We have two trees – one huge one (about 10m – which is only marginally shorter than Ferny Crofts’ Mega Tower) and one that is slightly smaller (7m). We strap a climbing hold system (partially made by our scouts) onto the trees, and then climb up it (wearing harnesses/helmets while being belayed by kids/leaders). We also have a caving ladder, equipment for “prusiking” up a rope, and in the future, we hope to get some crates for crate stacking.
The whole system has been signed off by the county climbing assessor (risk assessment, setup doc, operating procedure).
If your section would like a session on it, please get in touch with me (ed AT jellard DOT co.uk) – there is a hire cost as we have had to get a lot of equipment that’ll need renewing periodically. With the two trees, we should be able to cope with any sized section in 1.5hrs – 14 can be involved across the two trees at any one time, and you can use the copse/hut to run another activity with your leaders with the ones not involved (making and using a low-ropes course is always good in the copse as an alternative activity, or fire-lighting etc).
Ed (14th SL)