Inaugural rock climbing competition between U of O, Carleton takes off
The first annual Capital Classic Boulder Series competition kicked off Friday, March 8 as the University of Ottawa went head-to-head with Carleton for the top out at Altitude Gym.
As the first installment of such a competition, the event was proof of a concept which successfully attracted many in the climbing community around Ottawa. Registration was open to anyone to compete — however, results would ultimately be determined between schools.
The competition was based on individuals’ ability to climb the hardest boulder problems in the two hours allocated. Scoring was based on the 30 presented problems, with one being the easiest and scoring 10 points, up to 30, which scored 300 points and was the hardest problem of the night.
Getting to the top of a climb on your first try — better known as “flashing” the problem, was also awarded bonus points. After two hours, all the participant’s scores were calculated based on their top six highest-scoring problems completed. The top five women and men respectively from each school were then compared on scores to determine which school came out on top. At the end of the night, Carleton proved victorious.
“We have some work to do for the next comp in September,” said Luka Vukovic, an executive with the UOttawa Rock Climbing Club.
It has been a difficult transition this semester for the climbing clubs, as what used to be the home gym, Vertical Reality, was closed in December. The National Capital Commission bought back Victoria Island,where the gym was located, in an attempt to remediate the soil that had been contaminated by years of industrial manufacturing.
“It was important that after (Vertical Reality) closed to have an opportunity to get everyone back climbing together in the same space again,” explained Noah Robert, another U of O climbing club executive.
While this was only the first installment of such an event between schools, organizers are excited to begin planning the next competition in the series.
“We even had people from Queen’s ask if they could come out and join. You never know, maybe eventually we could get on the same level as (the University Bouldering Series),” Vukovic said, referring to the nation-wide climbing competition designed to strengthen university climbing communities.
For more information on the UOttawa Rock Climbing Club and their activities, check out their Facebook page.
