Scottish Pole Climbing Championship 2024
This year's Scottish pole climbing championship took place within the forestry arena at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh. Sponsored once again by Scottish Woodlands, contestants climb a 25-metre pole against the clock using only spiked boots and a climbing strop for assistance.
The climbing poles at RHS are Douglas fir poles grown on Kirkennan Estate in Dumfries & Galloway and carefully transported in their full 30-m length to Edinburgh.
The competition is organised by Graeme Hodgson and his forestry team. While the competitors entertain the audience around the forestry arena, Graeme is assisted by an experienced team of forestry and arboriculture workers on the ground who support the competitors as they climb. The pole climbing championship is only one of the many activities which take place in the forestry arena, to demonstrate some of the skills and work practices of those employed in Scotland's forest industry.
This year, there was a strong field of competitors with over 25 entries. Competitors are typically professional arborists or utility pole climbers.
Prizes were awarded on the final day of the show to the following class winners (including climb times):
Novice class:
1st: Dan Lindlay - 17.78 sec
2nd: Matthew MacKell - 18.33 sec
3rd: Jack Thomson - 18.72 sec
Women's class:
1st: Emma Cakebread - 14.12 sec
2nd: Lois Milburn - 26.93 sec
Expert class:
1st: Dan Whelan - 10.00 sec (aggregate time due to clock failure)
2nd: Ted Fisher - 13.46 sec
3rd: James Oakley - 13.68 sec
Left to right: Emma Cakebread, Dan Wheelan, Simon Oldham (SWL) and Keith Campbell (RHASS)
Simon Oldham, Technical Director with Scottish Woodlands Ltd, who presented the prizes, noted that "the company was delighted to be able to help with supply of the Douglas fir trees for the climbing poles and to sponsor the championships once again. Our congratulations to the winners and all those who took part over the weekend. The forestry arena events at the Royal Highland Show are a fantastic showcase for Scotland's forest industry and it's great to see such large crowds being entertained throughout the four-day show."
Five Scottish Woodlands foresters also climbed the poles in the forestry arena. Climbing for the company's nominated charity for 2024—Scottish Mountain Rescue—were intrepid climbers Dan Wilson, Mike Page, Eddie Addis, Callum Gammie, and Ben Goodall.