Tree climbers to step up for Australian championships in Melbourne
Climbers from around Australia are set to test their skills in a battle to reach the ultimate heights of their favourite sport.
The event to be held in Melbourne, Victoria is the annual Australian Tree Climbing Championships.
Arboriculture Australian President Craig Hallam said tree climbers will face challengers many spectators would find daunting, including scaling fig and eucalyptus trees up to 25 metres high to reach marked points and to rescue a dummy.
The skills of each climber, who are affectionately known as ‘high flyers’, would overwhelm many onlookers, he said.
Those competing are arborists by trade and, to maintain their energy and refine individual skills, they train on weekends, according to Hallam.
The two top female and male winners will branch out to compete in the World Tree Climbing Championships in 2017.
Hallam said traits to look for in good climbers included an excellent ability to guess distances between limbs, a passion for tree preservation, and a natural poise.
While the national championships did not kick off until 1997, the sport has a history dating back a further 20 years. Photographs of the event, which has attracted great interest from spectators, have since featured on everything from holiday cards to brochures.
Last year’s runner-up Ant McConchie admitted tree climbing could be considered a slightly unusual profession, but stressed that competitors took the sport seriously.
The event is scheduled to take place at Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens on February 20 and 21, 2016.
The event to be held in Melbourne, Victoria is the annual Australian Tree Climbing Championships.
Arboriculture Australian President Craig Hallam said tree climbers will face challengers many spectators would find daunting, including scaling fig and eucalyptus trees up to 25 metres high to reach marked points and to rescue a dummy.
The skills of each climber, who are affectionately known as ‘high flyers’, would overwhelm many onlookers, he said.
Those competing are arborists by trade and, to maintain their energy and refine individual skills, they train on weekends, according to Hallam.
The two top female and male winners will branch out to compete in the World Tree Climbing Championships in 2017.
Hallam said traits to look for in good climbers included an excellent ability to guess distances between limbs, a passion for tree preservation, and a natural poise.
While the national championships did not kick off until 1997, the sport has a history dating back a further 20 years. Photographs of the event, which has attracted great interest from spectators, have since featured on everything from holiday cards to brochures.
Last year’s runner-up Ant McConchie admitted tree climbing could be considered a slightly unusual profession, but stressed that competitors took the sport seriously.
The event is scheduled to take place at Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens on February 20 and 21, 2016.