Photo: Molly Ferris at Briancon. Photo Credit: Sytse van Slooten

​As part of the Adaptive Climbing edition of Common Climber we wanted to highlight a few of the athletes who train and compete in the National and International climbing events put on by the International Federation of Sport Climbing.  These athletes have been pushing the boundaries on a national and international stage showing the world, they are climbers first and adaptive is just the techniques they use to perform at the highest level of climbing competition.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) has been hosting Paraclimbing competitions since 2006. The first international event saw athletes from Belarus, Italy, Japan, and Russia compete in Ekaterinburg, Russia. The movement has grown in recent years, with a regular circuit being added to the IFSC calendar from 2010 and IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships taking place from July 2011. It has become tradition that the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships run alongside the IFSC Climbing World Championships, promoting athletes with a disability on the same stage as other athletes.

With over 100 athletes enrolled in the 2018 World Championship in Innsbruck and of the increasing standard of competitions, the IFSC remains dedicated to developing and strengthening the competitions and support available to athletes.

In the light of this, in October 2018 the IFSC appointed a Paraclimbing Development Officer to construct a strategic plan for developing the sport further. The plan was unanimously approved at the 2019 IFSC Plenary Assembly in Tokyo, Japan.  This plan has the following objectives:

• Acknowledge the strength and importance of the Paraclimbing community;
• Give credibility to the Paraclimbing movement;
• Professionalize the sport by striving to meet the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) standards, to make the sport worth to be considered among the candidates for future Paralympic Games (i.e. Paralympics 2028).

The Paraclimbing Development Plan was voted unanimously by the Plenary Assembly 2019, and can be summarized as follows:

• The suspension of the Paraclimbing Commission, to allow for its reorganization
  
• The request to delegate to the Executive Board the election of the new Paraclimbing Committee, whose members shall be ratified by the PA 2020;
  
• The approval of the budget for Paraclimbing activities in 2019 of $77,355.00
  
• Draft Paraclimbing Regulations (to be found in the document as appendix);
  
• The appointment of a Paraclimbing Officer.

Although it is an IPC (International Paralympic Committee) recognized sport, we are yet to see climbing in the Paralympics.

PARACLIMBING CATEGORIES

Paraclimbing is a form of climbing designed for people with impairments. There are 20 categories in paraclimbing. We can split these categories into four separate sections (each with a male/female group) which are as follows:

B: Visually impaired/blind
AU: Arm/forearm amputee
AL: Leg amputee & Paraplegic
RP: Limited range, power and stability
These are then split into 2 or 3 different sub-categories that is more specific to the severity of the condition.

B: VISUALLY IMPAIRED/BLIND
 
Visual impairments come in all shapes and sizes; so, although there are three separate levels of severity within this category, there can still be a huge difference in the way two people within the same sub- category see and adapt to their impairment. Visual impairments can be caused by a variety of different things and can affect each person very differently. Some athletes may only have central vision while others may only have peripheral. This will have a huge effect on the way each individual athlete navigates and climbs.
 
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
B1: Fully blind/light perception (all competitors in the B1 category must wear a blindfold in competition)
B2: A visual acuity between 1/60 and 2/60 AND/OR a visual field of less than 5%
B3: A visual acuity between 2/60 and 6/60 AND/0R a visual field of 5-20%
 
SIGHT GUIDING
When watching visually impaired athletes climb, you’ll notice that the vast majority wear some form of headset and will always come out with a partner who acts as their ‘sight guide’. In competition, blind climbers are able to view their route for a little longer than other athletes and first watch a video of somebody climbing the route on a screen in isolation; this allows their sight guide to take a look at the route, work out beta, and then efficiently describe each section to their climber. On the wall, the sight guide is incredibly important as they have the tricky task of describing the direction, shape, size, distance and technique of the next hold/move to their climber in just a few seconds to prevent the climber hanging around and tiring out. The relationship between a blind climber and their sight guide is very important as the sight guide needs to have a really thorough understanding of how their athlete climbs.  The two will often have a set of keywords or a style of communicating that works best for them and allows them to communicate quickly and efficiently. ​

AU: ARM/FOREARM AMPUTEE
 
AU1: Arm amputee
AU2: Forearm Amputee
​
Climbing is a full body workout; however, there’s no doubt it’s tough on our upper body, so AU athletes often have their own specific ways of ascending a route that is very different to an able-bodied climber.

Typically, forearm amputees will have the use of their elbow and perhaps some of their forearm to allow them to hook onto holds, which (with a lot of practice) can allow them a great deal of grip and movement. ​

AL: PARAPLEGIC/AMPUTEE LEGS

AL1: Paraplegic (2 legs no usable muscle function below waist; Climbing method uses arms only)

AL2: Lower limb amputee (prosthetics allowed)

RP: LIMITED RANGE, POWER, and STABILITY
 
The RP category is undoubtedly the most diverse of paraclimbing categories. As a growing sport, there is a limit to the number of categories we can split the competitors into.  The RP category groups together all athletes with conditions that result in limited range, power and stability. Many of these conditions are neurological disabilities such as MS, stroke survivors, brain damage and so on. You may also see several competitors who climb similarly to an AL/AU athlete due to a condition/accident that has affected the development or use of a limb, placing them in the RP category instead.

This category is a very complex one and you will often see an incredible variety of athletes under the RP umbrella. It’s not as simple to determine whether you qualify to climb in the RP category.

The competition format for all Paraclimbing Climbing competitions will be redpoint and will be executed on top rope.

Invitations to the IFSC World Paraclimbing Championships, held every two years, will be given based on the results of that year's Paraclimbing National Championships.

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THE INTERVIEWS

To give you a firsthand perspective of Paraclimbing, I reached out to several of the athletes competing at IFSC national and international level events.  I think you will find these interviews are not much different from any other climbing interview.  As climbers we all have our trials and tribulations, hopes and dreams of big climbs, and those funny stories of things that didn’t quite go as planned.

With that said sit back and enjoy the perspectives of Ben Mayforth, Emily Stephenson, and Molly Ferris!

Ben Mayforth

 I am a Climbing coach and climbing Instructor at Earth Treks Timonium. 
 
Why did I start Climbing?  My dad and uncle were climbers in their twenties, my dad stopped but my uncle never did.  Stories of them climbing mountains and skiing got my adventurer’s heart going to be interested in climbing.  I started climbing seriously my senior year of college.  I had just finished playing four years of wheelchair basketball for the university of Missouri and needed a new sport to take my time and discipline.  So a buddy of mine said lets go to this bouldering gym.  It was a small gym called the bouldering garden.  I went once and never looked back.  

What motivates me to climb hard?   I climb hard because I want to be a good climber and push my body to its utter limit.  I enjoy the mental state of trying hard and performing on difficult boulder problems and routes.  I climb outside. The hardest I have climbed outside is V7 and I typically go for thuggy routes and problems.

Training routines:  I climb three days a week, one day working on strength and movement, one on power and one on power endurance.  I lift two days a week and I also take an active rest day to work on mobility. 
 
My most excellent adventure:  The adaptive climbing festival in 2019!  I drove from Bel Air, Maryland to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Arkansas in two days.  When I got there, I was doing a birthday challenge of 25 V-points in 25 hours nothing under a v-3.  I began with a night session sending two problems that night, then went to bed.  Th next day I sent four problems during our first session out.  Then finished it off with another night session with Coach Emmett Flashing my second V5 of the trip.  What I enjoyed the most was just the two night sessions in that time and doing it with my friends in the community.  Seeing everyone that weekend was great, and I got to visit other friends in the area on my way home. 

Next on my tick list: Consistently doing V6-V9 and working on getting my first V10 this year.  

My favorite memory of Nationals:  That would also be in 2019.  The movement of route 70 was just my style and the big move on the route into the Hueco was one of the most freeing moves I have ever felt on a route.  

My category is:  RP2. 

Strategies I use: I typically try to rely of my upper body strength and thuggy climbing so I can overcompensate for lack of range and power in my legs.  But when I need to use my legs, I favor my stronger one and try and put myself in a good position to use that leg to the best of my ability.  

Ben Mayforth on Popeye at Horse Pens 40 in Alabama (V5). "These pictures were taken during the Triple Crown 2019. It’s been a project of mine for the past two years." Photo Credit: Tim Foote IG: ​@mentalformantels

Photo Credit: Tim Foote

Follow Ben on Instagram: ​@crushing_benjamin.

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Molly Ferris

What do you do for a living?  I am currently working at a social service agency and getting my Master's in Social Work
 
What are your least favorite foods?   I actually try to eat (small portions at a time) foods I hate.  So far I've learned to like green beans, olives and cauliflower.  
 
Any foods you just can’t avoid?  POPCORN.  
 
Favorite food while climbing?  I feel like you can't go wrong with a good sandwich or granola bar.  Something that has structural integrity, so I don't need to handle it with my dirty hands
 
Why did you decide to get into climbing? I saw my local gym post about an adaptive group and decided I never wanted to leave.  I got my first taste of climbing in high school during a gym unit at our climbing wall.  All these years later and I still remembered how to tie a knot.
 
What really motivates you to climb hard? I think it is the adrenaline rush after being lowered that is worth the thrill of the try hard. 
 
What person has had the biggest influence on your climbing? The entire adaptive community, really.  I've never been a part of a sport like this before and being able to joke, exchange tips and tricks and stories has kept me continually running back. 
 
Do you climb outside or gym only? Being in Chicago, it's hard to get to good outdoor crags.  Our closest crag is 4 hours away.  I don't get to go outside much, but maybe 3-4 times a year when I can sneak away for the weekend. 
 
If you do climb in the gym only what Is your favorite type of route? I absolutely love corners! Aretes or dihedrals because I love how it makes you think about your body and your technique.  
 
What is your training routine? I've been trying to focus more on my general fitness level as of lately.  So, I have been lifting weights and attending classes at my gym (like HIIT, Ab Blast and Yoga classes)
 
What’s your most excellent adventure (climbing trip) so far? I went to the Red River Gorge with a group called the Midwest Women's Climbing Collective.  They hold 2 yearly trips which are amazing to hang with a group of strong, outdoorsy women and work on skills together and enjoy our time outdoors.  I've been on two trips with them and have made so many connections.  These trips aren't necessarily about climbing projects but building and nurturing community. 
 
What category do you climb in at Nationals? Female AU2 (Upper Limb)
 
What are the rules and techniques for your category? The only rule for AU2 is no use of prosthestics. Besides that, the best techniques for us are FOOTWORK FOOTWORK FOOTWORK.  I've noticed that a lot of the girls in my category are very good at squatting on footrests to make sure the hands are in a favorable position before making the next move. 
 
Favorite memory from Nationals: It was my very firsts Nationals and I had only been climbing for maybe 6 months at the time.  I was feeling a bit flustered and underwhelmed by my performance but then I heard my name being shouted by (new) friends on the ground.  I knew then that this was a strong community and I had friends to lean on.

Molly Ferris at Briancon. Photo Credit: Sytse van Slooten

Molly Ferris at Briancon. Photo Credit: Sytse van Slooten

Molly Ferris at Innsbruk.

​Follow Molly on Instagram: @mawhlee