The Day That Was

Though the women’s category of the 6th St. Stephen’s Open Sport Climbing Competition started a day later than scheduled, the excitement associated remained undiminished.

Shatakshi Sharma, Yashasvi Kansotia and I were the women representatives in the competition from our college, going up against a national level climber who was all of 14 years old (and still sends chills down our spines when we think of her, that’s how good she was) and another participant from a renowned club. We all shared a few greetings, trying to put each other and ourselves at ease.

The competition had three rounds in all, with two routes in each round, i.e., it meant giving your best shot six times in a day – exhausting to say the least!! While the first and the second rounds consisted of lead climbing, i.e., climbing difficult routes without any top rope, the third round dealt with speed climbing and tested your speed at climbing up an easier route.

I had a blast as, even though the competition was demanding, it isn’t often that one gets to prove oneself on the wall with a crowd cheering you on. The best part was the ‘music’, i.e., the choice to play your own favourite tracks while trying your best on the wall.

Among the three rounds, the third round (the speed climbing round) was the best according to me, as it gave me an opportunity to view the performance of all the participants, which was great.

The competition gave me a platform to test myself, a much needed exposure for any climber, i.e., to know his or her shortcomings while under pressure. More than physical exertion, the competition tests one’s stress management, a factor that is missing in practice sessions. Thus, while regular practice is essential and very helpful, competitions have a lot to contribute to one’s growth, as at the end of the day, it’s not wholly about winning but about one’s experiences, which will be cherished for a lifetime.

I’d like to thank all the members of the Hiking Club, especially the president of the club, Muhammed Asad, who was a constant source of encouragement throughout the competition, never letting anyone lose faith in themselves.

As the competition was not limited only to our college but was a national level competition, so everything had to be properly in place, i.e., refreshments, first aid kit, water etc., and all these were dealt with effortlessly. Thus, in the end, the 6th St. Stephen’s Open Sport Climbing Competition saw not only the climbers perform under pressure, but also the organizing committee, who together constitute the Hiking Club - OUR Hiking Club!!

-Sruthi Johnson