It was a rope-rigging, high-climbing, bell-ringing, target-aiming, rescue-simulating time at the Western Tree Climbing Championship on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park.

The Penn-Del chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture hosted the spirited competition that challenged the skills of employees of tree service companies in Pennsylvania and Delaware. More than 30 workers from companies that perform tree removal and pruning services competed yesterday on tall oak trees in sunny, breezy and chilly weather.

The championships, watched by spectators who stood or sat in multi-colored canvas camp chairs, required contestants to complete tree industry tasks that mimicked real-work situations, including:

Climbing; securing lines and moving safely through upper branches; dropping stakes into a safety zone marked by a rubber ring three feet in diameter; bringing a 200-pound mannequin rapidly to the ground in a simulated rescue; and quickly lowering themselves to land in the center of a bulls-eye three feet in diameter.

Points were awarded for each of the timed events. Competitors had to get to a bell and ring it after completing the various tasks. Winners received equipment, climbing apparel and gift certificates.

Jim Roach of Philadelphia was the overall winner. He was followed by Garrett Peoples of University Park, Centre County; Pat Gledhill of Cochranton, Crawford Country; Rob Kruljac of Hampton and Mike Ferich of Lancaster.

They will compete against the top five Eastern winnersJune 14 in State College. Winners there will compete July 26-27 at the International Society of Arboriculture's annual conference in St. Louis, Mo.

"The purpose of the event is to promote safe working practices, to demonstrate innovations in equipment and techniques and to provide industry recognition," said Scott Sjolander, extension urban forester for the Penn State Cooperative Extension program in Meadville, Crawford County.

The event, which started in 1976 in California, has grown to involve more than 1,000 participants in more than 50 competitions worldwide. The championships, which demonstrate the participants' agility and strength, have been credited with re-inventing the tree care and tree-climbing equipment industries.

"The competitions have brought the users and manufacturers together, and the result has been an explosion of inventions and products specifically designed for tree-care application," Mr. Sjolander said.

"Industry safety standards in nearly every participating country have benefited from these innovations,'' he said. "It also has instilled a respect for the role of the climber and a strong focus for the individuals of the climber community to improve the environment for all tree care workers."

Mr. Sjolander, 48, a former tree service employee now in his 12th year with Penn State, said six work crews from local tree companies, working in conjunction with city forester Davie Jahn, prepared the trees for the event by pruning them and removing dead wood.

After the mannequin standing in for an injured tree worker was hoisted into position about 30 feet off the ground, Dan Horhut of Baldwin Borough volunteered to climb a large chestnut oak, swing over to the mannequin and lower it to the ground within fourminutes.

It wasn't easy.

Spurred by veteran tree men to go "up, up, up" before swinging over to reach the mannequin, and then urged to "c'mon, c'mon, c'mon" to get it to the ground, he succeeded on his second try. But it took more than four minutes.

"I'll do better next year when I'm old enough to compete," said Mr. Horhut, 17, who works for Horhut Tree Service. "We do small jobs," he said, referring to his older brother, Steve, 22. "We're just starting out."