Page 19 - 2015 AMA Autumn

Army Festival of Climbing 2015
The Army Festival of Climbing took place on the week commencing the 18th – 22nd of May 2015, as a team from 4 Armoured Medical Regiment we took the long trip up to Capel Curig Training Camp, in Betws-y-Coed North Wales. To begin the climbing festival, on arrival we was given our competition numbers and a programme for the week, which told numbers 1-49 would be competing in the qualifiers the following morning. As a few of us in the group were complete novices at rock climbing this was quite nerve-racking. So in preparation that evening groups went over some training to prepare for the qualifiers.
The semi-finals were held at the JSMTC Indefatigable climbing centre, the qualifiers consisted of 8 top rope climbing routes, which ranged in levels, and using only the nominated colour holds, with a double hand finish on the top hold. As the competition went on some of the novices soon realised they had quite the technique for rock climbing and it wasn’t as bad as they presumed. As the allocated personnel, number order went round the climbing routes in an order like a “sausage factory” which Lt Col Skinsley liked to call it, I soon realised that some routes where more difficult than expected. This resulted in numerous people swinging from the top rope on the final route, which for some of the people swinging was a very heart pounding situation; but for fellow climbers was very amusing.
The second half of the qualifiers competition included a bouldering competition. Many of the problems were found to be strenuous and extremely demanding, where the novices had to use initiative and confidence over experience to make some of the holds on the bouldering walls. As a complete novice, I found the bouldering was challenging but enjoyable with an extreme sense of achievement on completion. The qualifiers for numbers 1-49 were completed and people had been placed. The results would be finalised the following day when the rest of the competitors had attempted the semi-finals.
The next day for many was their qualifying round. The remainder, including our group, all went outside onto a relaxed day of bouldering. Our group went along to the RAC boulders just down the road from our main camp and practiced bouldering; it was quite a difference from using obvious man-made holds to trying to find the natural holds on the rock. This required so much more looking and thinking, which I believe makes outside bouldering more challenging than indoors. Many of us fell multiple times from the small heights of the boulders onto the crash matts below as a result of poor guessing!
The Thursday morning was back indoors to continue the competition; all competitors didn’t have a clue what the routes looked like or what level they were. A few of us managed to see the tiny sneak preview that they gave us via the Army Climbing
Members of 4 Armd Megt Regt Climbing Team having a great time! From left to right, Capt Stacy Oliver, Pte Oliver Denne, Pte John ‘Goody’ Goodsell, Pte Georgina Harvey, Pte Kimberley Sterling, Pte Dan Quinn and Pte Conor Jones
Facebook page (a picture which looked at just 2 holds!). We made our way to the Beacon Climbing Centre which was noticeably taller than JSMTC and finally the semi-finals routes were unveiled. Demonstrations were given of each category’s route by the route setters, who have a natural ability to make them all look so easy. The semi-finals began with the Open Males and Females groups, with the Novices’ Top Rope competition beginning shortly afterwards and lastly was followed by the Elite Male category.
I placed in the novice category, which was a yellow hold route and apparently was about a level 6b. This route was challenging for many in the novice category, including myself, which sadly I didn’t make to the top to complete – it was the hardest thing I had tried yet. Three from our category went onto the finals for the novices. Once all semi-finals had been completed, we went on to complete in the Team Climbing event. In teams of three, we attempted the Crazy Climb Challenge, with the fastest team winning this round. This area of the climbing centre is defined as, ‘rock climbing with a difference.’ One climb had holds that were spinning wheels, another had big massive purple blobs, to another which had small round holds on a glass pane; all weird and meant to fun as well as challenging. The three above named examples were the competition climbs; one member from each team had to go as fast as they can up the wall to the top, once the first partner had hit the top hold, the next partner would go. This was an extremely enjoyable part of the festival, and I would recommend anyone visiting the Beacon Centre to try the Crazy Climb part, as well as the many good climbing routes it has.
Overall I extremely enjoyed my time at the Army Festival of Climbing, and think both climbing centres were perfect choices for the qualifiers, the semi-finals and finals and would recommend both centres for novices and talented climbers. I will definitely continue rock climbing within my spare time, and try and in courage others to do the same. I personally got an extreme thrill, when climbing the routes and the immense urge to push further even when the hold you’re clinging onto is slipping away from your grasp. Everyone within the Army climbing team was extremely friendly, polite and approachable for advice and help with technique and working on points. This for the novices within the group was extremely helpful.
I would like to finish this review with a big thank you to everyone who made the climbing festival such a successful and enjoyable week for me and my fellow climbers from 4 Armd Med Regt.
Members of 4 Armd Med Regt intensely watching the demonstrations
Pte Emily Allsopp nearly completes the Novice Top rope climb
ARMY MOUNTAINEER 17