26th West Zone Climbing Competition
Ever since I was a child, the sport, of wall climbing has always fascinated me. When I tried the sport for the first time, when I reached the top of the wall for the first time, the joy I felt was unmatchable. I knew that this was what I wanted to do.
Wall climbing has three categories- lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering.
Lead climbing is done on a wall with different holds and features. There is a rope attached to your waist and as you go up you have to clip the rope into quickdraws (a piece of climbing equipment used by rock and ice climbers to allow the climbing rope to run freely through it. This provides protection and acts like an anchor for the climber) which are placed at regular intervals. There is a time of 6 mins given. The higher you climb or the more holds you hold, the closer you are to winning. In the case of a tie, the person who reached the highest in the least time wins.
Speed climbing is like a vertical sprint. It is done on a wall that is 15m high and tilted at an angle of 5 °. The junior speed route has 20 big handholds and 11 small footholds. The person who reaches the top first (in the least amount of time) wins. The speed route is the same internationally.
Bouldering is done without ropes and harnesses and just using climbing shoes and a bag of chalk over safety mats. Your challenge is to climb a short but tricky bouldering ‘problem’ (a route, or sequence of moves) using balance, technique, strength, and your brain.
Wall climbing recently made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
A few benefits of wall/ rock climbing –
A full body workout
Improves flexibility
Improves stamina and endurance
Improves balance
It focuses the mind
Meditative effects
Builds confidence
Its fun
After months of vigorous training, some of us finally got selected for the 26th West Zone Climbing competition. A group of around 17 climbers from Vidya Valley participated in the competition. There were participants from other states like Gujrat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, in the west zone as well.
The competition was from 7th to 10th July. There were three events- (lead, speed, and bouldering). It was held in the Raje Sivaji climbing wall which was built by the municipal corporation of Pune.
This event was a new and eye-opening experience. During isolation (the climbers are put in isolation before the event so that they can’t see the wall which they have to climb) I made many new friends. Me and many of my teammates won medals and qualified for the nationals. We are fortunate to have all these facilities like climbing walls, proper climbing gear, and efficient coaches, which have helped us reach our potential.
-Abhipsha Roy
