Why Compete?
The Columbia University Rock Climbing Club Competition Team is a chance to challenge yourself, improve your climbing, and represent Columbia alongside a team of fellow climbers.
Competition climbing gives you goals to work toward, new skills to develop, and opportunities to meet climbers from other schools. Whether you want to push your limits, enjoy the competitive side of climbing, or simply try something new, there is a place for you on the team.
How Is Competition Climbing Different?
Climbing for fun and climbing in a competition are both rewarding, but competitions add a new challenge! Instead of simply choosing routes or problems at the gym, you take on set climbs under competition rules, with scoring based on your performance.
You can test your skills across different styles of climbing, learn to manage nerves and time pressure, and cheer on teammates. You do not have to be the strongest climber to benefit from competing. It is a chance to learn, challenge yourself, and see how far you can go.
Our Circuit: USA Climbing Collegiate Series
Our competition team competes in the USA Climbing Collegiate Series, where students represent their schools and compete against climbers from other colleges.
The series features three climbing disciplines:
The Road to Collegiate Nationals
The season includes several Qualification Events (QEs), followed by a Collegiate National Qualifying Event (CNQE) and, for those who qualify, Collegiate Nationals.
Participation in a QE qualifies competitors to compete at a CNQE. There are limited spots for CNQE competitors to qualify for Nationals.
QEs and CNQEs are divided into seven regional divisions. CURC competes in the Collegiate Northeast Division, which covers Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Competition dates and locations vary by season. Check the schedule below for updates.
Seasons & Schedule
The collegiate competition year spans the fall and spring semesters.
Fall Season
The fall season kicks off the competition year, with Qualification Events where teammates can gain experience and work toward qualifying for the next stage.
Spring Season
The spring season continues the qualification pathway, culminating in the CNQE and Collegiate Nationals for those who qualify.
Competition Categories
The USA Climbing Collegiate Series offers Intermediate and Advanced categories, so climbers can compete at a level that fits their experience and goals.
Intermediate
A great option for climbers who are newer to competitions or still developing their climbing skills. This category offers a chance to gain experience, challenge yourself, and learn the ropes of competition climbing.
In general, competitors in this category can comfortably climb V4 and 5.10+ at QE difficulty. At Nationals, the difficulty may be V5+ for women and V7+ for men.
Advanced
For more experienced climbers looking for a higher level of competition. This category is suited to climbers ready to take on more challenging competition fields and push their performance.
In general, competitors in this category include members with previous competition experience, either as teens or during previous college seasons, and those who can comfortably climb V6/V7 and 5.12+ at QE difficulty. At Nationals, the difficulty may be V8+ for women and V10+ for men.
Not sure which category is right for you? Reach out to the competition team, and we can help you figure out where to start!
Financials
We want competition climbing to be accessible to everyone on the team.
Travel & Lodging: The club helps cover most travel and lodging expenses for competitions, making it easier to compete with us.
Competition Registration: Students may be responsible for registration fees, with contributions depending on each student's ability to pay. We want finances to be as little of a barrier to participation as possible.
If you're interested in competing but have questions about costs, please reach out! We want to help you figure out how to get involved.
Mailing List
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