St. Louis hosts 50th International Tree Climbing Championship with nearly 100 arborists

Nearly 100 arborists clad in helmets and rope harnesses scaled pine, sweetgum and oak trees in a St. Louis park on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on the first day of the three-day International Tree Climbing Championship. This year marks the competition's 50th anniversary, with contestants from 22 countries. Many of the 52 men and 39 women in this year's contest have competed against one another before. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

During the belayed speed climb, fellow competitors cheered and clapped as climbers raced to the treetop under a sunny, blue sky. Spectators in camping chairs watched the arborists weave through branches to find a dummy during the aerial rescue event, which AP photo captions describe as a timed competition testing a contestant's ability to climb and safely lower an injured person. Along with the belayed speed climb, aerial rescue and work climb, climbers will take part in ascent and throwline events during the first round, and those with the highest scores will advance to the Masters' Challenge. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

E.J. Turner's favorite event is the work climb, in which competitors scramble through the 80- to 100-foot trees and ring bells at the end of branches to simulate cuts an arborist would make on the job. Turner, a third-generation climber and winner of five Midwest chapter competitions, said participants are graded on speed, route planning and poise. "It's a lot more climbing involved, and a lot more movement throughout the tree, jumping and swinging," Turner said. "It's kind of like being a kid." [ 2 , 3 ]

Caitlyn Pollihan, CEO of the nonprofit International Society of Arboriculture, which puts on the event, said the championship shows what arborists do in their day-to-day jobs. "There's this just fascinating camaraderie that you wouldn't necessarily expect at a competition," Pollihan said. [ 2 , 3 ]

The first International Tree Climbing Championship was hosted in St. Louis in 1976, and Pollihan said they chose to host the competition in the same city as a nod to the first contest. Organizers plan to make speeches and hand out keepsakes to mark the 50th anniversary, The Seattle Times reported. [ 2 , 3 ]

AP photo captions named several competitors. Frits Van der Werff of Belgium rang a bell in the work climb, Anna Petova of the Czech Republic prepared to compete in aerial rescue, Joseph Shultz competed in the ascent and Alex Bower took part in aerial rescue. Ashley Morse received a hug from competition judge Danae Jackson after the belayed speed climb. [ 1 ]