Last weekend featured two bouldering competitions. They were completely different in format, each with its own setup. And best of all: I went home with first place in both.
Kilterboard competition at Bossche Boulders
In my home gym, Bossche Boulders, a Kilterboard competition was organized. I had participated in a Kilterboard competition once before and really enjoyed it, so when this one took place in my own gym, I did not have to think twice about joining. The turnout was unfortunately not very large. Perhaps for a next edition it would be worth introducing separate categories for men and women, or divisions based on level.
For the competition, 20 boulders had been set. We started at an accessible level and gradually worked our way up to 7C. Each participant received three jokers, allowing for extra attempts if a boulder did not go. In addition, there was one skip available for a boulder that did not suit your style at all.
The first boulders were no problem for anyone. Thanks to the small group, we were able to move through the routes quickly without long waiting times. After each attempt, you could choose your starting position again, which meant the order kept changing and the competition remained fair.
From boulder 10 onwards, small mistakes started to creep in among the other participants. Jokers were used and the field gradually thinned out. In the end, it came down to just me and one other climber. A small edge and poor skin proved fatal for him on boulder 14, while I managed to top it. That secured the win.
Of course, we still tried the remaining boulders afterwards. In the end, I climbed 17 out of the 20 boulders. The win was great, but what stands out most to me is how fun the set was. Want to try them yourself? Look them up in the Kilterboard app under the climber “mupke”.
Triggerfinger Boulder Tilburg
After taking part in the Triggerfinger competition at Neoliet in January 2026 (toprope climbing), I decided a week before the final to also join the bouldering edition in Boulder Tilburg. The format is similar: new boulders are set each week, with a large final set during the finals. Each boulder has a zone and a top, and you earn points based on the number of tops divided by the total number of climbers who topped that boulder.
In the week leading up to the final, I visited Boulder Tilburg twice. During my first session, I focused on the hardest boulders. After two hours of climbing, I had completed all boulders graded 6C and above, except for one. On that one, I could not get past the start.
During my second session, all the easier boulders were still on the list. Although they were technically less challenging, there were a lot of them. In hindsight, this was not my best decision. The lack of challenge made me lose focus, and I messed up several flash attempts. Still, after two sessions I had climbed more than 100 boulders and was in first place.
On the final day, you could start as early as 09:00. Since my earlier sessions had gone well, I only started around 14:30. That still gave me plenty of time to try 25 boulders. After my warm-up, I joined a group working on the hardest boulder of the set: a route where heel hooks were crucial. After cleaning the holds, I managed to top it right away, strengthening my first place.
The boulder I had struggled with earlier had since been adjusted. The starting hold had been slightly changed because no one could get through the opening moves. Thanks to this adjustment, I was able to complete this boulder as well. In the end, I topped all the boulders in the Triggerfinger competition. As a reward, I received a nice bag from RAB.
Conclusion: a successful climbing weekend
It was a very successful weekend with two enjoyable competitions and two first-place finishes. The competition calendar for the coming months is still quite full, so it will be difficult to choose which event to join next.
