Page 12 - 2010 AMA Autumn

Army Sport Climbing Championship 2010
The Army Sport Climbing Championships returned to Boulders in Cardiff on 20–21 May. The annual competition takes place over 2 days, is designed to cater for all abilities and aims to find the Army individual and team sport climbing champions. The turnout was the biggest for 3 years with 103 competitors, including guests from the other 2 services and the civil service.
The Boulders staff had been busy over the previous few weeks and a series of “Skymasters” volumes were unveiled and the stage set for plenty of upside down swinging around in the rafters! Andy Long and Rob Lamey returned to route set and this time came with their devious heads firmly attached. Moving holds have not fea- tured at this competition before and they were set to provide entertainment and trep- idation in equal measure!
Day 1 saw everyone attempt 6 top roped routes set to challenge even the best. Getting steadily harder from Fr4 to 7a+ and with a variety of techniques required to suc- ceed, the routes gradually spat off all but two of the competitors and split the field nicely for the second day. The bouldering, which kept everyone busy while waiting for their routes’ start time, was also a tough proposition. 20 problems at all angles test- ed the men from the boys and it went down to bonus holds to decide the winners. Capt Tom Odling (1 RRF LAD REME) finally came out on top of the men and Cpl Charlotte Shaw (114 Pro Coy) the women.
Day 2 dawned with weary arms and some fuzzy heads from sampling the Cardiff night life. Everyone makes it through to day 2 but are split into 3 categories depending on their performance on day 1: the Elite cate- gory for the top 20% from day 1 and with the majority of the Army Climbing Team, the Open category for the next 40% and the Novice category for the final 40%. The Elite and Open categories face knockout semi final and final lead climbs while the Novice
category face a top rope final. All cate- gories climb in reverse order from day 1.
The Open category was first up and a tech- nical semi final achieved the aim, finding the best 8 for the final. The Novice catego- ry was a straight final with competitors get- ting stumped by a Saturn ring and some small holds at the top. A clear winner emerged in the form of LCpl Craig Gillies (3 Med Regt), who got within touching dis- tance of the finish.
The Elite category needed to be soundly tested and Andy created a masterpiece of 3D climbing across 3 walls and one of the hanging volumes. Speed and accuracy were key to avoiding the build up of lactic acid and some spectacular falls from the volume and high on the route eliminated all bar the best. LCpl Ruth Matuska (11 Trg Bn REME) was by far the best of the female competitors and although she did not make the Elite final she took the women’s title.
A break in proceedings over lunch allowed for the traditional speed relay event, which is the culmination of the team competition: 3 lines, 3 climbers, a running clock and the fastest wins. Bags of energy, forget your feet and go for it are the order of the day and the entertainment value for the specta- tors is enormous. Testosterone flowed and after 3 years of trying the boys from Hereford finally took the team title.
For others it was a different set of emo- tions. A mixed aura of calm, nerves and sweaty palms descended over the small groups that made the Open and Elite finals. Isolation beckoned while the routes were re-set and the audience gathered. First out were the Open finalists. A variation on the Elite semi final was in stall for them and they viewed the hanging volume with some trepidation, along with the other two thirds of the route above it! Capt George Best (ATR Pirbright) and WO2 Rob Short (Para) almost mastered the challenge and both got within a whisker of the top. It went to count back and George won on his semi final score.
The Elites came out last and a final surprise was in stall for them. Not only did it involve 2 other hanging volumes but it started from atop a pillar and finished at the far side of the wall and as high as you can get. Oh and throw in a long final run out to boot! A real man test in endurance, technique, brute force and bottle. Finalists employed a vari- ety of techniques to wrestle with the initial volumes – hooking, campusing, even hug- ging them! A no hands rest at the end just ate into the time allowed so it became a balance between recovery and going for it. Up through the main arch followed by a 3 metre drop down and then a rising fight through the barrel roof to a very droppable finish. All tried but only one tamed the route – reigning champion SSgt Jon Leighton (135 Ind Geo Sqn RE (V)) was the only one to top out and reclaim the title.
Brig Jon Watson, the AMA President, was on hand with the sponsors to award the prizes. The event was supported by Cotswold, Entre-prises, The Orange House, Boulders and Motif8 who provided plenty of trophies and prizes for all the cat- egories and without whose generous sup- port the event would not have taken place.
Everyone departed thoroughly exercised, weighed down with raffle prizes and look- ing forward to next year. We left the staff of Boulders working out how they were going to top the event for entertainment value again when we return in 12 months time!
10 ARMY MOUNTAINEER