Man climbs tall tree at Sunset to overlook entire forest

Tree climbing is a pursuit many of us shared in our childhood, scrambling to the tops of trees that stood in our backyards, at school, or in the local park. The curiosity one feels as a child often leads us to interesting places, and a treetop is one of the best places to be.Show more

Many people are afraid of heights, unable to ascend a ladder, look out over a balcony in a tall building, stand on a suspension bridge, or in this case, climb trees. But the vantage point one gets from overcoming that fear and looking out from a height is unrivaled. From bridges or balconies, planes or trees, the view from up top can be spectacular, a vista of ocean, hills, forests, or even as simple as different view of your own backyard.

The climber in this video is in the middle of a forest, far away from backyards and buildings. He climbs with little fear, determined to get to the top. Branch by branch he ascends, climbing as if the tree were as simple as a ladder, ready to be rewarded with the view above. Once he reaches the upper boughs, moving them aside to get a better view, we see a fantastic view. He has climbed higher than the treetops around him, overlooking most of the trees in the forest, above the canopy, having climbed straight through it. The view he sees stretches far in every direction, showing a large lake, islands and more forest, all silhouetted against the backdrop of the setting sun.

The sun is glimpsed by the camera multiple times on the ascent, but it isn’t until he’s reached the top that we can truly appreciate the sunset set out before him. He’s climbed at just the right time; enough light penetrates into the forest below to ensure every branch is seen. If he climbed any later, the sun would have set, and tree climbing may be too dangerous to do in the dark.

The tree he climbs is a tall and resolute eastern hemlock.