Ninety-one climbers from across the globe are taking part in a weekend of events that include racing up ropes, rescuing dummies from tree limbs, and ringing a bell 24 meters in the air at Tower Grove Park, where the International Tree Climbing Championship is marking its 50th anniversary by returning to the city where it all began. The competition draws arborists from countries including Poland, Ireland and Belgium.
Among them was Patrycja Skoczypiec, a Polish tree climber with six years of climbing experience who previously pursued rock climbing before switching disciplines. As reported by STLPR, Skoczypiec said she prefers climbing trees to office work, and prefers climbing trees to doing groundwork on the ground crew. She competed in the Ascent Challenge, an event that requires climbers to scale a rope and ring a bell at the top of a tree in the least possible time — this year's version reached 24 meters, the highest point in the event's history, according to the station's report.
Friendships Forged Across Continents
The competition is as much about community as it is about speed. Sarah Ann Quinlan, an Irish arborist and competitive tree climber, met Belgian climber Arjan Raeymaekers at a competition in Europe, per the same account. Quinlan said competing creates friendships among female climbers, a sentiment that echoes through an event built around timed challenges that still manage to carve out space for camaraderie.
Caitlyn Pollihan, executive director of the International Society of Arboriculture, is herself a St. Louis native, and the organization's decision to bring its 50th championship back to the city carries weight for her personally. The championship started 50 years ago at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, and the organization credentials more than 31,000 certified arborists across 59 global chapters and affiliate organizations worldwide.
Five Skill Categories Test Real Field Hazards
Preliminary rounds ran Friday and Saturday, testing competitors across five categories that mirror the actual demands of professional tree work, including fast-speed climbing and rescuing an injured climber. In the Aerial Rescue event, competitors are timed and judged on their ability to assess hazards, notify emergency services, apply preliminary first aid, and safely lower a dummy representing an injured arborist suspended 20 to 40 feet in a tree, according to the New England Chapter ISA.
Those drills aren't just theater. Tree trimmers and pruners suffered 80 fatal work injuries nationwide in 2023, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The NIP Group says tree-care professionals face “15x more fatalities” than in other industries, with falls from height identified as the leading hazard, according to the NIP Group. Tree climbers routinely work with ropes and chainsaws in conditions that demand constant attention to security, making the competition's rescue scenarios a direct reflection of real occupational stakes.
A Landmark Park Built for the Challenge
Tower Grove Park itself is no ordinary backdrop. The park was donated to the City of St. Louis in 1868 by businessman and botanist Henry Shaw and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, making it one of only seven National Historic Landmark public parks in the country, according to ArbNet. It is also an accredited Level-II Arboretum spanning 289 acres, with over 8,000 trees and woody plants of over 400 taxa, per Tower Grove Park.
The championship's setting carries an extra layer of meaning: a living arboretum hosting the people trained to care for trees like these.
Masters Challenge Caps the Weekend
The preliminary rounds fed into Sunday's Masters Challenge, the finale that determines the overall champions after two days of qualifying events. Spectators were welcome throughout the weekend on the west side of Tower Grove Park near the Stone Shelter, giving the public a front-row view of the sport's top performers. Alongside the elite competition, the 2026 event includes a public-facing Arbor Fair with family-friendly activities and exhibitor displays.
