By Holly Foat, responsibletravel.com
Watching as your parents dangle from a tree may not be everyone’s idea of fun for a Sunday afternoon but it is definitely one of the best things you can do on the Isle of Wight. We were, of course, tree climbing. At a secret location on a beautiful sunny afternoon, three friends, my parents and I were strapped into harnesses and were working our way up a mighty oak. Contrary to the fast paced adrenaline rushed image of most climbing, tree climbing is a more laid back activity; the perfect activity for a hot day on a slow paced island. Kitted out with helmets, ropes and all the equipment and with Paul, a trained instructor, we were definitely in safe hands.
As I slowly crept up into the branches, I watched as my climber friend took to the tree like a squirrel and proceeded to put the rest of us to shame as he navigated his way from branch to branch like a pro. Below me my other friend, who is actually afraid of heights, was contently swinging in her harness and gradually making her way a little higher. My parents meanwhile were racing each other to the hammock. My Dad, a man in his sixties, was first to the hammock for a lie down but then vacated it for my Mum and instead took to a little branch walking before heading down to the picnic blanket for tea and homemade flapjack. For me, that’s the great thing about tree climbing: whether you’re an athletic acrobat who wants to push himself to his limits or an adventurous house cat who’s more sloth than squirrel, you will love tree climbing. By the end of it, even my height phobic friend made it to the top of her rope and was hanging upside down.
Goodleaf tree climbing, run by arborist Paul and his wife Abigail is one of the few recreational tree climbing operations in the country, which is one reason why a day out up a tree is such an unusual experience. The Isle of Wight is a great location for it; the tree is sited in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so the view from the tree tops is beautiful. For me, having grown up on the island, I will always have fond memories of the beaches, the long hot sunny days and the amazing sunsets but now I’ll also have some great memories of being twenty feet up an oak tree surrounded by my family and friends, looking out from between the branches at the view over the fields.
Read about
tree climbing day tour that Holly joined
