Last year, in my first time ever in a climber I got to about 33' so I could see over a large thicket. It made me really nervous...especially after the wind picked up a little. After a couple hours of rocking back and forth I decided to take it down to about 20' for a little piece of mind. From that point on I' ve decided climbers are the way to go. I' ve hunted from 12-16' ladder stands my whole life...it was amazing how much more you can see.