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by KELSEY OHLEGER
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
Multiple pairs of chalked hands, young and old, will grasp the holds at
the Appalachian State University climbing wall Saturday.
The
Appalachian State University Climbing Team will host its fourth
competition in the climbing gym at the Student Recreation Center Oct.
11.
The competition will be the third Southern Comfort Bouldering Competition.
 Junior finance risk management major Chris M. Griggsby practices bouldering at UREC’s climbing wall. Photo by Martin Stamat |
The team has already hosted two bouldering and one rope climbing competition in the climbing gym.
“At each
bouldering competition we’ve held we have had about 60 competitors, so
we’re hoping to get that turn out again,” senior journalism major
Amanda S. Fox said.
Fox is the current president of the Appalachian State University Climbing Team and has been a member for three years.
“When
the SRC opened I went to the climbing wall for the first time,” she
said. “I got involved with the team my sophomore year and I really fell
in love with it. It has become what I do.”
The competition has courses designed for beginner, advanced and intermediate climbers in both men’s and women’s categories.
“Last
year we had a 56 year-old woman who climbed and also young kids,” Fox
said. “We don’t want to exclude anybody from competing.”
Before
the event, the team plans to remove all holds from the wall and create
new bouldering routes so no competitor will have an unfair advantage.
Sophomore
dentistry major Tyler R. Henderson climbs the wall multiple times each
week and will compete for the first time on Saturday.
“I’ve watched [competitions] before, so I know how they run,” he said. “I’m just going to try to have fun.”
Henderson began climbing his freshman year and continuously works to improve.
“I constantly have to work to get better, but on average [bouldering] is kind of easy for me.”
Climbers can register at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Student Recreation Center for $30.
A bouldering rules and safety meeting will begin at 11:45 a.m. and climbing will last from noon until 5 p.m.
Spectators are welcome to attend and participate in the raffle. Students who do not feel ready to compete can volunteer.
“A lot
of people are afraid of heights and falling, but bouldering can be a
safe sport,” Fox said. “We put down crash pads so you are not falling
on hard ground.
We make it as safe as possible.”
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