BOISE, Idaho — The top six climbers will compete in the Idaho bouldering state championship at the Commons Climbing Gym on December 16.
This weekend the Commons hosted the Boise Boulder Battle, one of three qualifiers and anyone could from Idaho could enter this competition where the top five men and women moved onto the finals.
Robin Crotteau and Jimmy Catana won the competition showcasing skill, physical prowess and mental focus.
"It’s putting together a puzzle, it’s like a maze," said Catana. "You kind of you look at some holds in the wall and you just try to figure out the best way to get through it."
Bouldering is a great way to climb because it doesn't require ropes. The only equipment climbers need is a mat for safety as the route setters installed four different routes to challenge the climbers in different ways during the finals.
"Everybody has a different body, everybody has a different style so everybody is unique," said Catana. "It is so cool to see everybody do something different."
The crowd rooted on the climbers who also worked together to figure out the best way to attack these routes.
"You are competing, but it is just super positive and that is some of the fun and the strategy," said Crotteau. "You go out there to preview the route and a lot of times we will talk about how we think the climb should be done and we kind of work together to figure out how to do the boulder."
It also showcases the growth of climbing in the Treasure Valley with the Commons Climbing Gym and Vertical View opening their doors in the last few years. The community also has Asana so there's a variety of choices and that wasn't the case too long ago.
"I grew up here in Boise and when I was a kid I started climbing at the downtown YMCA and the west Y had the only climbing gyms in Boise," said Cotteau. "Now we have these really great gyms in the Boise area so we have had really high level competitions."
In October, Vertical View and Asana hosted a national climbing competition and this weekend the Commons hosted one of their own as climbers have more opportunities because of the quality of climbing gyms in the Treasure Valley.
