On Wednesday, Nov. 6th, ETSU Outdoor Adventure of Campus Recreation hosted its fourth Annual Shadow of the Mountain Climbing Competition. Participants were encouraged to show their skills in rock climbing at the beginner, intermediate or advanced level. From 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., the competition was held in the Basler Center for Physical Activity (CPA). Contestants paid $20 for a ticket and signed in at the climbing wall. All participants received a participation shirt as part of their entry.
After the opening of the climbing wall and the Outdoor Adventure Center (OAC) on June 1, 2021, the Annual Shadow of the Mountain Climbing Competition began later that fall to showcase the new wall, space, gear and enthusiasm of the addition. Assistant Director of Outdoor Adventure Eric Payne oversees events and programs as part of the Department of Campus Recreation. Going beyond what it means to win, Payne approaches the competition with personal challenge and growth in mind.
“We hope that these events and others will inspire students to try hard things, step into challenges and grow personally and find new friendships as they share a passion for recreation,” Payne stated.
Growing with the years, the event and its participants have progressed together to what it is today due to the support of the ETSU climbing community. Thanks to them, the competition has thrived with new sponsors, an increased prize pool and a new focus on building higher-quality routes.
“This year we beat all previous standards with the most competitors at 28, the most routes at 19,” Payne wrote. “And some of the best climbing we have seen.”
Looking forward, Outdoor Adventure hopes to grow in participant size as the competition evolves. In the future, they aim to potentially partner with local climbing gyms and include outside competitors to expand their outreach and offer more to rock climbing enthusiasts. To learn more about Outdoor Adventure and how to get involved, visit https://www.etsu.edu/students/campusrec/oa/.
