Peak Experiences Comp - 3/5/11

We went up to Midlotian Virginia on Saturday for the first top rope competition of this season. Ben did very well, placing 2nd in Youth D boys. His top 5 scores were each 5.10's and 5.11's, which are very difficult routes. Here's some pics of him climbing, and my best description of what's happening in the picture ...

He's getting ready to do a cross-over move to that big yellow hold on the right
And he makes it - it was tricky because you have to dyno (jump over) to it, and your body swings, and if you don't control the swing then you'll flip right off the hold. Ben got it! He's been practicing these at the gym.

Ben has gotten so tall over the last year, he can reach a lot further now.

The climbing walls all have different angles, so you have to control your body over the angles.

The next few pictures follow this amazing route - it was the most difficult route he completed, and was a 5.11. Here he's starting to turn parallel to the ground to traverse the arch. We have a similar set-up at our gym, only it's 6 feet off the ground. Here, Ben's about 30 feet off the ground.

Following the route along the underside of the arch. Ben is anchoring his feet while moving his hands.

The most difficult move was from the last picture to this one - going from hanging under the arch, to reaching up and shifting your entire body weight over an up to start moving up the wall. Last year, there was a move like this in one of his season finals routes, and Ben couldn't make it. He's gotten so much stronger.

Now the hand and foot holds get really small and flat. It takes a lot of strenght and balance to move up the wall without much to hold onto. And, get over the big triangle!

Perfect execution over the triangle.

And he's up to the top! 70 feet off the ground. He looks back at the belayer to ensure he gets full credit for the route.