Professional tree climbers compete in Lethbridge for championship

The best tree climbers in the Prairies raced up and down the trees in a Lethbridge park this weekend for a chance to win this year’s Prairie Chapter Tree Climbing Championship.

The annual competition brought together 35 arborists from Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba to participate in events showcasing the various activities they do on a regular basis as part of their jobs.

Arborists competed in two speed challenges, the work climb, the rope throw and an aerial rescue.

“I’ve done it a few times before, and every time you learn so much and you get to meet new people and it’s really fun,” said Ruth Maendel, a competitor.

“If you’ve been climbing for longer, [you get] to encourage new people and just help them along in their journey. It takes a lot of confidence to do our job and so it’s good to have a team encouraging you.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "If you've been climbing for longer, [you get] to encourage new people and just help them along in their journey. It takes a lot of confidence to do our job and so it's good to have a team encouraging you."

Contestants were scored heavily on how safely they complete the challenges, as arborists constantly put their lives at risk while doing tasks like pruning or removing trees.

The aerial rescue event put the most emphasis on safety, as competitors raced up a tree to safely remove an injured climber (a dummy, in this case) who is unable to get down.

“Most rescue personnel aren’t trained in the nuisances of actually tying into tree branches as a form of life support to help someone get down out of a tree,” Neustaeter said. “So arborists are in a unique situation to do some of that on their own.”

Although it’s relatively rare for an aerial rescue to happen while on the job, Maendel said it’s good to participate in an event like this.

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“It’s really good to practise these things so when it does come up — if it ever does — you’re ready,” she said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "It's really good to practise these things so when it does come up — if it ever does — you're ready," she said.

The top two finalists will move on to the International Tree Climbing Championship in the summer of 2020.