Tree climbing in the Charente

Everything Valentin needs can be packed into the back of his faithful Renault Twingo

This is the time of year when outdoor activities come into their own.  Walking, cycling, horse riding, or just climbing trees.  Well not exactly just climbing trees but in particularly 'Grimpe encadrée dans les arbres'.  Halfway between the beautiful village of Aubeterre sur Dronne and Saint Severin just over the border in the Charente you will find the small hamlet of Nabinaud.  Here, set amongst some magnificent specimens of oak trees the 'Association Tik et Tak' runs tree climbing courses for all.  If you are aged anywhere between 7 and 70 and beyond, fitness allowing, you could find yourself, dangling high off the ground, swinging Tarzan like, amongst the green canopy of this lovely area of unspoilt countryside.

Valentin preparing all the necessary equipment for an afternoon in the trees

This is a great way to test oneself if one is afraid of heights, and I put myself firmly in this catergory.  After meeting my instructor, a really nice guy named Valentin Vila, who immediately put me at my ease, I was asked if I would like to participate in the 'Mini tyro' or the 'Grande tyro' ('tyro' meaning Tyrolean as in mountains and high scary places).  With Lesley looking on with keen interest I felt compelled to blurt out "La Grande Tyro s'il vous plait."  Perhaps I would not have volunteered if it hadn't been for Valentin.  Having looked him up and down I decided reassuringly that he looked a strong and capable man;  in fact a man of the trees if not the mountains.

Easy as she goes, suspended in the emerald forest

In what seemed an all too brief time of beginners instruction conducted in a sort of strangled 'Franglais' we were ready for the off;  well, kind of.  It is incredibly difficult to get yourself off the ground and into any sort of rythmn whilst suspended in a harness that seems to squeeze everything a little too tight.  Valentin offered me a loop hanging off one of the many ropes that dropped down from the crown of the dizzying oak tree.  He described it as a 'pedale' and being a keen cyclist I was able to quickly grasp the idea behind it.  Step in the 'pedale' with your right foot whilst moving the 'magic loop' up the rope with your left hand.  Slowly and surely you find yourself leaving the ground behind and getting up amongst the foliage.  Down with the right foot, up with the left hand and so on, you begin to feel more confident as the people below become more and more remote.  

Heading for terra firma

When one is not used to this sort of thing it is difficult to accept that the rope is holding you, and that you don't have to cling to the tree, sloth like, in order to prevent instant death.  But it  does take some getting used to.  By degrees I arrived at a massive limb high up in the tree and the figure of Valentin standing atop, guiding me in.  It was at this point you have to be released from the carabiner that has hauled you up, onto another one, that will, hopefully see you down.  I gingerly clambered up onto the branch and quivering, vaguely heard Valentin's instructions of how to get myself out of the tree and down to the ground via the zip wire.  Frankly, by this time, I just wanted to plunge into space and return to terra firma asap.  After a few words of reassurance from Valentin I launched myself into space and whizzed down, splashes of green flashing past my vision at a rate of knots.  Well, of course, what an adrenalin rush!  I surged to a stop, spinning around like a demented dervish, about 5 metres off the ground.  Remembering Valentin's instructions I was able to gently release myself and slipped slowly down the rope onto the welcoming grass.  For me, this was a big deal, and it was a fear of more extreme heights conquered (I think).  Of course, for others it may not have the same depth of meaning, but for whatever reason I would wholeheartedly recommend this activity to anyone.  At the very least it will give you an understanding of climbing and how the equipment works, and at best, for some of us, it may lay a few ghosts. 

A night in the trees?  Take your pick, nest or hammock

Valentin offers some interesting alternatives to tree climbing.  Tired of the old four poster and en-suite bathroom then why not try a night in the trees?  Yes, you can spend a night 'Nuit en nid d'arbre' or if that doesn't grab you, suspended in a hammock, sharing the nightlife amongst which owls and bats.  So go on, get yourself along to 'Association Tik et Tak' and enjoy an alternative experience.