Climbers Hold Strong at First Competition
Students took their climbing skills to new heights as the winter climbing activity completed its first of three competitions to be held over the course of the season. Climbers made their way through various bouldering routes at The Notch Climbing Gym in Lebanon, N.H., in an asynchronous bout against Sunapee and Green Mountain High Schools.
Five of KUA’s nine climbers took to the wall in the initial event, led by Huy ’26 and Theo ’26, who each completed multiple V4 routes. V4 is an intermediate route as rated by the V or Vermin Scale, which grades level of difficulty for boulder problems. Jake Shechter, the team’s advisor, was also quick to credit the performances of James ’26, Takumi ’26, and Paul ’26 in their first-ever competition.
“Everyone did really well,” Shechter said of his team’s effort Dec. 15. “Each of the five climbers completed at least a V3 boulder problem, which is notably difficult.”
Climbers will take part in an asynchronous top-rope competition in the coming weeks, before concluding its season with a head-to-head event featuring both bouldering and top-rope climbs.
For his part, Huy ’26 said he looks forward to the remaining competitions as it adds an element of strategy he enjoys.
“Climbing competitions feel a lot different compared to recreational climbing,” Huy ’26 explained. “It’s important to consider climbs where you can try to conserve energy while scoring the highest possible points. We also have less time to rest during competitions because there’s a one-hour limit.”
Click here for photos from the competition.
