Redwood adventures

I'm standing at the foot of my garden. Over there across the valley two Sequoias quietly tower over the woodland. Those gentle giants have always been on my horizon, watching in their way, as I have watched the sun rise behind, and set on, them for nearly four decades. I return to the house to pack because today is a special day - today I get to share the magic of tree climbing with an amazing lady! We will climb one of these gentle giants, S2.

Climbing trees and just being in trees is very special. Earlier in the year I spent a day up there, reading and I also measured this fine Sequoiadendron giganteum at just over 34m. This time the rigging took a little longer than I'd intended as the first throwline snapped just as the ropes reached the top! This meant I had to start all over again and re-climb to rig the SRT lines (100m SS climbing line, 60m SS safety line). Anyhow, we climbed to 30m in the gorgeous evening sunlight and watched the last of the sun before it began to sink below the hills to the north. 

 

 

A very happy and triumphant Carla at 30m - top work!!

 

Descending in the sunset glow within the network of branches was pure red-gold, to be treasured for ever. As we'd left the torches on the ground we had to head all the way down and as we hauled the ropes out and packed up, the first bats had already re-claimed the space for their own.

Descending the tree on a Petzl ID