3 March 2023
We have 5 climbing locations spread across the Netherlands. And each climbing forest has its own climbing routes. Of course, these have to be maintained and we also regularly build whole new routes. Like at Klimbos Achterhoek in Ruurlo this winter. It had been on this forest's wish list for a long time and now route black has been realised! Super cool of course, but who devises such a route, decides which elements will be used and how will everything be hung in the trees? We are going to take you through the whole process, from the initial idea to the final opening of the route.
This time part 2: Forest construction preparation
The previous article covered the idea of the route and its elaboration on paper. But once all the materials (elements and platforms) are made, they cannot just be hung in the trees. A lot of preparation is also needed in the forest.
Once all the trees are approved, the pruning work begins. All dead wood has to be removed from the trees, which is done by an external party. Then all the trees that will be used in the route are marked with so-called arrowheads. These arrowheads are the same everywhere, because they are placed level on the tree. The surface of trees is not level, which is why the arrowheads are used as landmarks for the builders. The height of a platform or component is calculated based on these arrowheads and not on the height relative to the ground.
Once these arrowheads are all in place and the order of operations has been discussed, a "pitch" is hung in the trees. These are lifting straps high up in the tree, to which the lines for the builders are then attached. These hoisting belts ensure that the tree is not damaged when ascending and descending into the trees. Attaching these hoisting belts is only done by the most experienced builders, as it is very intensive and is also the basis of safety when working in the trees.
Each employee who has to enter the tree has 2 lines. And since all work is done in buddy teams, you see at least 4 lines hanging everywhere. This ascending into the tree is something that is well covered in the Klimbos builder training. But one learns this best in practice!
Once all the lines are up, the colleagues are ready for the real work: building the route!
But building naturally requires the elements, platforms and so on. These are brought from the workshop in Apeldoorn to the location where construction is taking place. For the black route in Ruurlo, there have been two major transport moments and some small deliveries in between. This depends on the planning of the workshop and external suppliers. As this cannot always be fully planned, materials that have already been completed are stored in the climbing forest. Since construction mainly takes place in winter, when the climbing forests are closed, the materials can be stored under the tents and near the crates. This keeps everything dry and clean until it can go into the trees.
Photography: Marjolein Hameleers
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