Going out on a limb for the love of tree climbing
Arborist vying for world title in ‘steroid’ version of kids’ hobby
There aren’t many sports where first place comes with a shiny new chainsaw.
And it’s not your average athlete who, on receiving a Husqvarna pro-series, says, “Sweet, I needed one of those.”
Welcome to the world of competitive tree climbing, a niche sport involving equal parts speed, style and tree protection. The chance to compete is what drew Krista Strating to her day job — pruning, removing and planting trees — six years ago.
Now, the Hamilton arborist is one of the world’s best competitive tree climbers.
She won the 2014 North American championships in Pasadena, Calif., earli- er this month and, in August, she’ll test her abilities against the very best at the international championships in Milwaukee, Wis.
Most people have memories — good or bad — of climbing trees as a kid.
“It’s that on steroids,” Strating said of competitive climbing. “We have a lot of gear.”
Using ropes and a harness, similar to what a rock climber uses, she can get up an 18-metre tree in about 30 seconds.
But in most of the competitive events, Strating doesn’t just have to get to the top, she also has to show the judges she can get around the tree canopy quickly, while protecting herself — and the tree.
That means no spiked shoes, which could damage the bark. It means balancing in ropes off larger branches and not putting too much weight on the slighter ones that could snap under her weight.
“If you’re ever untied at any point of the competition, you’re done, you’re out.”
When people find out Strating climbs trees for bragging rights, a bit of prize money and chainsaws, the questions always come fast and furious. Competitive tree climbing, really? What’s that?
“They want me to tell them everything about it,” she said.
The competition starts with five qualifying events, which are designed to showcase the skills an arborist needs to get up a tree in an urban backyard, for example, and get cut branches to the ground without taking out the owner’s porch.
Speed climb and foot lock are about getting up the tree fast. Throw line is like target practice with competitors trying to toss a weighted piece of cord over particular tree branches from the ground.
Work climb mimics how an arborist would move around the canopy while pruning a tree.
Aerial rescue is essentially a first aid test up a tree.
In that one, Strating has to assess a scenario and find the best way to get a dummy, mimicking an unconscious colleague, safely to ground.
The top combined scorers in those events move on to the final, which incorporates all the elements, and decides the winner.
When she’s not competing, she’s working in trees from Oakville to Niagara on the Lake for Arborwood Tree Service.
That’s her training ground for all the events, except, happily, for aerial rescue. So far, she hasn’t had to get an unconscious colleague out of a tree.
Strating grew up climbing the trees in her parents’ Burlington backyard. She’s taken a few tumbles out of trees, too.
“As a kid, yes,” she said. “As a professional arborist, never.”