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Marylandclimber
Mar 26, 2012, 7:46 PM
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I've never done a bouldering comp but would like to. Is this the best way to get more involved in climbing? How does the system work like how do you "win"?
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shockabuku
Mar 26, 2012, 8:31 PM
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Marylandclimber wrote: I've never done a bouldering comp but would like to. Is this the best way to get more involved in climbing? How does the system work like how do you "win"?
You win by beating everyone else. Usually you get scored on the five (or however many) hardest boulder problems that you successfully accomplish with the time allocated (usually 3-4 hours). They will have point values associated with them to reflect their relative difficulty. Whoever has the highest score wins. Normally there are multiple categories based on ability, age, and gender within which you compete.
It's probably not the best way to get more involved in the sport, but they are fun (my opinion). If you're 18 or under, joining a youth team (and competing) is a great way to get more involved in climbing. If you're over 18 then you just need to get yourself to where people climb and interact.
You could try a Meetup group but that's a little like Russian Roulette in terms of meeting anyone serious (or capable) about climbing.
USA Climbing (http://usaclimbing.net/home.cfm is an organization that promotes competitive climbing (sport, speed, and bouldering) at the youth and adult levels and they have many volunteer opportunities associated with youth (and a few with adult) climbing competitions. Click on the SCS (ABS during fall and winter) links and go to "schedule".
Most large climbing comps run on the efforts of volunteers so you may find that your local climbing gym also has volunteer opportunities if they host competitions.
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Marylandclimber
Mar 26, 2012, 10:01 PM
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Thanks! That cleared up my questions just only I am under 18 and wan't to join a climbing team at Earth Treks but it's an hour away so I guess competitions are the way to go.
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shockabuku
Mar 27, 2012, 12:18 PM
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Yeah, that's rough. Though there seem to be a lot of gyms in that area; is that the closest one to you?
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Marylandclimber
Mar 27, 2012, 7:22 PM
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That's the closest its about 50 minutes away from Bel Air.
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shockabuku
Mar 27, 2012, 8:34 PM
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I have the same problem; my gym is about 45-50 minutes away too.
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flesh
Mar 29, 2012, 5:15 PM
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If your competing in the type of comp buku mentioned, we call them "free for alls" here's a couple tips to win.
Warm up well ahead of time. Bring lots of food, gatorade, whatever, three hours at your limit is extremely taxing. Drink and eat every half hour.
Don't try problems at your limit, it's almost always a waste of time, your not looking for homeruns, your looking for doubles and triples.
Over the course of the first hour do two things. One, look for the highest point value problems that are your style, whatever your style is, you should be able to recognize them. Two, after finding say, 6-10 problems that are of a high point value and your style, watch all the other climbers trying them. Memorize the beta. This way, you'll be more likely not to miss a crucial bicycle, drop knee, toe hook, back step, holds to skip, etc. Usually you get bonus points for a flash or you get penalized for each attempt/fall. If you don't think many of the other climbers are already doing this, you simply aren't paying attention to what they are really doing.
You should have 4 of your 5 hardest done within the first two hours of a 3 hours comp. Don't make the mistake of projecting the miracle climb for 2 hours and wrapping up four in the last hour. It won't happen. Five medium point climbs almost always total more points that a couple hard climbs and a few easy climbs. As time goes on you'll need progressively more rest to climb close to your limit. Maybe its 5 minutes between goes in the first hour and 15-20 minutes between goes by the third.
If they allow it, get there 30 minutes early and scope the climbs. Find your style, imagine the moves, warm up.
Usually they will give you a sheet of paper that has all the problems numbered and their point value. Ask the employees what point value approximates what v grade. Is 800 points about v8? This way you'll know what point value problems to scope. If your absolute project limit is v8, you'll be better off doing 5 v6's, hopefully flashing a couple of them after stealing beta ;) .
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Marylandclimber
Mar 30, 2012, 7:45 PM
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thanks man for the tips! It really helped but by food do you think Cliff Bars are good? And do they have points for a problem that you add up?
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shockabuku
Mar 30, 2012, 8:11 PM
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Grapes are really nice during a comp. Very dry stuff like cliff bars tend to take a while to digest.
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JasonsDrivingForce
Apr 4, 2012, 3:26 PM
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The only thing I can add to what Flesh said is make sure you try to fill in any gaps in your score sheet. For example: if you complete the following problems 3000, 3100, 3300, 3400, 3500. You should go back and try to get 3200 unless it seems a lot harder than one worth more than 3500. If that is the case then give everything you have to try to get that problem worth more than 3500.
If the problems are graded accurately and there aren't many major height differences then the winners in each category won't usually have many gaps in their score card.
Here is an example of what a typical abs comp looks like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeRGcZwOwDs
(This post was edited by JasonsDrivingForce on Apr 4, 2012, 3:26 PM)
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shockabuku
Apr 4, 2012, 8:26 PM
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JasonsDrivingForce wrote: The only thing I can add to what Flesh said is make sure you try to fill in any gaps in your score sheet. For example: if you complete the following problems 3000, 3100, 3300, 3400, 3500. You should go back and try to get 3200 unless it seems a lot harder than one worth more than 3500. If that is the case then give everything you have to try to get that problem worth more than 3500. If the problems are graded accurately and there aren't many major height differences then the winners in each category won't usually have many gaps in their score card. Here is an example of what a typical abs comp looks like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeRGcZwOwDs
This advice depends on where your comp is hosted. If the host gym follows the standard ABS protocol they will have 40 or 50 problems, 10 each in 4 or 5 categories of difficulty, graded 100 points apart (as Jason's Flogging Demon suggests above). Many gyms don't follow that protocol however and the problems are scored much less systematically, though still they generally try to have increasing point values with difficulty.
HOWEVER, there are always those problems that are much more difficult than the point value suggests (stay away from) and those which are much easier than the point value suggests (you want those).
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johnwesely
Apr 4, 2012, 8:45 PM
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I don't compete very frequently, and when I do, I always get injured. However, I have never done a comp without placing in the top three of my division despite rarely being one of the top three climbers in the division. To do well, you have to play the game really well. It is more important than it seems. At my last comp, I beat at least two people who have bouldered in the double digits, and I have never bouldered any harder than v8.
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amphotography89
May 10, 2012, 7:38 PM
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as far as food goes you will need a lot of carbs. good carbs. dont go eating a loaf of white bread. try some 100% whole wheat pasta or some brown rice. The carbs will help give you lasting energy the whole day. Also in between climbs try not to stop moving to much. obviously don't go running around the building till your next climb. but do some arm circles or huggers. maybe some light jogging in place so you don't cool down to much.
so there is some advice thats ok i guess lol
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