Speed climbing championship to be held in Coonoor

A national-level speed climbing championship and five-day adventure sport climbing camp is being organised at the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) in Wellington, Coonoor.

While the adventure sport climbing camp is already under way, the speed climbing championship will take place on Saturday from 8 a.m. The events were being organised by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and the Sport Climbing Association of Tamil Nadu, a press release said.

“The national-level championship is expected to witness participation from 103 climbers and students from different parts of India, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Pune, Jamshedpur and Delhi. Participants include school and college students representing multiple regions across the country,” the press release said.

The event will feature timed speed climbing competitions, where participants race against the clock on specially designed climbing walls and routes that test speed, endurance, agility, coordination and climbing technique under supervised safety conditions.

Competitions will be conducted across boys’, girls’, junior and senior categories, with participants competing for the fastest ascent timings in their respective divisions, the press release added.

Organisers said the programme aims to encourage youth participation in adventure sports, outdoor fitness, teamwork, discipline, leadership development and confidence building. The event also seeks to create wider awareness about sport climbing, which has emerged as an internationally recognised Olympic discipline following its inclusion in the Olympic Games.

The five-day camp will also include foundational and intermediate-level climbing training sessions, rope management techniques, harness safety awareness, climbing coordination exercises, endurance training, outdoor survival programmes and physical fitness sessions under the supervision of trained and experienced coaches.