Climbing 'Big Lonely Doug' | Canada's 2nd largest Douglas Fir

Climbing the ancient and colossal Douglas Fir tree better known as ‘Big Lonely Doug’, located in near Port Renfrew, British Columbia, Canada.
We teamed up with the guys from Ancient forest Alliance, Ascending the Giants and Arboreal collective to set upon this amazing tree climbing expedition, with the aim to photograph, film and measure this amazing specimen, in the hope to create a greater awareness that many of the last remaining stands of old growth trees in British Columbia are still being logged rather than protected. If you enjoy the video, please help spread the message about these ancient trees under threat by sharing it with your friends.
#ClimbingArborist #Arborist #BigLonelyDoug

[@SherrilynBefreiung]

Hella impressed with that throwline skill! This is just amazing. I would love to climb with you guys. So glad the clear-cutters left this one standing.

[@ClimbingArborist]

Thanks Sherrilyn, setting the line certainly was a challenge, but luckily we had a crew with a lot of knowledge and skill for this type of climb.

[@SherrilynBefreiung]

@@ClimbingArborist Indeed! It's very inspiring.

[@philipangelo595]

Great job guys. I hate to see such a majestic forest clear cut and the majesty becomes just one more commodity.

[@mike99ify]

Amazing tree. If only it could talk.

[@chtclimbing]

awesome climb. Dude you have to go back and film more videos like this

[@sawbandits]

Great video Dan and id say a great experience too. Thanks for sharing that Video.

[@neekniggit3606]

Sad and majestic all at the same time. You are very lucky to have been a part of that! One of these days I am going to get up that way and hopefully climb Doug's smaller cousins.

[@chtclimbing]

Second time watching this one. And I love it as much as I did the first time.

[@ClimbingArborist]

Awesome, It was such an experience to climb this tree

[@jieg01]

Thanks for sharing that must be some experience

[@ClimbingArborist]

James Evans it was an unbelievable experience

[@jasongutierrez7507]

Very , very, very, cool!

[@MrBlueberrypie44]

Hundreds and hundreds of years? I'm assuming you meant Hundreds of millions of years. Awesome tree

[@themightyspoon9641]

Lovely tree and piece of woodland. Cheers for sharing bro, keep up the fine work

[@ClimbingArborist]

The Mighty Spoon thanks

[@79brumley]

I would love to climb that tree!

[@mr.benitezhimself]

Exhilarating🔥

[@gregbrown9271]

Awesome video 👍

[@boltactionshooter]

Majestic! Thanks for sharing!

[@ClimbingArborist]

It sure is majestic!

[@billycrotty4102]

Fred Dibnham probably had enough ladders for that one.

[@ClimbingArborist]

🤣

[@MasovyKnedlicek]

I would place a geocache there. :D

[@bjooo]

68m My god this ascension looks so scary...

[@ClimbingArborist]

bjooo the ascent certainly made you feel alive, that’s for sure

[@MeltingFingers]

@@ClimbingArborist Did you get down in one go or multiple stages? And on prussik cord (like the ascent) or mechanical?

[@jonquinn2974]

Thats a good question actually...the friction...so much friction...

[@79brumley]

@@MeltingFingers Probably used his rope wrench with VT and a secondary device to take some tension off the hitch cord like a Figure 8!

[@MeltingFingers]

@@79brumley Figure8 would be horrible with al the twist it would give to the tail of the rope (especially w so much length), but still possible.

[@oldsoldier8139]

Canada is previleaged to be the caretakers of this amazing tree, but the world has a keen interest in it's survival.

[@mr.remington]

It’s cool to see which ascension gear, amongst other bits of gear y’all brought with you for such an epic adventure. Did all of you descend 200ft on your hitches? Were they crispy?

[@ClimbingArborist]

Brit I think each guy has different descending devices, maybe a D4, I.D. , a rack, I’m not sure if anyone descended on a hitch

[@troytreeguy]

Do you know how many times the block has been harvested? Was that a cable scar at the base? Possibly left as an anchor tree long ago? Just curious Dan thanks for sharing Doug who of late isn't so lonely. Be Well

[@ClimbingArborist]

troytreeguy at least twice, but that’s all the info I have

[@dmanstasiu]

@@ClimbingArborist There's a fantastic article documenting the reason for leaving him standing, and the accompanying history. thewalrus.ca/big-lonely-doug/

[@mvblitzyo]

Wow ! 🙂

[@devondunkle1063]

Massive

[@Dazrena]

So...when will drone technology allow us to install throw lines? :)

[@ClimbingArborist]

It already exists

[@romanpelayo6449]

Wow

[@DavidOsborne_sprdave]

Wouldn't it suck if you dropped that tape from the very top and you had to have someone tie it to your line?

[@heavypeatandsmoke]

IKEA called. They need the tree.

[@FT4Freedom]

Yes cutting an old growth forest is a bit unnecessary these days.

[@eugenepinchback528]

Mucho show

[@TheWildernessChannel]

It's sad that we can justify felling trees like this in old growth forests. If you want to fell a tree that is 600 or more years old then you must be prepared to plant a tree and wait 600 years for your descendents to harvest it and they must plant trees for their descendents to have that right. Better yet, harvest the wood when the tree dies naturally and then charge people the true value of that giant that has lived for so long.

[@toddbrittain1060]

By the time a doug fir dies naturally, the wood is too rotten to be of any use....

[@dagr8grinch]

Are you aware that majority of the trees that you see are planted by birds, deer and nature itself

[@TheWildernessChannel]

@@dagr8grinch Oh my word. That is just about the most condescending question I have ever heard. Only a self-righteous tosser would send a message like that. I know how ancient trees, and trees in a natural forest came to be. My comment on tree planting was in reference to our duty to replace trees, if we are going to choose to harvest them unsustainably. Perhaps you don't understand the concept of finite resources. One cannot harvest trees indefinitely and expect nature to magically replace them.There are very few old-growth forests left. You should ask yourself the question, "Why is that?"

[@377499]

Too bad they destroyed it's habitat by removing all surrounding vegetation right up to the trunk.

[@yorkshiresnumero2gardener244]

Yep, would have been good to leave a few others around it at least...