Former athlete overcomes fear of heights to become China’s first female professional tree climber

Yu, 33, said she became interested in tree climbing during university after watching students hanging from trees with ropes and noticing how much they enjoyed the activity, the South China Morning Post reported.

Her background in athletics helped her learn the skills quickly, and she became a professional tree climber after graduation.

In China, professional tree climbers like Yu work inside the canopy to remove dead or hazardous branches that cranes and other machinery cannot reach. They are often the only option for tree maintenance in densely populated residential areas where heavy equipment cannot operate.

During the typhoon season, Yu spends entire days in trees cutting branches to protect the locals and prevent damage to the trees.

She said tree climbing comes with serious injury risks so she must prepare an escape route before each climb, according to Xiamen Evening News. She also carries medicine with her to treat the frequent insect bites she experiences while working.

Her other tasks include helping researchers attach tracking devices to young birds and retrieving drones caught in trees for tourists. She has also helped local botanical gardens collect fruits from hoop pine trees, which can grow as tall as 20 meters, for scientific research.

Yu’s achievements in the field have earned her several awards. In 2016, she won the women’s category at a tree-climbing competition in Taiwan. A year later, she claimed the women’s title at the China Tree Climbing Championship. She was also the first female tree climber in China to receive certification from the International Society of Arboriculture.

Some critics say tree climbing can harm trees or disrupt birds and other wildlife, but Yu disagrees. She told Sixth Tone magazine that climbing is one of the best ways to understand, care for and protect trees. “A real tree climber climbs for the benefit of the trees,” she was quoted as saying.

She also faced doubts about whether women are suited to a profession often associated with physical strength and working at height. In response, she said women can have advantages in narrow spaces or on thinner branches because of their lighter and more flexible bodies.

“Compared with men, female tree climbers have to overcome more things. You can only keep going,” she said.