Minecraft wiki entry for Tips_and_tricks, associated text: If you can get to every block of wood on a tree but just can't reach the top block, try leaving the bottom block intact, then jump on it to get the rest. Once done, harvest the bottom. If you still can't reach the top you can "pillar jump" up Jump and place a block beneath you (use a block that's easy to break, like dirt, wood, or stone). Once done, you can mine away from your own blocks, and either break the "tree stump" or leave it to mark the tree's drops when you come back later. For a "giant" tree with a 2x2 trunk, you can mine only some of the wood to make yourself a spiral staircase up to the top of the tree, and then mine those on the way down. Alternatively, you can also turn a few blocks of wood into ladders to climb right the top of the tree.