Building in the Canopy
Imagine yourself precariously balanced atop a rickety 20’ extension ladder with one hand full of 16d nails and a claw hammer in the other. With a gleam in your eye and a vision in your heart, you ponder the inevitable juggling act of hammer, nail and wood that is to come. You glance over at your co-visionary some 14 feet away but also some 20’ off the ground. He stands…no he leans away from a large stem cradling the heavy stick of lumber under one arm as he tightens his white knuckle grip on the small sucker branch…the sole link between him and a gravity assisted meeting with terra firma. Your confidence wavers momentarily as you question your entire approach, but the image of your future arboreal abode returns to the forefront of your mind and you press on…still, there has to be a better way.
While the inspiration for a treehouse may come from the kid inside, the act of “treehousing” has literally grown up. TCP is joining forces with “Treehouse Guys” Jake Jacob and Jason Lindsey to offer our first Tree Climbing Class for Treehouse Builders. This five-day course will explore the skills and concepts relevant to building a dynamic treehouse foundation and give you a starting point to begin your own exploration of the infinite possibilities. This class is not a carpentry-oriented class focused upon teaching you how to build a house, rather an introduction to the skill set, hardware and concepts that can be instrumental in helping you realize your treehouse dreams.
The class will begin with 2 days of Single Rope Technique (SRT) tree climbing instruction. This will provide you with the basics of rope setting, ascending, descending and lanyard positioning. There will be discussions related to tree climbing safety, gear and tree assessment and inspection.
The next three days will be a comingling of discussions and hands on instruction relating to the basics of treehouse foundation design, construction and rigging. We will begin day 3 with an introductory discussion on treehouse foundation dynamics and design working through basic scenarios involving both single and multiple trees. We will proceed with a “hands on” introduction to the Garnier Limb (GL), associated bracketry and the tools of installation. The GL is standard hardware for most modern treehouses and will be the cornerstone of keeping your foundation safely aloft.
The 4th day will be an introduction to basic rigging. We will discuss and demonstrate several simple systems for hoisting your timbers into the trees. The concepts of mechanical advantage, establishing and selecting rigging anchors and the various associated tools, hardware and equipment will be covered. Once again, this will all be a hands on experience.
Day 5 will begin with a brief discussion/demonstration of strategies for working aloft in a saddle. We will cover tips and techniques for work positioning, tool and hardware organization aloft and working with and without ground support. We will spend the rest of the day putting all of our newly acquired skills and information to work with a project or two in the surrounding trees.
This class will be fun and intensive. There is a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time, so be ready to learn, climb, work and have fun. Keep in mind that the beauty of a treehouse is not only seen in the finished product, but also experienced during the journey.
Class Size – 6
Duration – 5 days
Cost – $1750 per person
2023 Dates/Locations –
July 17-22 / Portland Oregon
send email to Tim(at)treeclimbingplanet.com for registration info