CANOPY ACCESS
Forest Canopy & Rope Specialists
LET US HELP YOU EMBARK ON A
JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY!
TRAINING
Pround to be in partnership with LANTRA
FILMING
Safety at Height for Camera & Crew
OPERATION WALLACEA
Explore the rainforest canopy with the experts
TRAINING
Rope Training in the UK and Abroad
Delivering the spirit of adventure and exploration, CANOPY ACCESS continues to feature at the forefront of forest rope-access training for scientists and film crews around the world.
We operate two unique training courses. The BCAP [basic] & ACAP [advanced].
Which one you go for depends on your own current skill base & future work-place requirements.
BCAP training
Basic Canopy Access Proficiency
Now offered as a LANTRA-approved course, our renowned BCAP training teaches you how to safely access trees and the high forest canopy via the use of twin climbing ropes and an ultra-safe rigging methodology.
Occupying the gap between conventional arborist and industrial rope training, the BCAP incorporates a unique mixture of standard and bespoke rigging solutions. Much of the syllabus is unique to this course, derived from extensive experience of rigging in remote rainforest locations for wildlife television and scientific expeditions.
Emphasis is on maximising safety, clean rigging, efficient movement through the tree, rigging for rescue and comfortable work positioning at height.
All techniques comply with stringent UK HSE regulations.
The BCAP 5-day training course costs £795 + VAT
ACAP Training
Advanced Canopy Access Proficiency
Building on vertical access techniques taught on the BCAP, the ACAP focuses on lateral movement through the canopy via the use of tensioned highlines. Other subjects covered include simple, complex & compound pulley systems, cross hauling, advanced rescue techniques, knot-craft and how to safely combine & equalise multiple organic anchors.
Although continuing to focus on static-line ‘SRT’ rope techniques the ACAP also includes an introduction to the use of friction-hitches and arb-style DRT (useful for those students joining us from a more industrial rope access background).
Just like the BCAP, the ACAP incorporates a unique mixture of standard and bespoke rigging solutions. Much of the syllabus is unique to this course, derived from extensive experience of rigging in remote rainforest locations for wildlife television and scientific expeditions.
The ACAP is automatically open to all BCAP graduates.
Direct entry (without first completing a BCAP) is also possible depending on your current skill base. Please contact us to chat if you are in any doubt as to whether you already hold the necessary experience to enable direct entry.
The ACAP 5-day training course costs £795 + VAT.
FILMING
Provision of safety at height for cameras and crew
Wildlife documentaries are at the heart of what we do.
Canopy Access was established 25 years ago to help film crews stay safe whilst filming at height within the tropical rainforest canopy. Our first project for the BBC was in Borneo 1998 and since then we have been directly involved with more than 150 different canopy shoots worldwide.
From the Amazon, to the Congo. Throughout SE Asia to Papua New Guinea and beyond. There aren’t many rainforests that our team haven’t worked in and we are proud to have been chosen by the BBC to look after Sir David Attenborough’s safety at height in the canopy for the past 20 years.
We carry worldwide insurance & provide all necessary risk assessment paperwork as standard. Regular clients include Netflix, BBC, National Geographic, Disney+, Apple TV & Discovery.
Media related enquiries are handled by our managing director James Aldred, an Emmy-winning wildlife documentary cameraman with 30 years experience in the industry. Please use the contact link above to submit an enquiry, or you can visit James’ own website for more information about his camerawork HERE.
OPERATION WALLACEA
Experience the rainforest canopy, climb with the experts!
Explore the tropical rainforest from a new level by learning how to climb into the high canopy with our qualified instructors. School groups, university volunteers, scientists and expedition staff are all welcome to join us.
Operation Wallacea is a UK-based company that facilitates long-term scientific research in a variety of biologically sensitive and important locations worldwide. This field work centres around annual summer expeditions:
“Operation Wallacea is a network of academics from European and North American universities, who design and implement biodiversity and conservation management research expeditions. Research is supported by participants who join the programme, to strengthen their CV/Resume, gain skills they wish to gain or expand upon.”
We have been working in close partnership with Op Wall since 2006 and are proud to support their canopy-based field research through the provision of rope access training. All expedition members have the option to sign up to one of our canopy climbing sessions as an optional extra to their standard expedition programme.
About Op Wall
Simona & Tim, our fab climbing instructors out in Honduras 2024.
Thanks guys, you were amazing! :)
OUR STORY
A PASSION FOR TREES
We love what we do with a passion rooted in a desire to help others embark on their own journey of discovery.
For the past twenty five years we’ve been helping to raise awareness for the complex ‘floating kingdom of life’ found in the upper levels of every forest around the world.
Our training courses were developed from personal experiences of working closely with biologists and film companies during extensive expeditions worldwide.
Canopy Access was established in 1999 by James Aldred, an Emmy winning natural history cameraman and tree climber, specialising in filming at height in the rainforest and other wilderness locations. James is also an award-winning writer and like all of us here at Canopy Access, he likes trees. A lot.
Thankyou for visiting!
We’d love to hear from you so please drop us a line.