This weekend June 13-14, about fifteen members of the Ann Arbor and Pontiac Planet Rock Climbing Team will compete for the chance to go to the USA Climbing 2009 Youth Nationals.  Team members can compete in “difficulty” and “speed” and six spots in each category will be open for kids advancing.

The difficulty event is held over two days.  About ten people make it to day two.  Difficulty climbing is where you are presented with a route and you are only allowed to use the holds that are on that route.  You gain points by moving up the route and touching each sequential hand hold.  The more advanced climbers “lead” climb.  This means they take the rope up with them and clip in into carabiners fixed to the climbing wall.  Climbers have five minute to finish their routes.

The first day climbers usually have two routes to climb and the second day one route is climbed.  All the points are added together to see who the top six in each category are and these people will proceed to Nationals.

The speed climbing event is usually held on the second day after difficulty is finished.  Speed climbers climb two routes.  These routes are next to each other and two climbers climb at the same time.  Each is timed and the sum of the times is your score.  The climbers with the lowest score time wins.  Six will advance to Nationals for speed.

We’ll post some climbing video after the event. Stay tuned.

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