Tree climbers have a different need than other climbers, she explained. You only have the rope for protection should you let go. With tree climbing, you spend a lot of time hanging on the rope. So the comfort factor is really important. With that in mind, Sparks and Ness developed the Ness saddle, which allows a person to spend hours in a tree without being uncomfortable.
Thick pads support the lower buttocks and the hips.
Descending is easily controlled by a friction system. The gear used by rock climbers is not comfortable and that used by arborists is too heavy. Pleasure climbers want something in between. The firm, which has two full-time employees, builds some 250 recreational saddles each year. They are sold to recreational climbers, arborists and canopy researchers from Denmark to Japan.