Varsity Mountaineering
Leeds Uni 1023 – Leeds Met 834
Leeds University Mountaineers proved strong once again in this year’s Varsity bouldering competition with a convincing victory over Leeds Met. LS Sport’s Ben Lewis reports…
The two teams looked evenly matched at the beginning, with a friendly atmosphere at The Depot Climbing Centre on Wednesday afternoon. Two hours later, it was clear that Leeds Uni had clinched the title with a consistent team performance.
The indoor bouldering comp required climbers to scale short and technical routes, known as problems, in the least number of attempts. This demanded good technique and huge physical ability.
Both teams set out at 2pm, cruising through the easier problems and scoring the maximum ten points each for a flash attempt. As the scores grew bigger, competitors worked together to solve more challenging problems.
A severely overhanging climb under ‘the roof’ proved too much for many climbers on their first go, including Leeds University’s Josh Williams. The incredibly steep moves with small holds were placing enormous stress on the arm muscles and finger ligaments of those taking part. People gathered to watch as the boulderers used a combination of heel-hooking and big dynamic moves to propel them to the final hold. By gritted determination Josh Williams finished the overhanging problem before the afternoon was up.
The Leeds University club was pleased with a decisive victory, although there was an underlying expectation that the Uni team would out-climb their Met counterparts in the end.
Tara O’Neill, the Mountaineering Club’s Vice President, commented, “We did really well, especially with two freshers in the competition this year. And our older members keep getting better.”
The Mountaineering Club has traditionally been strong at competitions, with several experienced climbers competing at regional and national level. As BUCS team champions in the spring and also Christie Cup winners, the university has set a consistently high standard at bouldering events which it’s thought will continue this year.
Despite a solid team performance from Leeds Uni, Met climber Josh Farrell shone through with the highest individual score of 197 across the 20 problems. The 19-year-old, who works at a climbing centre in Bingley, is well known on the Yorkshire climbing scene.
Leeds Met hope to work in collaboration with the University this year, building stronger ties between the clubs for the benefits of training and competition practise.
The Leeds University Mountaineering Club meets at The Edge on Thursdays, 8pm.