Published March 19, 2026 03:25AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The body draped<\/strong> over the upper branches of the red oak does not move. An unseasonably warm November breeze frees leaves from the tree, fallen foliage swirling around the group that has gathered around the trunk. Somewhere, Morgan Wallen plays faintly from a Bluetooth speaker. We stare up at the canopy and the man\u2019s lifeless form, waiting.<\/p>\n His name is Camper Kyle, and he\u2019s a dummy. He\u2019s also the de facto star of the Aerial Rescue event, one of five in today\u2019s Georgia Tree Climbing Championship.<\/p>\n \u201cEMTs have arrived!\u201d yells a judge from the ground. Spoiler: There are no EMTs here to help Camper Kyle. Like most of the weekend\u2019s events\u2014which also include Throwline, Work Climb, Open Ascent, Speed Climb, and a final Masters\u2019 Challenge for the top five competitors\u2014Aerial Rescue is designed to simulate a day in the life of an arborist. In this case, a dramatic one.<\/p>\n Competitor David Loats swings around the tree on a self-rigged ropes system about 30 feet off the ground. Tree climbing, it turns out, is kind of a misnomer\u2014it\u2019s more about climbing rope. The two-day competition is just getting started, but some of the mature red oaks and pines that tower throughout the landscape are already strung with 50-foot lines of climbing rope. Others have colorful ribbons and large bells tied to the branches, ready to be rung by successful competitors.<\/p>\n \u201cEMTs, my name is David Loats. I\u2019m trained in aerial rescue as a certified arborist,\u201d he yells, ensuring his words are heard over the wind. \u201cHow would you like me to proceed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re expected to talk the entire time,\u201d Jessie McClellan, executive director of the Georgia Arborist Association and my guide for this weekend\u2019s competition, whispers to me without taking her eyes off the tree. Six judges clad in helmets and carrying clipboards circle the oak, watching Loats from every angle as he navigates the branches. One technician is harnessed in the tree itself, ensuring safety from the canopy. \u201cHe stays up there all day long,\u201d says McClellan.<\/p>\n Violet F. Stout Park in Lithia Springs, Georgia, is a quiet preserve, even when swarmed with several dozen members of the country\u2019s tree care industry. You can spot the competing climbers by their gear: they\u2019re in bright orange shirts, harnessed and helmeted and trailed by the collapsible wagons that they pull all around the park. The wagons are brimming with the stuff they need to scale a tree: piles of rope, carabiners, all manner of metal safety devices, and the occasional personal handsaw.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been here since 8 A.M. and am not completely sure when the competition began. There was no big announcement or massive crowd gathering; it just sort of\u2026started. Wandering around the park, dry leaves crunching underfoot, feels like crashing a dress rehearsal, or an extremely chill treeworker renegade. The no-frills vibe makes sense for an industry of trade workers who aren\u2019t used to getting noticed. Today is all about skill sharing, safety, and the trees. Performance isn\u2019t the point.<\/p>\n The lack of fanfare is reflected by the turnout. The audience ebbs and flows throughout the weekend, but volunteer judges, event workers, and the 35 competitors (32 men and 3 women, half of whom traveled from out of state) nearly outnumber attendees for much of it. And everyone seems to know everyone else.<\/p>\n A climber steps away from his clapping colleagues to greet what looks like his entire family as they set up folding chairs. \u201cI told them we were with you, so we got VIP parking!\u201d a graying man jokes. There is no VIP-anything. Kids scamper like squirrels toward a lone food truck selling chicken and fries. You can also get coffee, but it\u2019s self-serve, and the dudes manning the booth are busy watching a football game.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure what I expected a tree climbing competition to be like, but an appreciation for the mellow attitudes of these arborists quickly takes root. Because in reality, they have one of the most dangerous day jobs in the country.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s easy,<\/strong> whether trekking through protected parks or your own neighborhood, to ignore the labor that goes into caring for the ecosystem. It\u2019s meant to be missed. But those trees that provide shade on hot days, fill fall with vibrant color, and add a welcome infusion of nature to public spaces are all managed by arborists.<\/p>\n Arboriculture is an industry of many branches. A lowercase-a arborist describes anyone who does tree work. Uppercase-A Arborists, on the other hand, are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). As of 2026, there are around 32,000 certified arborists in the U.S. ISA credentials include a spectrum of technical specialties. Tree Risk Assessment requires Arborists to understand what\u2019s going on with trees and the people and property around them. An Aerial Lift Specialist knows how to trim and prune in very high places. Urban Forest Professionals plant and preserve trees in an urban environment, while Utility Specialists manage tree maintenance in high-voltage situations. A Tree Climber ascends trees to trim, prune, and sometimes remove. And a Board Master Certified Arborist represents the pinnacle of tree care knowledge (there are only around 1,500 in the U.S.). Certs are gained via an exam, work experience, and continued education. There are additional qualifications and licenses available in each state.<\/p>\n Capital-A arborist, author of The Trees Around You: How to Identify Common Neighborhood Trees in the Pacific Northwest<\/i><\/a> (Mountaineers Books; 2025) and co-host of the podcast Completely Arbortrary<\/i><\/a>, and capital-A arborist Casey Clapp ticks off career options like Dr. Seuss. \u201cYou can be a regulator or municipal arborist, a consulting arborist; you can work in a bucket truck and clear lines as a utility arborist,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are so many different ways to be an arborist.\u201d<\/p>\n The arborists (both a and A) who partake in tree climbing competitions use ropes to access canopies for close-up inspection, pruning, or removal. And the job pays. Dan Bauer, owner of Georgia tree care company Arbor Equity, tells me that he recruits newbies from high school FFA programs and starts them at $60,000 to $70,000.<\/p>\n But climbing trees requires a lot of learned skill. \u201cYou have to know 10,000 knots and how they work and when to pull and when to push,\u201d says Clapp. \u201cIt\u2019s like accomplishing a puzzle every day.\u201d<\/p>\n All the rope and wrangling make me think of cowboys. And if climbing arborists are tree cowboys, climbing competitions are their rodeos.<\/p>\n The first-ever ISA tree climbing competition, Tree Trimmer\u2019s Jamboree, was held in 1976 in St. Louis, Missouri. The goal was the same then as it is today: brush up on safety protocols while educating the public about the tree care industry. Over the decades, the Jamboree has expanded all over the world, and is now known as the International Tree Climbing Competition (ITCC). The Georgia Tree Climbing Championship, established in 1999, is a regional ISA event, and just one of more than 60 competitions held annually in the United States.<\/p>\n One in-state man and one woman from this weekend\u2019s event will go on to compete at ITCC 2026, which will be held in St. Louis this October. The location changes every year; 2025\u2019s comp was held in New Zealand and welcomed 92 climbers competing for some high-end gear, and the pride that comes with the win.<\/p>\n But at their core, the competitions are about safety. Tree work is consistently ranked among the most dangerous professions in the country. The main risks come from accidents involving tools and branches, gear malfunctions, unpredictable conditions, and, of course, falling out of trees.<\/p>\n The ropes systems that keep climbing arborists from crashing to the ground are complicated, and competition rules leave no room for nuance. All rope snaps must be self-closing and self-locking. Connecting links cannot connect to other connecting links. All unlisted knots must be approved. Mechanical ascenders and descenders, metal climbing devices that help climbers up and down the rope, require a backup system in case of failure. The rules are incredibly dense. For example:<\/p>\n \u201cCompetitors may work from a stationary (static) rope system provided that when using an in-line configuration, engaged ascenders are not within the anchoring system. Fall-protection anchoring systems shall include an approved stopper knot, or hitch on the stationary (static) rope system no more than 45 cm (18 in) below the anchoring system unless the climbing system is directly connected to an approved knot in the access line.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n I am only on page 17 of the 83-page ISA rulebook, but I get the gist: in short, any unsafe act is grounds for disqualification.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All through the park<\/strong>, competitors and onlookers hit vapes and shout tips and encouragements into trees.<\/p>\n \u201cSmooth is fast!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake a break. Make this one stick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAtta way!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGO, CLIMBER!\u201d<\/p>\n Aerial Rescue, with dummy Camper Kyle, is the day\u2019s most theatrical event, but each station comes with its own appeal. All events are timed, which makes for some low-stakes drama.<\/p>\n Arm and aim are showcased at Throwline, where climbers toss a weighted ball with a thin line attached to it through a specific union, or forked branch, in the tree. Important, as placing a ropes system is what allows arborists access to the trees they care for. Across the park, the Speed Climb is a belayed event where contestants haul harnessed ass up a rope as quickly as their bodies and gear can carry them.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the main attraction, Work Climb, a series of five in-tree tasks, assessing the ability to maneuver through the tree while handling equipment. Bells positioned at various points in the branches are rung with the help of hand saws. (The teeth are removed or covered during the weekend\u2019s climbs.) Loose limbs are thrown into a bucket. Finally, climbers must rappel from the tree toward a specific target on the ground. This event will serve as tomorrow\u2019s Master\u2019s Challenge.<\/p>\n Work Climb is modeled after a typical climbing arborist\u2019s workday, but it makes for a great show. Arborist (capital A) Chris Alexander moves deftly through the event, walking branches like balance beams, ringing task bells, and narrating every move while \u201cSamba\u201d by Cl\u00e9a Vincent plays too loud to be anything but purposeful. We all bob our heads to the beat.<\/p>\n Why aren\u2019t there more people here?<\/i> I tap into my Notes app, not wanting to miss a moment. Each event in tree care doubles as an extreme sport. Why don\u2019t more people know about this?<\/i><\/p>\n The next oak over from Aerial Rescue plays host to Open Ascent\u2014good old-fashioned climbing\u2014where a riot of cheers is erupting.<\/p>\n \u201c1985 called! They want their climber back!\u201d someone shouts.<\/p>\n \u201cYEAAAHHHHH!\u201d competitor Becca Haught yells as fellow climber Luis Vasquez wraps his feet in Prusik cord, using the loops to propel himself up the 50-foot rope dangling from the oak\u2019s canopy. He\u2019s harnessed and carefully clipped in, but the whole thing is reminiscent of gym class.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s called footlocking. That\u2019s oldschool. Now they have these,\u201d Haught says, gesturing to her metal foot and knee ascenders, \u201cand we just take off up the rope.\u201d<\/p>\n The rapid evolution of tree-climbing gear actually led to Open Ascent, which is pretty much a showcase of each competitor\u2019s technical climbing system, perfected and personalized for their everyday work. Prior to 2017, it didn\u2019t exist, and Footlock was an event unto itself. Old-school moves are cool (like, really cool; search \u201cfootlocking\u201d on YouTube), but the comps are about highlighting present-tense safety standards, not nostalgia.<\/p>\n All of the equipment present survived last night\u2019s gear check, a mandatory and extremely thorough pre-competition inspection of every single piece, and is subject to another at any point throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n Judges introduce each Work Climb competitor by announcing his or her least favorite tree, inspiration, and favorite piece of equipment. Everyone hates a Crape Myrtle. Everyone loves the Rope Runner Vertec. I start to think of the comp as a sort of show-and-tell.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my favorite climbing device.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is how I toss my throwline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s what I yell when a piece of equipment is tumbling to the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n More than one climber tells me that safety techniques mastered in competition\u2014particularly Aerial Rescue\u2014have helped save lives and human limbs at work.<\/p>\n But even in the arboriculture world, there\u2019s a bit of a disconnect around competitive climbing. For participants like John Carlson, who has enrolled in about 30 tree tournaments, climbing comps seemed wholly separate from actual tree work until he finally attended one. As someone who spent seven years trimming branches and felling trees before ever competing, Carlson says that it\u2019s easy to think that \u201cthis is all these guys do\u2014travel around ringing bells. You don\u2019t really believe that they start chainsaws and actually do tree work.\u201d<\/p>\n They do, though. Arbor Equity owner Bauer has come to bridge the professional-competitive gap. He\u2019s after the Company Axe, a literal axe on a plaque that\u2019s awarded to the local company with the top three competitors. Out of Arbor Equity\u2019s 22 employees, 7 are competing this weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have won it before and we want to gain it back,\u201d he says, arms crossed as he watches an FFA recruit take his turn at Aerial Rescue. \u201cWe want to be leaders in the state of Georgia and we want to be the best of the best.\u201d Being the best is good business. His climber fails to get Camper Kyle to the ground in time, but Bauer claps enthusiastically.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I bop around<\/strong> the Georgia Tree Climbing Competition like an undercover Lorax from a Dr. Seuss book, wrapping every conversation with something like, \u201cBe honest: Do you love the trees?\u201d<\/p>\n The answer is a resounding yes<\/i>. Arborists learn to identify the balance between necessary removal and strategic preservation (most with a focus on the latter), all backed by an appreciation for and understanding of the tree.<\/p>\n But McClellan cautions me against applying this sentiment too broadly. \u201cThere are certified Arborists, people who care about the trees, and then there\u2019s the tree industry as a whole. They\u2019re not always the same,\u201d she says, adding that there\u2019s a strong correlation between believing in safe tree work practices and striving for the overall health of the tree.<\/p>\n McClellen gestures to the top of the Aerial Rescue oak, pointing out that the crown of the tree appears to be dying back, bare branches rising from the leafier lower canopy. This, I learn, is called retrenchment, when an older tree conserves its energy into the lower part of the crown. \u201cIt\u2019s basically aging out,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n All of the trees underwent a full risk assessment\u2014complete with ground-penetrating radar\u2014ahead of the competition. Members of the Georgia Arborist Association spread mulch around the base of each trunk to reduce soil compaction caused by competitors and judges, provided soil care, and, for this tree, threw in a growth regulator as well.<\/p>\n The Georgia competitions change locations every couple of years to avoid putting undue stress on the trees. But you\u2019ll only find the comps in city and county parks\u2014the state of Georgia has opted out. I ask McClellan if it\u2019s the fault of influencers who climb trees for clout. She thinks it might have more to do with the state\u2019s burgeoning filmmaking industry. (Stranger Things<\/i>, for example, was filmed in Georgia.)<\/p>\n \u201cCompetitive tree-climbing is banned at the parks in an overabundance of safety and precaution for both our visitors and the trees,\u201d says Austin Suhr, marketing and communications manager at Georgia State Parks of the state-sanctioned rule. He acknowledges that there are safe and responsible ways for the sport to be done; they just lack the staff to oversee it.<\/p>\n The same is echoed by the National Parks Service (NPS): no climbing to protect life of all kinds. \u201cThis approach aligns with Leave No Trace principles, which emphasize minimizing human impact and respecting natural and cultural resources,\u201d reads a provided statement from NPS.<\/p>\n There\u2019s some irony to guarding parks against the showcases of an industry dedicated to tree health and human safety. But allow one climber, even a certified one, and you run the risk of welcoming them all.<\/p>\n And, of course, not everyone loves the trees. Some people don\u2019t even notice them.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t know how many species of tree there are out there, and if they don\u2019t know and can\u2019t recognize a tree, they don\u2019t really care about it as much,\u201d says Clapp. \u201cIf you know the name, then you also know things about it. People just don\u2019t know how much is right outside their front door.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sunday morning\u2019s<\/strong> Master\u2019s Challenge is quiet. So much so that when I arrive, I\u2019m worried I missed it. After some searching, I find the climb set up within a mature oak, gnarled and towering, on a neighboring piece of private property, near silent save for the occasional car zooming down the highway. Even day-of, competitors aren\u2019t allowed to see the tree ahead of the modified Work Climb, so the five of them are sequestered, materializing in the lot one by one.<\/p>\n The morning\u2019s second climber is defending champion Jhonny Lopez.<\/p>\n Lopez has been climbing (and winning) in these tree climbing competitions since 2012. He tells me later that he\u2019s never trained. He enters the ring to Heroes Tonight<\/i> by Janji and Johnny and begins circling the tree. Throwline is his thing\u2014he tosses the small ball with precision and places his line in the oak\u2019s highest union on his first try.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no sense of urgency. He moves slowly and methodically, untangling lines of rope as he bops from branch to branch, rigging up mini systems to rappel to bells out of his reach.<\/p>\n Through it all, I can\u2019t take my eyes off the tree. The way its branches twist against the gray morning sky, its thinning canopy of leaves sheer like lace.<\/p>\n Red oak<\/i>, I think. This is a red oak. <\/i>I check with McClellan to confirm. It feels important.<\/p>\n If I had just been driving by, would I have even seen it?<\/p>\n \u201cAtta way!\u201d yells an onlooker.<\/p>\n My eyes are back on Lopez, who freezes in the oak. He thinks the shout is a warning from a judge. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was just cheering you on!\u201d<\/p>\n Lopez will later be crowned the men\u2019s championship title for the weekend. Haught will win women\u2019s.<\/p>\n Lopez completes four of the five tasks before climbing down the tree with plenty of time to dismantle his ropes system. As he pulls his line off of the oak, he flicks his wrist and the cord lassos briefly before falling into a neat pile on the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cStyle points,\u201d someone yells. We were all thinking the same thing.<\/p>\n Walking through<\/strong> a favorite neighborhood near my old apartment in Portland, Oregon, a week later, I notice the trees. I love trees\u2014I always have. I can\u2019t really comprehend not <\/i>loving trees. But could I name every species that rose from my favorite Southeast sidewalks, offering shade and oxygen and atmosphere? Sadly, no.<\/p>\n Trees, like trade work, can easily go unnoticed. And if you can\u2019t recognize something, you don\u2019t care about it as much. But we\u2019re all part of the same ecosystem, and noticing seems like a good place to start.<\/p>\n So I\u2019m learning. Silver Linden. Leyland Cypress. Black Hawthorn. All thriving, reaching toward the sky without infringing on homes. Webbed branches and canopies of evergreen and pale yellow protect me from the day\u2019s drizzle. They\u2019re thoughtfully placed and well pruned. No limbs hanging haphazardly. I notice all of that, too.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n![\"man](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ladder.jpg?auto=webp&width=3840&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
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