Discover the forest from the peaks

Nine municipalities spread over three valleys have come together to promote this beautiful destination in Haute-Savoie. Far from mass tourism, 20 minutes from Thonon, the Vallée Verte, the Vallée du Risse and that of Brevon, seduce with a wide range of activities in unspoiled nature: hiking, via ferrata, fishing, gliding, mountain biking , paragliding, themed family outings, canyoning, rafting, etc. Recently, you can also practice tree climbing.

No, it's not “tree climbing”. In the forests around Habère-Poche, Xavier offers to evolve in the trees, without cables and other fixed installations. We tested this unusual activity.
In the heart of the forest, ropes hang from a tree. At the top, in the canopy, a small platform and a swing. Enough to make you dizzy just to look up… No, definitely, I'm not going to venture there! I'm not sporty, I'm afraid of heights…. But Xavier wants to be reassuring, inviting me to test a new installation: a sort of nacelle….

“With this basket, anyone can climb: people who are afraid or dizzy, pregnant women, disabled people… Well harnessed in the basket, all you have to do is pull on the rope. And if you don't have enough strength in your arms, others can help you! ".
Either, I want to settle in this funny harness, at least for the photo.

And then, I'm still going to try to pull on the rope, just to see if I can do it. Here, the gondola is going up! Little by little, I gain height. Strangely, I don't have vertigo and I feel safe. Well, I'm not breaking a speed record, but that's not the goal.
“It's not a competition, insists Xavier. You have to climb slowly, let yourself be impregnated by this incredible feeling of freedom, of union with nature…”

While I hoist myself up by force of arms, all the others "pedal" to climb: equipped with a harness and a carabiner, connected to the rope by a self-locking knot system, they hoist themselves up by placing one foot on a small board slipped into a second self-locking knot. Better to be flexible! And that's how, little by little, everyone climbs towards the crown of the tree.

By the way, not all of them. Hervé has a knee problem which prevents him from doing the movement correctly. Never mind: he takes advantage of this break to settle down quietly on a thick bed of leaves to admire the treetops that stand out against the blue sky! Everyone has their own way of being closer to nature!

On the small platform, Xavier serves tea…not in plastic cups but in ceramic cups. The class, what!
On a branch, he installed a small swing. But that will be for another time! No question of leaving my "seat" to venture into the air! Just thinking about Xavier's acrobatics to install and remove the ropes makes me shiver!

In the meantime, the sensations experienced "up there" are incredible. It's soothing and I feel like I'm part of this nature, seeing it more intensely. I better understand Xavier's approach, for whom tree climbing is much more than a simple sporting activity. Being closer to nature, discovering the trees without damaging them or leaving the slightest trace.

Tree climbing is fun, we have fun with friends, we overcome our apprehension of height, we are in the action, in the adventure…. To this excitement, tree climbing adds a more contemplative notion, especially since Xavier willingly shares his knowledge of plants, trees... An adventure in the heart of the forest to live!

A short video before the end of the article:

To minimize the impact on nature, Xavier regularly changes location. As the installation of the ropes requires time, the tree climbing is only offered for groups of at least 6 people.