Climbing Competitions Part 2

Part 1 introduced you to the sport and as mentioned it’s not for the faint of heart, but the sport is clearly gaining popularity with today’s youth.

When we are looking at what it takes to qualify we hear that the climbers have 30 minutes between the speed climbing and bouldering competitions then allowed 120 minutes between the last boulder attempt and lead climbing. 

But in the final event the minimum time allowed between the competitions is drastically reduced by 15 minutes.

Each completed competition sees the climbers awarded ranking points and their total combined event is calculated by multiplying together their ranking points for all three (3) disciplines, which has the lower the ranking point total, the higher ranked the climber achieves. 

If a competitor enters in three of the varied disciplines, sport climbers must be able to exhibit and demonstrate great physical and mental capabilities to which strength, flexibility and advance planning, and decisiveness are naturally the key to success.

Speed Climbing competitors race a 15-metre high wall set at a 95-degree angle two at a time to scale a fixed route. 

Climbers are fastened with safety ropes and when the starter indicated have only four seconds to place both hands and one foot on their preferred starting holds and once the timing system sounds three beeps, it’s the last higher pitch that signals the climbers to start. 

One might say that it’s important to stay focused as a false start will result in disqualification for the climber. 

Once they reach the top, they must “tap out” on the timing pad to stop the clock and the fastest Men finish in five to six seconds but the Women winning time is around seven or eight seconds.

Competitors in the Bouldering are required to scale as many fixed routes on a four-metre wall within a four-minute time limit at each boulder. 

Climbers are not over three metres above a landing mat, thus there are no safety ropes are required for the competitors. 

Climbers are permitted to try again if they fall during their initial attempt and the route is completed only when the climber grabs the final hold with both hands and it’s reported that in bouldering are the overhangs and holds so small that climbers can rely only on their fingertips.

Competitors in Lead Climbing scale as high as they can on a wall (at least 15 metres high and three metres wide) within a six-minute time limit. 

Climbers are secured with safety ropes attached to quickdraws at various protection points along the route and the climb is complete when the rope is attached to the top quickdraw on the wall. 

A climber has only one attempt and the height reached is recorded and if multiple athletes reach the same height, speed counts in determining the winning results.

Competitors in the bouldering and lead climbing are not allowed to practice and.to prevent late-starting athletes from gaining any advantage on those who compete earlier, climbers are not allowed to watch each other navigate the wall. 

Prior to the start of competition there is a period of time in which the climber can touch the first hold(s) without taking both feet off the ground. 

Lead climbing are permitted to use binoculars to view the route and make hand-drawn sketches and notes, but in speed climbing, there is a designated practice period prior to the qualification round.