Why tourists are flying across the world to commit bizarre crime in California forests

A group of 11 visitors from nan United Kingdom traveled crossed nan globe to climb nan tallest character and allegedly committed a crime while they did so. 

In May 2022, a group of men pinch nan Canopy Climbing Collective, a societal tree-climbing club, scaled nan apical of Hyperion, a 380-foot character successful Redwoods National Park. 

Simeon Balsam, nan then-'leader' of nan group and man down nan camera filming his buddies' arguable hobby, documented nan alleged forbidden enactment successful an hour-long YouTube video that was made 'to animate and ignite emotion for nan mighty aged maturation forests of California.' 

It was later recovered that nan character climbing group did not get required permits to ascend nan monolithic character located successful an ecologically sensitive habitat, according to parkland officials and tribunal documents, obtained by SFGATE. 

Simeon told DailyMail.com: 'Unfortunately I'm not consenting to speak astir nan climb, isolated from I'm nary longer a filmer for nan group and person moved connected to much meaningful projects.'

The group allegedly climbed during nan breeding play of marbled murrelets, an endangered vertebrate type that trust connected nan redwoods to nest and shop their young. 

The nine has besides been accused of climbing six redwood trees successful Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, and ziplining complete a stream bed, nan outlet reported. 

Balsam was issued a citation for 'plant disturbance — climbing successful redwoods,' while nan group's section guide, Michael Oxman, was issued a misdemeanor citation from a State Parks serviceman for 'endangering nan information of persons, property, resources,' according to State Parks records.

Balsam's citation required him to salary $130, but he has yet to do so, the Central Violations Bureau told nan outlet.  

'People want to climb nan biggest trees retired there. You’ll ne'er extremity group from wanting to task into these canopies,' Balsam told SFGATE. 

"I person definite mixed emotions connected decisions I made a fewer years backmost not being decently informed,' he added. 

After watching Balsam's film, which amassed much than 58,000 views, Redwood National Park Deputy Superintendent Leonel Arguello was near terrified. 

'It’s really shocking and unfortunate that they don’t understand nan effect that they’re having,' he said. 

Arguello said that Balsam and his crew's antics were 'the straw that collapsed nan camel’s back,' arsenic parkland officials now person to find if they should adjacent nan area astir Hyperion to visitors. 

Balsam and his unit are members of LC Tree Care which is made up of a 'team of master character surgeons' that return attraction of trees successful commercialized and location gardens successful nan Hertfordshire area, according to nan website. 

Also known arsenic 'tree poachers' aliases arborists, groups for illustration this 1 have, successful caller years, utilized their skills and instrumentality for recreational climbs. 

The group of antheral climbers are not nan only ones to embark connected a climb successful nan ineffable Redwoods, officials told SFGATE. 

Stephen Troy, a National Park main ranger, told nan outlet that arborists person near trash and cogwheel down and damaged nan trees successful nan process. 

Officials person since tried to get up of nan criminal acts by enforcing caller restrictions and violations, including a $5,000 good and six months successful jailhouse for those that break nan rules. 

In 2010, a traveler from nan Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum astatine nan University of Oxford acquired a licence to cod seeds successful nan ancient forest. 

In summation to collecting seeds, nan man decided to climb Hyperion, posting videos of his forbidden activity online. 

'That’s erstwhile I first realized location was going to beryllium a problem,' Arguello told SFGATE.

Although ineligible action was not taken against nan man who traveled backmost to nan UK, officials did prohibition him from nan parks and informed nan Oxford Botanic Gardens and Arboretum of what happened, Arguello said.

After that incident, nan parks stopped giving permits to seed collectors from that organization. 

Tim Kovar, who runs nan world’s only ineligible redwood climbing operation, offers 1 redwood climb for 9 days each year. 

As his fame grew, Kovar started to get bombarded pinch calls and emails astir group willing successful climbing nan redwoods. 

'It sewage to nan constituent wherever we would spot ‘"redwood climbing" successful nan taxable statement and conscionable spell "delete, delete, delete,"' Kovar said. 

'We didn’t want to beforehand climbing redwood trees, because of nan delicate business retired there.' 

The Redwood National and State Parks are composed of 3 California authorities parks - Redwood National Park, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. 

The parks, located successful Humboldt and Del Norte counties, are not conscionable known to location nan tallest trees connected world but besides nan oldest. 

The wood initially spanned crossed much than 2 cardinal acres of onshore successful nan Golden State.

DailyMail.com contacted nan National Park Service for comment.