ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An international tree climbing competition will be held at Hyder Park in Albuquerque this weekend. More than 80 professional tree climbers will take part in the tournament-style competition hosted by the Parks and Recreation’s Forestry Section and the International Society of Arboriculture. “Really proud it’s exciting Albuquerque gets to be on the international scene hosting the conference and the climbing competition. It’s really exciting that we can bring it to Albuquerque,” said City of Albuquerque City Forester Sean O’Neill.
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Delayed three years for COVID-19, the three day event is a first for Albuquerque. The International Society of Arboriculture puts on a competition that’s made up of five events. Judges are looking at climbing skills, technique, and athleticism of climbers from as far as Japan.
There’s also a big emphasis on safety and proper tree care. “Our work as an organization we want to show the public what arborist do in there day to day job and how important it is to hire professionals to take care of your trees,” said Caitlyn Pollihan, CEO of the International Society of Arboriculture.
The event will start on Friday with finals set to take place on Sunday.
Tree climbing competition schedule:
- Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Pershing Avenue will be closed during the tree-climbing event and high volumes of traffic are anticipated at Hyder Park and in the surrounding areas. Community members are invited to attend and spectate the tree-climbing events. On Sunday, there will be a kid’s climbing event. For more information on the event, visit the International Society of Arboriculture’s website.
