MERIDIAN, Idaho — The Treasure Valley continues to ascend the ranks of the rock climbing world. Rajath Thekkedath, the head coach of the Vertical View climbing team, has seen it firsthand.
"This community has grown a lot," Thekkedath said. "I've been here about 10 years, and in the 10 years, two new gyms have opened up. The youth programs have put out a lot of exceptional athletes."
Vertical View and Asana Climbing Gym both hosted the 2023 US Open Nationals, and more and more Idahoans are giving the sport a try. Most end up falling in love with a new passion.
KTVB sports reporter Brady Frederick suited up with a harness and a pair of climbing shoes, and got ready to see what the hype is all about.
Thekkedath showed him the ropes on one of their most entry-level climbs.
If you can get past your fear of heights, it's a lot of fun, an adrenalin rush and a full body workout. As climbers gain experience, they can start diving into the main disciplines used in competition.
A new change for the 2024 Paris Olympics – speed climbing is now a standalone event with its own medal. The sport is basically the climbing equivalent of a short sprint, a head-to-head race up a 15-meter wall.
"The world record right now is something like 4.78 (seconds). It's pretty incredible," Thekkedath said. "That five-second barrier was kind of like the four-minute mile for the longest time."
While other climbs emphasize variety, this one is always the exact same route.
"Even the angle of the wall, the distance between the holds, and the orientation of every hold is measured to an exact degree," Thekkedath said.
Frederick's opponent was Jimmy Catama, a local 18-year-old who's gearing up to compete in the Youth Nationals. It went about as expected, maybe even worse than expected.
Even though the focus is on speed and power, the wall is still an intermediate difficulty. As a beginner, Frederick struggled compared to Catama, who has 11 years of experience.
Looking to the wall, there are many different ways to approach it. Although taller climbers with long arms should benefit from their reach, shorter climbers can make up for it with their agility and technique.
"Everybody is unique, everybody's body is different, so everybody's style is different," Catama said. "I'm on the shorter side of the climbing world, so my style is dynamic. I like to jump a lot, I'm very springy. So, everybody's a little different."
Regardless of ability, getting into climbing is easier than ever. Now featured as a standalone sport, speed climbing is becoming more popular than ever.
"I think it's amazing that people are starting to see what climbing is and how different climbing is," Catama said.
Thekkedath said it's "unbelievable" to witness the growth ahead of the Paris Games, adding it's "honestly hard to imagine prior to 2016 or whenever they announced it."
