Junior Ian Baker walked away with a new harness after beating out competition from dozens of climbers to take first place at the Summit Rock Climbing Competition on Jan. 18. More than 35 climbers from as far away as Great Falls and Spokane, Wash., ranging in age from seven to over 35, met at the Summit to compete for equipment and other prizes.
"There were a lot of people," said Baker. "It was really competitive and nerve-racking."
The climbing wall was marked with routes of all levels of difficulty. Each route was marked with a certain point value. The participants could climb as many routes as he or she wanted, receiving point deductions for each fall. After each fall, participants had to wait before making another attempt. Each contestant's top five routes were totaled to determine the winner, and the sixth was used as a tie-breaker. Three FHS contestants - Baker and juniors Brandon French and Ryan Nyquist - climbed a route that was previously hidden in a final climb-off to determine the champion.
Baker began climbing more than three years ago when he took a class in Eureka for a week. He was instantly hooked on the sport and has been climbing ever since.
"I love it," said Baker. "Being on the longer routes, being up there, is the best part."
French took second place, winning a new chalk bag. Although French is the 18-and-under state racquetball champion, and usually gives tips on the court rather than receives them, he also won a free racquetball lesson. French likes competing because "everybody gets together and has a lot of fun."
For senior Stacey Pitts, who took first in the women's intermediate division, the fun came when the climb was over.
"The best part is when you reach the top, and you know you're finished," said Pitts. "It's a huge rush."