. After all, this is my favourite place on Earth. The views are other-worldly. Rolling mist yields gently to the rising sun, illuminating orchid-clad branches to the horizon in every direction.
I can already hear the rustling of a waking orangutan in her understorey nest beneath me and the bizarre honking of rhinoceros hornbills as they glide gently across the river. My colleague, silhouetted by the sun in an adjacent tree, leans casually against his ropes, happily puffing smoke rings into the sky from an enormous pipe. Then the gibbons start their great call, performing a duet from a giant white menageries tree nearby. This is what it’s all about. All the sweat, stings and cursing of rainforest canopy exploration are worth it for these special moments.
Canopy challenge
Despite the occasional beauty and calm of the rainforest canopy, this environment easily rates as one of the most demanding on Earth for scientific study and exploration. Tropical trees in the Old World rainforests touch 90 metres, often with no branches for the first 45 metres. This is precisely why it’s such a buzz to explore. We still know so little about the incredible interwoven complexity of the canopy, yet it’s vital to our understanding of climate change, biodiversity loss and forest health. More than half of all life on Earth may call the canopy home, and it’s possible that up to 90 per cent of the invertebrates found there are still unknown to science. Overcome the mammoth logistical and technical obstacles and climb into the rainforest canopy, and you’ll instantly become a pioneer.
Since the first intrepid expedition to French Guiana, led by Major RW Kingston in 1929, technical canopy access has really grown up. Back then, naval cannon fire lit up the forest floor as ropes were shot into the trees, boatswains chairs were attached and the long haul with blocks and tackle began. Now, with caving, climbing and industrial equipment being employed alongside the tools of the arboriculture trade, almost anyone with a bit of imagination and a head for heights can follow in the footsteps of these original explorers.
Modern canopy climbing in the tropics is all about preparation and, in particular, streamlining your kit to the bare essentials. No seasoned canopy explorer would haul anything redundant up 70 metres of slippery, ant-covered giant in temperatures of 35°C. The tropical heat and humidity sap strength incredibly quickly, so every gram counts, and if there’s an emergency, you don’t want anything to get in your way.
Start the slideshow (10 pictures)
A bug’s life
As an ecologist, the huge, unexplored biodiversity of the canopy particularly excites me. Thousands of species of unknown invertebrates crawl, fly and jump into every orchid, fern and tree-hole. Yet when you’re climbing, invertebrates aren’t your friends.
Many tropical trees are positively bursting with bees, wasps and hornets. If you are attacked en masse, and without systems in place to help, it’s going to be messy. Who’s going to come and get you when you’re surrounded by 10,000 angry bees? Not me.
Every time you put your hand around a branch for a better grip, or haul your sweating body through a 400-kilogram epiphyte, you risk disturbing a nest. If you’re lucky, the local hymenoptera will just be a complete pain. If you’re less fortunate, then you may be in real trouble. From the mild irritant of the single wasp sting to the life-threatening dangers of a mass bee attack, you need to be on your guard with a full head-net in your top pocket (no good if you have to search for it when you need it) and at least two adrenaline auto injectors in your bum bag.
To add insult to injury, formic acid produced by the ants swarming over your anchors can weaken ropes by up to 50 per cent. It’s therefore wise to use steel strops rather than fabric slings when rigging and to check your kit daily. Remember that both insect repellent and sunscreen damage ropes, so neither treatment can be used.
The extreme apparent temperature (a combination of heat and humidity) and the rapidly changing weather are serious concerns in the tropical canopy. Extreme humidity and the highly physical nature of climbing don’t mix well. The human body’s heat regulation systems break down when sweat fails to evaporate properly. I’m well aware of the first signs of dehydration: paranoia, confusion, a sense of impending doom, irritability and even vertigo.
I combat dehydration with a little routine that involves taking six steps up the rope followed by two gulps from my Platypus hydration bladder and straw. By the time I reach the top of the rope, I’ve drunk a litre of fluid and am ready to start work, safe in the knowledge that I’m reasonably hydrated.
To combat heat problems, you also need a lightweight helmet such as the Petzl Meteor. This brilliant polystyrene head protector weighs only 235 grams and has so much ventilation that you really can forget that you’re wearing it. Don a normal helmet with poor ventilation and you’ll cook.
Long trousers and sleeves are vital if you don’t want your skin slashed by thorns, grazed by bark, burned by the sun, or generally attacked by all manner of spineless wonders as you struggle through the understorey. High-wicking fabrics are great once you’re in the canopy, where there’s a bit of air movement. If you’re male, be sure that your trousers are designed for a harness or you’ll end up feeling distinctly irritable.
There’s no point taking waterproofs. At the first sign of a storm, you need to be getting out of the tree, not struggling into your poncho – the metal climbing equipment dangling off your harness is a perfect lightning conductor.
Aim high
Getting a rope up into a tree has the potential to be incredibly time-consuming if you have the wrong kit – even then, it can take hours or even days – so it’s worth splashing out on the best.
In South America, most people use a crossbow or line-firing gun. However, in many politically sensitive forests around the world, it isn’t a great idea to be carrying around a trigger mechanism decorated in camouflage colours. For that reason, I prefer a giant catapult called a Big Shot, as nobody worries about what is essentially a bicycle inner tube.
The Big Shot is a fantastic invention. It’s a very large slingshot that can be mounted on a pole of any length (usually around three metres for large trees). It fires a leather bag filled with lead shot high into the canopy. The bag trails a fine, waxed line called a Zing-It. For very high shots, you need even thinner kite line and a lighter weight. However, the effects of friction added to the weight of line being dragged by the throwbag means that your line may not come back down again.
Climbing is a techie’s paradise. There’s a vast array of suitable equipment on the market. If you’re working for a university or a company rather than just climbing for your own entertainment, you need to ensure that you adhere to UK safety standards for work at height. All your kit needs to come with conformity certificates and must be bought from specialist work-at-height manufacturers. Two points of contact are necessary at all times and equipment needs to be checked daily for wear and tear.
The inevitable sweat you constantly pour onto your equipment can cause serious problems. This is because salt is an extremely rare resource in the rainforest canopy, and a significant number of animals will cheerfully chew through your ropes once they have acquired a taste for your perspiration. Despite their high cost, ropes have an average lifespan of just six months in most tropical forest environments.
Petzl has cornered the market in rope access hardware and makes some fantastic equipment. That said, there are plenty of other manufacturers producing excellent kit. My personal rig consists of a Heightec Treehopper harness, a Heightec chest harness, a Petzl ID or Stop descender, a Petzl Shunt ascender, a hand and chest ascender, and adjustable leg loops.
Step on
I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to footwear. I used to swear by the genuine US Army jungle boot for climbing. They’re great in leech-infested mud and provide good ankle support when climbing.
Unfortunately, their grip-holding abilities on wet bark are less than spectacular.
Some of my more adventurous colleagues have been climbing for years with specialist trail-running shoes such as the Inov-8 Mudroc. These perform especially well when branch walking and give great grip in nearly all situations.
If you’re doing anything really technical, you’re going to need specialist footwear; otherwise, visit a reputable purveyor of army surplus and save yourself £50.
The rainforest canopy is unlike any other environment on Earth. If you can overcome the technical challenges and end up swinging 80 metres above the rainforest floor, you’ll have done something that few people have achieved. It’s certainly a challenge, but the rewards for brave souls are exceptional.
Don't forget...
...a cheap hammock to set up on the forest floor when you’re ground-crewing for your buddy. Watching your colleague high in a tree can give you a stiff neck very quickly unless you lie down. This is the perfect excuse to spend a few hours swinging gently near the ground.
John Pike is a canopy access specialist, scientist and explorer who teaches researchers to safely reach and study rainforest treetops around the world. For more information, visit www.canopyaccess.co.uk
Stockists and information
Abacus Equipment: 01473 232 678; www.abacus-ise.co.uk
Buxtons Arborist Supplies: 01785 712 397; www.buxtons.net
Cave and Crag: 01729 823 877; www.cave-crag.co.uk
Falteimer: +41 71 350 1718; www.falteimer.com
Heightec: 01539 728 866; www.heightec.co.uk
Inov-8: 01388 744 900; www.inov-8.com
New Tribe: +1 541 476 9492; www.newtribe.com
Pete Bland Sports: 01539 731 012; www.peteblandsports.co.uk
Petzl: 015396 25493; www.petzl.com
Proclimber Arborist Supplies: 01558 685 862; www.proclimber.co.uk
Samson: +1 360 384 4669; www.samsonrope.com
Sherrill: +1 336 378 0444; www.wtsherrill.com
Silvermans: 020 7790 0900; www.silvermans.co.uk
SP Services: 0500 676 999; www.spservices.co.uk
All prices quoted are recommended/suggested retail prices
September 2008
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