30 Years of Tree Climbing Competitions
Come and watch the UK & Ireland Tree Climbing Competition 2025
12th–14th September at War Memorial Park, Coventry
This September the tree care community celebrates 30 years since the first tree climbing competition took place in the UK.
Tree climbing competitions are held around the world, they showcase the skills, safety, and athleticism of professional arborists (tree care professionals).
Competitors from across the UK and Ireland will contend in this year’s championship, with winners representing their region in the European Tree Climbing Competition and able to qualify for the International Championship.
The UK & Ireland Tree Climbing Competition offers the perfect platform to demonstrate the importance of efficiency and not just speed, judging climbers on 5 different key disciplines. Each one provides a different test of their ability to professionally and safely manoeuvre around a canopy while performing work-related tree-care tasks in a timely manner.
The very first UK & Ireland Skills Championship took place back in 1995 at the Arboricultural Association Conference in Lancaster. Ten years later, a young climber named Jo Hedger entered her first competition at the 2005 ARB Show.
Since then, Jo has rewritten the record books: 13 UK & Ireland titles, 6 world championships, and the first person ever to win three consecutive world crowns (2019, 2022, 2023). She credits her success not just to talent and determination, but to the constant learning and support she’s found within the climbing community.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary we've collaborated with Arb Fiction. He's created an incredible piece of artwork, showcasing a collage of images from picked from our competition archives, spanning the three decades of competitions. This design is now available for purchase on our online store. Explore our range of products, including t-shirts, hoodies, notebooks, and more!
Tree climbing competitions have become so much more than contests. They’re a hub of innovation—where climbers share techniques, test new ideas, and find smarter, safer ways of working. From refining body movement and positioning to using technology to study technique and reduce strain, these events are shaping the future of climbing practice and safety.
So please join us this September in Coventry to witness the agility, precision, and passion that’s been taking tree climbing to new heights for three decades.
Free to watch – UK & Ireland’s best Arborists – Stands and tree care resources.
Find out more about the UK & Ireland Tree Climbing Competition Here:
Find out more
Arb Fiction Merch