Up Into the Canopy!

  Up Into the Canopy! 

Priya’s Experience with Canopy Climbing

Climbing trees is a skill our ancestors must have had but I, for one, have certainly lost it over the years. We watch in mild alarm and a lot of admiration as Chiyaan swings a sturdy rope like a lasso, whipping it towards a tree branch some 30 feet off the ground. A small bean-filled sack is tied to the end of the rope, acting like a weight to bring the other end back down so that he can secure the rope to the tree trunk. The other end, I suppose, will carry us up to the canopy and back. Our class is milling about excitedly, but Chiyaan concentrates on the rope. His task is the hardest of all - he must ensure that none of us become a part of the organic matter fertilizing the forest floor! 

 

Finally, the ropes are tied and the harness is in place. Chiyaan demonstrates the technique - tying a figure 8 knot, wearing the harness, using the ropes to leverage his weight upwards (which seems to be the hardest part). He scampers up and then lowers himself skillfully, earning an enthusiastic round of applause. Then, it is our turn. Thanigai and Aravind Sir have already tried the ropes, so Deeke steps up to the plate. She fixes on the harness and gets the go-ahead. Up she goes, managing her weight easily, and we are beyond delighted. Chiyaan doesn’t let her go too high; after all, he has to help us return to the ground and he’s not quite the height of a tree. After Deeke, Amritha takes a turn, and then the forest begins to weep. We pack up the equipment and prepare to return towards the foothills. Climbing in the rain is not the best of ideas. 

 We resume our climbing lessons in the ACCC campus a week later, and the rest of us try our hand at this skill. I swallow my fear of heights and cling to the rope like a monkey. Surprisingly, pulling my weight is not the hardest part. Round and round I go up towards the sky and Chiyaan’s extended hand. He is perched on the rope bridge tied between two trees in our campus. He teases and taunts me as I ascend, and the good-natured scolding helps me forget how far off the ground I have come. Finally, my helmeted head gently bumps against the bridge and I focus on my achievement - I am officially suspended in the air! Now comes time to descend. Chiyaan scolds me through the figure 8 knot and checks it twice for safety. Then off comes the food rest and the rope brakes. It’s up to me and my hands now to manage the pace of my descent. I start to lower myself as my friends cheer. Going down is easy-peasy and I am soon bumping my bottom on the dust, relieved and slightly sad to be down on the ground once again. 

Having tasted the freedom of the sky, my heart hungers for more.