My experience as a volunteer at the UK and Ireland Tree Climbing Competition
Hey everyone, it's James Mousley, one of the tree climbers and team leaders here at Beechwood Trees and Landscapes Ltd. I wanted to share my recent experience from this past weekend.
My colleague, Ben Lee, and I had the privilege of assisting as volunteers in the UK and Ireland Tree Climbing Competition, organised by the Arboricultural Association. This year, the event was hosted at Warwick University, and it unfolded over three action-packed days.
Here's how the event played out:
Friday was all about setting up for the event and getting climbers registered.
The real climbing action happened on Saturday and Sunday, spread across the university campus.
On Saturday, we saw approximately 35 climbers in the preliminary events. These challenges mirrored aspects of our daily work as arborists, involving tasks like simulated work climbs, throwlines, speed climbs, rope ascents, and aerial rescues.
The scoring criteria were a mix of speed and critical factors like safety, communication, and first aid skills.
The top eight performers from Saturday's challenges advanced to the masters event held on Sunday.
Sunday's masters event was a thrilling race against the clock. Each climber had just 25 minutes to set up climbing lines flawlessly, navigate efficiently through various work stations high up in a tree, and then descend to the ground while clearing all their equipment.
It was intense, and the crowd was really into it!
The climbers who excelled in the masters event have earned the honour of representing the UK and Ireland at the upcoming European competition later this year.
I volunteered for the event, and it was an incredible opportunity to connect with fellow arborists who share the same love for our craft. Being part of an event that promotes best climbing practices and encourages fresh ideas was truly inspiring.
One of the most fascinating aspects was watching how 35 different climbers tackled the same scenario in so many different ways, each with varying levels of success. That's something you don't often get to see in our day-to-day work because, as we all know, no two trees are alike.
Ben and I had an absolute blast at the competition, and we're eagerly looking forward to future events.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Arboricultural Association and all the event organisers for putting together an amazing weekend.
To my fellow climbers out there, I wholeheartedly encourage you to get involved in the next event—it's an experience that's both enriching and exhilarating, and I promise you won't want to miss it!
Thanks James Mousley.
