66 Tree Climbing 
hauling-up party should watch him and second every movement he 
makes by a judicious pull. It is wonderful how easily and rapidly 
a skilful climber can thus ascend a tree. 
I attach great importance to the climber thus seconding the 
efforts of the assistants, for by doing so he reduces the friction of 
the rope over the bough above and thereby minimizes any risks of 
a mishap. For by adopting such means not only does ‘he get 
a good hold of the tree, should the rope part, but by reducing the 
friction and consequent strain, the rope is not nearly so highly tried. 
In the preceding picture a 12-stone man is being run up a fir tree 
by three others weighing between them some 38 st. 
The fir tree in this instance was about 60 ft. high and the 
lowest sound bough over which the rope was hove was 35 ft. 
from the ground. A much weathered and somewhat rotten stump 
on the opposite side of the tree to the climber affords a welcome 
rest to a man climbing without a rope, as I can speak from 
experience, having ascended it in 1878 and in 1879. This photo- 
graph was taken in 1903. 
It requires little science or knowledge of the strains on ropes 
to understand that if the 12-stone man elected to hang like a sack 
of beef and left the 38-stone weight to haul on him with all their 
united strength, a rope which fouled up above might break. 
When the climber arrives at the bough, he must get a secure 
hand-hold and those below must quickly ease up rope enough (say 
2 or 3 ft.) to enable him to swing himself on to the branch and 
come to a rest. 
At this period of the struggle, it is advisable for all hands to 
take a rest. I invariably do so and repeat to myself the formula, 
‘All up with the old Magpie now,” or words to that effect. 
Sometimes the transition from rope work to climbing involves 
some difficulties and risk, since the bough may itself be too big 
to afford a secure hand-hold. Hence it is most desirable, when 
