Britain hosts World 25-metre Pole climbing championships

Video. Britain hosts World 25-metre Pole climbing championships

The event saw competitors run up a 25-metre (82-feet) timber pole using spiked shoes and a hooped "strop" wrapped around the pole for assistance. 

The event saw competitors run up a 25-metre (82-feet) timber pole using spiked shoes and a hooped "strop" wrapped around the pole for assistance. 

Hosted in Alcester, Warwickshire, organisers sourced 30-metres Douglas fir poles from a plantation in Wales. They were dug 4.3 metres into the ground.

The sport stems from North America where lumberjacks would scale some of the largest trees in the forest, sending off the branches with their axes as they went up the massive trees. 

 The sport is becoming highly specialised with a world-class field looking at the tiniest details in training, equipment and nutrition to give them the winning edge.