Find some friends - climb some climbs - learn some things - have some fun.
Those are the goals of ASCEND's Bouldering League!
Nuts + Bolts
ASCEND South Side
Six weeks: 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, and finally 10/12 (finals night!). It's okay if your team can't make it on Thursday nights, except for finals night! You'll want to be available for that.
Teams of three (mixed abilities is okay... nay... it's encouraged!)
25 new problems each week
Themed nights TBA - think... live DJ, team spirit night, etc. Got ideas for us? Let us know!
Giveaways, prizes, bragging rights - we're going to put a lot into the setting and organization of the series and finals night, but we also want to hook yinz up with special offers and swag etc.
$30 per person / $90 per team: General admission is not included. Meaning, Members pay nothing additional, Punch Pass holders may debit a punch, and guests may purchase a Day Pass for each visit.
FAQs
So, when do we show up and climb each week? In a perfect world, we'd all do this on each Thursday night at 6p, but we want to provide some flexibility. The setters will set the 25 boulders on Wednesday and Thursday, and as soon as they are done on Thursday, cones removed, you can get started! COMPETITORS MUST REFRAIN FROM CLIMBING THE PROBLEMS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. You have unlimited time, BUT, your team must climb together and all during one single session. So, coordinate your schedules and feel free to show up anytime after Thursday night to throw down. The latest possible night you can climb would be the following Wednesday, though, so don't wait too long! Scores must be submitted by EOD on Wednesday before the next round.
How will scores be tallied? Each night you compete, you will be given an ol' fashioned paper scorecard to log all your team's scores. Once you are done with that session, the Team Captain will enter the scores into an ol' fashioned Google Form.
How will scores be shared? Each Thursday, our League Admins will post the previous week's scores for all to consume.
How will scoring work, exactly? Of the 25 climbs set, each climber on the team will log their top 5 redpoints (completion/sending of the problem from start to finish, in good form, without falling). Each week, however, we will change it up via new scoring rules, for an added element of fun. Stay tuned each week!
How will ranking work, then? All of your team's scores (15 each week) will be averaged into a team score. We'll do this for 5 weeks and will then add the averaged team scores, to get your ultimate qualifier team score. Those scores will be used to determine whether your team is in the Recreational, Intermediate, or Advanced category for finals night.
What if someone on the team doesn't send 5 problems? Zero points will be added in for each blank space. That being said, we are intending that most beginner/recreational climbers will have a good chance at sending at least 5 problems.
What about gender identity divisions? For this league, we will not be factoring in gender identity, or age, or perceived ability.
What if our team is down a person for a particular week? Reach out to us immediately for assistance. We want to be flexible and we will work with you, but we don't want to open up a giant can of worms with a complicated substitute policy. That being said, substitutions may be permitted, but only once per team, and not during finals. The person being replaced should be considered of a similar ability to the replacement. In the unfortunate event that a climber is injured and cannot return to the league, we will work with the team to find a suitable permanent replacement.
How will finals work? Finals will be held on Thursday 10/12 from 6-9p. This evening will in fact be dedicated to you, the league folk (see below). After the 3 hours is up, scores will be tallied and winners will be announced.
Will the section be closed down just for league competitors? No, absolutely not. The masses would revolt and we're already anticipating non-league climbers to be annoyed at the attention the new set is getting. So please, play nice, be respectful, and remember that there is a life outside of the bouldering league.
How To Register
Select either the "Team" or "Individual":
Select "Team" if you already have a team of three and you are the designated Team Captain. Instruct your teammates to do nothing.
Select "Individual" if you are in search of teammates. We'll work to link you up with some stellar folk. If you can, attend our TEAMMATE MATCH NIGHT on AUG. 31, but if you can't, we'll still make it happen. See below for details.
Disclaimer
This is our first attempt at hosting a bouldering league, but we've thought about it for years. We intend on running more at other ASCEND locations. We hope that you enjoy and keep coming back for more! To help us with that, please share any and all feedback with us. We love to hear it, learn from it, and adjust.
DETAILS FOR TEAMMATE MATCH NIGHT
If you'd like to try and meet some prospective teammates, consider visiting ASCEND South Side's front desk between 6-8p on Thursday, August 31. We will have name tags and give you a wristband to help others like yourself find each other. We're merely trying to be a helpful matchmaker!
Once you match up, either have your designated team captain register for the team as a unit, or have everyone sign up as individuals. That doesn't matter to us! Once registration closes, we'll be having the designated team captains complete a google form on behalf of your team.