Hello. I'm a total newbie to tree climbing, but a longtime lover of trees and the outdoors in general. I got really excited when I found this website and others(newtribe, sherriltree) related to recreational tree climbing, because before I didn't realize this sport even existed!

Since then I've been driven to get involved in tree climbing and get myself up a tree ASAP! That being said, I'm certainly not about to do something stupid and get myself hurt, so I'd like to "know the ropes" so to speak before I do any climbing on my own. However, I was very disappointed when I discovered that the basic climbing course offered by TCI (and several others on the east coast) cost upwards of $400.

I respect the qualifications of the instructors for these courses, and I definitely recognize the need for competent training, but that's a heckuva lot of money considering that I'd still need to invest nearly that much on equipment before I could do any climbing on my own.

My question is: Are there any lower cost alternatives to these training courses? I know I could get a book or a video about tree climbing (which I plan to do regardless) but I know a book can only get you so far in an activity like this. Some hands on instruction from someone with experience would be more valuable than all the tree-climbing books in the world, however I simply can't afford the TCI course.

The best option is always to take a class from someone qualified. On the other hand I see your point that the cost makes it prohibitive for the average climber after you include the gear, traveling to a climbing school, and the cost of training etc. I did it the old fashion way, reading the books, bought the gear and tried it low and slow first. It takes a bit more time but you are more careful to do it right from the start since any mistake will cost you an arm, a leg or worse, permanent injury if you survive a bad fall. If you keep an eye on this site and the other sites you see from time to time short schools in different parts of the country. You can also locate a local arborist and ask them to give you some weekend training for a fee. They climb for different reasons, so speed to them is more important than just having fun. The latest Video from Peter Jenkins covers all the safety basics and it is a great tool to see how it is done rather than just reading the books. The Tree Climbers Companion is my favorite book for beginners. Finally be aware there are " climbing schools " in Colorado, Georgia, Oregon- New tribe, Virginia-Bob Wright, and MS. Also, Nick In California, Moss in Boston and many other posible alternatives. Finally try to attend the Annual Rendezvous in Colorado this year you get to meet all the founders of the Climbing movement and a few nuts like me that can give you some pointers and show you some gear! Welcome to the board and stay in touch with the trees!

The cost of the basic course is well worth it.

You'll save on gear costs since you'll have a much better idea of what equipment to buy (and what not to buy) after the course. But more importantly it will give you a solid climbing and safety foundation.

It breaks down to roughly $25 per hour that you'll be paying for lessons to launch many more hours of climbing enjoyment. All you have to do is show up ready to learn and have a great time.
-moss

"bones," check your U2U.

Bones - start to build relationships with those tree climbing facilitators in your area. (those that offer group climbs) They often have annual training or need to train new staff. Perhaps you can jump into an existing training. It might cost less to share the expense of bringing in a trainer.

If you want to come to Florida, you can join our next staff training.

Geof