Early in our marriage, my husband walked over to a very tall fir tree across from our church and proceeded to climb it. I was appalled and let him know. It made no difference, and he went to the top and came down successfully. I had my eyes closed for most of the ascent and descent. Yesterday, I learned that my 10 year old grandson has also taken to climbing trees. I was equally distressed. I started to wonder about males and tree climbing. Why do they do it? How often do they fall? How often do they even think about falling? Is the possibility of falling part of the excitement?
I complained that I had never had any desire to climb any tree. I maintained that it was a foolish, dangerous thing to do. I reminded everyone in ear shot about the time my friend Norman Smith failed to fly from the top of the garden shed, thereby breaking his arm. No one seemed to care. There was no indication that my grandson would change his course in the future.
But then I ran across this photo from 1954. That is me up in a tree. I have somehow managed to stand on the swing seat, pull myself up using the rope I suppose and then holler for help. Apparently this photo was taken just before I was helped down.
I guess I need to be quiet about why anyone climbs a tree!
Saved By Words 
I spent a large portion of my early years climbing, or sitting, in trees. I once fell from an oak tree and still bear the scars with pride. I think tree climbing should be a compulsory element in education!
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That is a delightful idea. Too bad the US is so risk averse.
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I can remember climbing to the top of what seemed like a very tall tree when I was probably 6 or so. I shudder thinking of that. Later in junior my friends and I built a treehouse that served us well! It wasn’t so high off the ground and made a great place to hold secret meetings, and if I remember correctly we slept out in it!
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I remember sleeping out in the back yard. I wonder if kids still do that.
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Yes, we did that a lot in the summer. I doubt it’s safe anymore. 😦
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I wonder if it is really more dangerous or we just think it is. Of course I wouldn’t want to be the one to find out.
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Hard to know. We did so many things as kids which are unheard of today.
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That is a cute picture you have there. You did really well, to get that far up with just the rope. Thanks for bringing back memories.
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You are welcome. No tree climbing in your past?
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Oh lots, getting cats and kittens out of trees. Building tree houses, and sometimes just sitting up there and relaxing.
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Glad to know. Why is it that cats happily climb up and then won’t come down?
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These are the activities children need to do. It’s how they learn. Actually the mental piece to this is as important as the physical part. Thinking through a challenge develops critical divergent thinkers. I wish more children climbed trees today.
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The culture seems very risk averse. I am too, but fortunately there are plenty of other around to encourage my grandkids in such activities.
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Yes, the culture is that way. It’s a good thing there are others to do the encouragement. 🙂
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Even when my daughter was young I sent her to climb with friends more daring than I!
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You rock, Elizabeth. That takes bravery when it’s your own child. That’s the wing part of roots and wings.
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Yes. I had to do wings at a distance!
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😀
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We had a large pecan tree that my brother and I climbed. I loved the challenge and the view. If I were young and agile, I’d climb the old oak tree in our yard. I’d need a ladder to get to the first branch, but after that, it would be easy.
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It turns out a lot of us climbed trees. I would never have guessed.
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Reminds me of what mountaineer George Mallory said in reply to the question “Why did you want to climb Mount Everest?”
“BECAUSE IT’S THERE.”
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That sounds like my grandson.
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Boys! I have 6 grandsons who love climbing trees, I think it’s the challenge & the joy of accomplishment once achieved.
I did as a child too but only to the lower branches where I could get back down again. Accomplishment for me comes from differing challenges 😉
Bless you,
Jennifer
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It is fun to think of kids all over the world climbing trees just for fun.
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I fell out of a tree aged 7. My brother fell out of the same tree at the same time. He landed on me. On my head. I never really climbed trees after that.
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I take it he had climbed higher. Yikes.
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Where I grew up, the trees on the street had the lower branches cut off, to discourage anyone from climbing them. We used to walk to a big park, and climb the trees there. It was a ‘dare’ thing. Not only to see who could get to the top, but if you didn’t try, that made you a ‘coward’. I recall one boy falling from a high branch when we were 8 or 9. He broke his left arm in the fall, then became something of a hero when he showed up with a plaster cast. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Casts did seem to be a badge of honor. I remember my daughter being very proud of her arm cast. We girls climbed those jungle gyms, now sadly deemed too dangerous. A kid usually broke an arm each year from that structure. I think we all figured we would get hurt playing and we did. No one protected us from that.
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I wanted so badly to climb trees when I was a tomboy, but I never had the nerve – or the balance.
My middle grandson is an inveterate climber. It was apparent from his toddler days when he would climb the furniture to get onto the high windowsill in their flat. He’s already broken his arm once falling off his brother’s high bunk in their caravan.
He didn’t get that from me…
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Yes those climbing abilities show up early. Ours went after bookcases which had to promptly be attached to the walls.
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Someone caught you it the act! 😄 I wonder if your early experience caused you to want to warn others not to climb trees. Who knows.
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Probably. But it looks like I was pretty proud of myself in that tree.
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I climbed trees once or twice, but had to be helped down, so I quickly went off the idea….
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It does seem easier to climb up doesn’t it.
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Definitely, because you aren’t seeing the distance below!
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Excellent point. Hadn’t ever thought of that.
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I don’t like heights!!
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It is the looking down that gets to me. I remember climbing down the Washington Monument and getting vertigo.
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Yep, me too!
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I’m definitely a tree climber. 😂
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Why am I not surprised?
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😂😂😂
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I never climbed trees, Elizabeth, but I loved climbing onto the roof of the garage and later, our house. I climbed up the washing line once and fell off, breaking my arm. I also used to climb up the water tank. My mother was busy looking after my three younger sisters so I had a lot of freedom as a kid.
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I bet your mother took your broken arm in stride. I had a lot of similar freedom though I managed to need stitches more often than casts.
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