Chris Blea knelt on the ground and looked up in silence as his cousin, Martin Abeyta, ripped at ropes — trying to secure himself to tree limbs. Abeyta jumped and wrapped his arms around branches.
Friends and fellow climbers yelled, “C’mon, get in there, push it!”
Blea won first place and a $500 chainsaw at the Second Annual New Mexico State Tree Climbing Championship at Inez Park, Saturday. Abeyta won second place. The cousins will head to the Rocky Mountain Chapter International Society of Arboriculture Tree Climbing Championship in Denver, Colo., June 9.
The winner of the chapter will compete at the international conference in Milwaukee, Wis., later this summer.
Blea placed third in Denver last year. He and his cousin have worked in the tree-care business for about four years.
“It’s always in the back of my mind that maybe I won’t come in first but maybe I can come in right behind him,” Blea said about his cousin.
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The four events at the tree competition were the throwline, secured footlock, belayed speed climb and work climb. During the work climb, competitors begin at 50 feet and move down through the tree completing five stations created to test tree-care skills.
For example, competitors drop a large branch into a spray-painted target on the grass to test their aim.
Bryan Suhr, organizer of the event and supervisor of arboriculture at UNM, said the climbs were more difficult this year to better prepare the competitors for Denver.
“We wanted to challenge the best competitors but have it do-able by everyone,” he said.
Abeyta said many of the climbers stare into the work climb tree to make mental paths before they climb, though strategy is subject to change.
“It’s a whole new view up there,” he said.
Abeyta said he began climbing trees as a child and used to help his father-in-law do tree work. He said he would sometimes be 60 feet in the trees without protection.
“I’d literally be hanging by my legs,” Abeyta said.
Competing gives him something to strive for, he said, and makes work fun. Abeyta said he enjoys working with his cousin and speaks highly of his skills.
“He can actually out-climb me,” Abeyta said. “He’s got balance beyond anything I can do.”
Jim Dunn, who works in the sports division of Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Department, said he was having a good time watching the climbers, though he didn’t want to join them.
“Thank God I’m here and not over there because there would be ambulances,” he said looking over at the trees.
Dunn was handing out bicycle maps and calendars of summer events with his fellow employees to educate people about parks and recreation.
Gary Smith, manager of grounds and landscape at UNM, came to Saturday’s competition to educate people about tree care and various kinds of insects.
Smith said UNM will be giving tours of the campus arboretum beginning this week.
For more information, call Eleanor Sanchez at University Communication/Marketing at 277-1989.
