Indoor climbing comprises three main disciplines: Bouldering, Lead/Top Rope and Speed. Each has their own unique challenges in terms of the physical and mental demands they require, but each complements the other at the same time. Every team in the program will participate in both lead/top rope and bouldering. Speed climbing is a niche discipline that requires a specific wall and route and is only done competitively.
For the competitive climber, rock climbing has never seen a more exciting time. With competitive climbing now an Olympic Sport, youth programs like ours are the first step for any future Olympic hopeful. We participate in competitions sanctioned by USA Climbing, our National Federation. The year-long competition season is broken up by the three disciplines, Bouldering in Fall/Winter and Lead/Top Rope and Speed in Spring/Summer. Please read below for a more detailed description of each discipline. For a more detailed rundown of competitive climbing, please visit USAC’s Parent Guide.
Bouldering
Bouldering is a discipline of climbing where a participant climbs relatively short (less than 20 ft.) walls where ropes as safety equipment are not used. Climbers will attempt ‘boulders’ over padded surfaces, and with proper instruction on falling technique, climbers of all ability levels can practice this discipline safely. Given that a climber spends a relatively short period on the wall, bouldering will showcase tricky, powerful, and gymnastic movement.
Lead/Top Rope
This is where an athlete will climb taller walls where the use of ropes is required to keep the climber safe. As opposed to bouldering, which is more of a power and strength based discipline, Lead or Top Rope is more endurance based, as a climber is required to spend more time on the wall. Depending on the athletes age, they will either climb on ‘top rope’, where the rope is anchored at the top of the wall and above the climber at all times, or ‘lead,’ where a climber is required to clip their own rope into regularly spaced anchors as they climb up the wall.
SPEED
Speed Climbing is only practiced in a competition setting, where the goal is to ascend a climbing wall as fast as possible. This discipline requires an incredible amount of agility, power and coordination. All speed climbing competition follows an international standardized route, so all speed competitors around the world will train and compete on the same template. The route requires a special 15-meter wall with specific equipment and holds. Due to facility constraints, the Team rarely pursues speed training.