New York State Tree Climbing Championship: organiser, place, schedule, climber caps and entry route
The state tree climbing championship of the New York State Arborists chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): the June 2026 place and schedule in Ithaca, the 25 men and 5 women it accepts, who gets first preference, the public Tree Fest on the Saturday, and how ISA's rule book ties a chapter event to the regional and world finals.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 10, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the New York State Arborists, ISA Chapter (NYSA) says on its tree climbing championship page, what ISA's ITCC site says about chapter events, and what ISA's rule book says about chapters that send climbers on. The national and regional events are in the table of championships. This page names no climber because the chapter's page lists none.
Where and when
NYSA describes the championship as a gathering of top tree workers in New York State who show their climbing skills in a series of competitive events. The page places the 2026 edition at Stewart Park in Ithaca, New York, on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, 2026. The base is near the Large Pavilion, and parking is at the park. The page lists no later date.
Schedule as listed
| Day | What the page lists |
|---|---|
| Friday, June 19, 2026 | Gear inspection at the Large Pavilion from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, followed by the Belayed Speed Climb event. The page notes that both are held on the Friday that year. |
| Saturday, June 20, 2026 | Check-in at the registration table from 6:30 to 7:30 AM and pre-event briefings at 7:30 AM. Events start between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, and competitors are briefed at each event. Tree Fest runs from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. |
Who may enter
The page says the chapter accepts up to 25 men and 5 women. First preference goes to NYSA members, then to New York State residents or people whose main place of work is in the state, with a limit of two entrants per company. After those places are filled, other climbers may register first come, first served. A registrant must work for an arboricultural or landscape organisation or a tree service company and do climbing as part of that work. The page also says there are no refunds of registration fees after June 5. It does not list the climber entry fee.
ISA's rule book says every competitor must be an ISA member before the competition starts and at least 16 years old, and that a competitor who is 16 or 17 needs legal guardian consent.
The path on to national and world finals
NYSA says the top three men and the top three women from New York State, or whose main place of work is in the state, go on to the Masters' Challenge, and that this round picks who represents the chapter in national or international competition. ISA's rule book explains the frame. A chapter that wants to send a climber to a regional final or the world final must hold a competition made up of five preliminary events, with the finalists meeting in a Masters' Challenge, and the winners of that challenge are the chapter champions. The chapter must also state the terms on which its climbers are nominated. The same book says each chapter may send one man and one woman to the world final, with an exception for returning world champions.
ISA's list of chapters that hold regular local competitions includes the New York Chapter, and links to the NYSA website.
Tree Fest for the public
NYSA lists a side event on the Saturday: Tree Fest 2026, run by the Outings Program and Cornell Outdoor Education. The page describes recreational climbing in one-hour blocks between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM, for all ages and levels, with basic techniques taught by trained climbing staff and a supported climb into the trees. Space is limited. The fee as listed is US$12 per person when registered in advance and US$15 per person at the event.
Other terms on the page
The chapter lists a block of hotel rooms for competitors and supporters at a hotel near Ithaca airport, with dates from June 17 to June 21, 2026 and a last booking day of May 22, 2026. It also lists the sponsors it had signed early, in tiers. This site does not repeat the names of firms, and it gives no room rate.