WVU Climbing Club Sponsors Students in Collegiate Bouldering Competition

This past Saturday, March 1^st, marked the end of the annual Intercollegiate University Bouldering Series. This series is an on-going competition strung between the months of January – March to give us climbers an opportunity to do what we love during the cold, non-outdoor climbing months. 

WVU Climbing Club at eNeRGy Gym Boulder Competition

How it works:

Six Universities from the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia host a competition on each Saturday from the end of January to the beginning of March.

These schools include:
- Kent State University

- University of Pittsburgh

- University of Akron

- Youngstown State University
- Slippery Rock University

- West Virginia University

We also participate in the “eNeRGy Gym SnowMonkey Bouldering Competition.” This is a bouldering gym in Charleston, WV, ran and managed by former WVU Climbing Club member, David Statler. Although the gym is not a part of the “Intercollegiate” series, they conveniently host their competition on the Saturday before the start of the series, so it feels as an integral ‘tick’ on the bouldering comp season anyway. Check their website out > http://www.energyrockgym.com/

…Back to how it works…

Each climber that registers is given a score sheet that they can choose to use. Each ‘route’ has a given difficulty shown on a numeric scale. You climb the route - you get that many points - add them up in the end - the highest score wins, pretty simple. The common misconception with bouldering competitions is that they are competitive based. This is most certainly not the case. 

Riley Lannon, female climbing club member,
shows off her skills at WVU Bouldering Competition 

The primary objective of this entire series is to give us climbers an affordable alternative during the winter months. With this, we get to travel to other schools, exposing ourselves to new school environments is interesting enough, let alone getting the ‘in’ of hanging out with each individual climbing crew of that school. With this, we develop and expand our networking of knowing new climbers and friends. For example, we would not have otherwise known that the YSU crew is also going to the New River Gorge for their spring break which happens to be during the same week as ours…Awesome, right!?

So, its all about having fun. And if you are a WVU Climbing Club member, it is the best kind of fun … FREE fun!
One of the many benefits of being a WVU Climbing Club member is that all of these competitions are free if you are one of the first 10-15 (depending on budget) members to sign-up. Where as each entrance fee is between $20.00 - $30.00. Annual dues to be a WVU Climbing Club member are a mere $25.00, you do the math -- it’s a pretty sweet gig.  This year, we managed our budget well enough to even cover the cost of gas to and from the comps, which helps make these trips as stress-free as possible!

Each comp usually has a free T-shirt for participating and has SWEET raffles. Prizes range from sweet nick-knacks like Mountain Khaki Coozies and random stickers to free pairs of Evolv Climbing shoes (upwards of $150.00 value). Last year at the Pitt comp, I won an actual pair of Mountain Khakis (~ $90.00 value). Other prizes include climbing gear (never cheap), hiking packs, awesome jackets, chalk and chalk bags, ropes, gift cards to local gear shops, posters, etc.
*Most comps give away all their prizes on a sole-random raffle base, others let the comp winners have first pick, either way your chances are very high of walking away with sweet new swag.

Climb on!

-Joey Williams, WVU Climbing Club President