Last Sunday, I was in Heerlen for the Wintersends competition in The Climbing Corner, with a group of friends. Although it felt more like summer outside, it is officially still winter.
The Wintersends competition has been around for several years now and is always a fun and relaxed event. The participants have 4 hours to climb no less than 50 boulders. The gym is emptied out for this, leaving only the competition boulders.
Each edition gets better.
What I always notice when I participate in this competition is that there is always something new. This year, there were clear upgrades again: new holds, a new wall section, and – my favorite – the switch to Toplogger for logging your boulders instead of the traditional paper cards. This not only makes it easier for the participants, but it also allows you to track your score live and speeds up the prize ceremony.
Visual spectacle
What stands out immediately is the visual appearance of the boulders. The holds are large, and the boulders are longer with a lot of movement. There is a lot of use of modules, which creates interesting and varied moves. This not only makes the boulders more technically challenging but also more fun to climb.
The competition in action
The competition started with a brief explanation, and then it was time to hit the wall. I personally use the easier boulders to warm up. I keep a fast pace so I have more time for the harder routes. My goal was to flash as many boulders as possible, since you can earn an extra 5% points for your final score by doing so.
Each boulder had its own character. Some had tricky moves, making it easy to make a mistake. This created the necessary tension and a clear distinction in the final rankings. The style of the boulders was dynamic, but without the exaggerated 'compstyle' you sometimes see in other competitions. Often, you had to swing your feet from left to right, and the more difficult boulders usually had just one crux, after which it was mainly about finishing the boulder.
With around 150 participants from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, it was a lively atmosphere. Luckily, you didn’t have to wait long to get started, which made the vibe even better. After 2.5 hours, I had climbed all 50 routes. Although I made a few mistakes here and there, which cost me some flash points, I ultimately finished in a great second place. My prize? An amazing prize package, including a new pair of climbing shoes!
Fun side events
Besides the regular boulders, there were also three fun side events where you could win extra prizes. The organization had screwed 10 golden bolts into the wall. If you found one, you could participate in a lottery with a 1 in 10 chance of winning a nice prize. I was so focused on the boulders that I completely overlooked a bolt at a sit-start, but others were lucky!
Another challenge was a riddle. In Toplogger, participants could see letters by the boulders. If you placed them in the correct order, you would get a sentence. Whoever figured out the sentence the fastest won a prize. The final challenge was the so-called 'Crack of Doom.' Two wooden plates with a gap between them floated in the air, and you had to wedge yourself between them with your upper body and arms and hang on for as long as possible. My personal record was 2 seconds, but the winner managed to hang for an impressive 9 minutes! These side events made the competition even more fun.
Final thoughts
I look back on a fantastic and enjoyable competition, with many fun boulders, great organization, and awesome prizes. If you love bouldering and want to experience a relaxed yet challenging competition, then the Wintersends in Heerlen is definitely a recommendation!
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