Climbing & Slack Lining Competitions
ESCALADE CLIMBING CHAMPIONSHIPS '07
METOLIUS BIG WALL COMP
ROPE COILING COMP
WOODIE WORX UNDER 10's DEAD HANG COMP
BEAL SLACK-LINING COMPETITION
THE HIGH N WILD ROPE CLIMBING COMP
There will be two separate elements to the competition side of the festival that will test a range of the amazing abilities that climbers have...
1. Escalade Climbing Championships '07
Australia's leading sport climbers will come together to compete on a spectacular custom built
wall in the centre of the festival action. The competition will be held indoors so will be not
subject to weather. There will be difficulty, speed and dyno competitions. More details to follow...
HISTORY...
'Escalade' was an iconic climbing festival held four times during the nineties which regretfully
stopped after the biggest turnout ever in 1999. 'Escalade' was the inspiration behind the Australian
Climbing Festival.
'Escalade' was renowned for its climbing competitions which were rich in audience excitement
due to the large and festive crowd, and which were held on spectacular custom built walls.
The 'Escalade' climbing competitions are now going to live on at the Australian Climbing Festival
- the freakish strength and talent of the best sport climbers can once again entertain festival goers!
COMPETITORS EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Local or International competition climbers that are interested in competing at the Escalade Climbing Championships
'07 should contact us via emal to apply for one of the few available positions left in this
invitational event.
2. Specific Climbing Skills Comps
The time has come
to find out the diverse and often quirky abilities of all of Australia's climbers
and to test them to the full - with great prizes on offer.
We have put together a range of entertaining, death defying, challenging, extremely/ or at least
a little bit hardcore, but most of all fun competitions, to really find out just what everyone out there
is capable of. These have been designed to entertain and are open to anyone so should be great to watch.
These new and very different challenges include...
METOLIUS BIG WALL COMP
How it works:
A rope hangs from the ceiling central to the industry area. Competitors have to jumar the
free hanging rope (12m), then clip into set anchors (belay) then haul a 50kg bag through a 'wall-hauler'.
The competitor will have a top-rope belay on a second rope as a back-up the whole time. When they finish
hauling the bag there will be a hammer attached to the bag that they use
to hit a bell to stop the clock.
1st Prize: Metolius Haul Bag
STERLING ROPE COILING COMP
Competitors
start with a spaghettied rope in a pile (by festival staff) they have to:
1. Coil a rope (60m) so that it is tied off at the end. The finished product has to resemble a
traditionally coiled rope (no tricks - just rope coiling skills) and wear it over their shoulder (hands free).
2. Then - put on a harness
3. Then - using a second rope, tie into it (using a figure 8 follow-through) and clip into a belay using
an alpine-butterfly knot and a clove hitch....Phew
1st Prize: Sterling Nitro 9.8mm x 60m single rope for fastest time
2nd Prize: Sterling Marathon Sport 10.4mm x 60m single rope for second fastest time
WOODIE WORX UNDER 10's DEAD HANG COMP
The search for the next Sharma...Matheson...Miller. Bring along the children and introduce them to a hangboard.
The longest time hanging on WINS!!! (no strapping tape allowed!) With lots of Australia's top climbers in the breeding
phase of their life this will be the comp to watch.
Two categories (1) under 5 (2) 6-10 years
1st Place in each category wins a Woodie Worx hangboard
2nd Place in each category wins a small set of Woodie Worx holds
THE 'HIGH N WILD' ROPE CLIMBING COMP
What's Involved: Two strands of 11mm rope hang from the ceiling in the main industry area, competitors clip into a
backup top-rope. Competitors have to climb the rope without any ascenders or prussiks. We will have someone demonstrate
'foot-locking' as one technique to climb the rope. The aim is to get climbers to think outside the box and end up with
an extra tool for self rescue with minimal gear + have some fun with a new competition. This would be run for 1.5 hours
Prize: Fastest to the top wins a High N Wild voucher valid for 12 months (for a canyoning trip through 'Empress Canyon'
valued at $150)
Beal Slack-lining Competition
Slack-lining over a swimming pool!
$1000.00 worth of prizes up for grabs!
We are setting up a 15 metre slack-line across the width of a 50m long outdoor pool - there are going to be
some wet climbers! This will be a low key outlet for some fun and self expression.
COMPETITION FIRST ROUND - 'The Crossing'
Competitors will sign up on the day, pay a small fee and then aim to qualify for the second round by walking
the full length of the slack-line (3 attempts). The first six competitors who walk the width will be given
spot prizes by sponsors.
COMPETITION SECOND ROUND - 'Freestyle'
Qualifying slack-liners will strut their stuff on the line. The commentator will let the audience judge
a winner based on tricks and style.
Some History on Slacklining (from Wikipedia)
While rope walking has been around in one manner or another for thousands of years, the origins of modern day
slacklining are generally attributed to a pair of rock climbers living in Yosemite Valley, California, in the
early 1980s. Adam Grosowsky and Jeff Ellington started their walking on loose chains and cables alongside parking
lots, and over time progressed to stringing up their climbing webbing and walking it. The sport blossomed from there
among climbers in the valley, and then branched out elsewhere all over the world.
World Record - Longest Slackline:
The longest slackline on record was walked by Damian Cooksey on April 23, 2006. The length of this slackline was
310 ft (94.5 meters).
World record - highest highline:
The highest highline took place in Kjerag, Norway, on august 3, 2006 by Christian Schou, 1000 metres off the ground.
