Halloween is set to look different this year for many people and organizations as COVID-19 has put a hold on many classic traditions. The Outdoor Program at the University of Idaho found a way around the situation as they continue its tradition of the Monster Match Climbing Competition.
Halloween is set to look different this year for many people and organizations as COVID-19 has put a hold on many classic traditions. The Outdoor Program at the University of Idaho found a way around the situation as they continue its tradition of the Monster Match Climbing Competition.
Participants will climb using the MyClimb app, available on the Google Play store and the Apple store. The app is used to log climbs as participants finish them to track their progress throughout the week. There is no limit to the amount of climbs a participant can complete.
“The competition is something we’ve done annually,” Nathan Moody, Outdoor Program coordinator, said. “We usually plan this on Thanksgiving or the Friday before Thanksgiving but to aid in social distancing and allowing people to compete over a larger period of time, we started using the MyClimb app. Ultimately, what you do to compete, is you go in and climb as many hard routes as you can in your division. The winners will be decided by who climbed the most.”
There are four divisions in the competition, and the top three in each division will be declared winners. The four divisions include the minimum grade bouldering V0, minimum grade bouldering V2, minimum grade bouldering V4 and minimum grade bouldering V8.
To fit the Halloween theme of the competition, participants are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes when competing.
“In the past, there’s been a costume contest, but because we can’t all just line up and have the costume contest in person, we’re going to have participants wear costumes when climbing,” Moody said. “You can also take a picture and post it with your climb, and we’ll give you extra points for your costume.”
The competition has a limit of 24 people allowed at the Climbing Center as they follow protocols set by the Student Recreation Center. This year’s competition will look different than years prior, but Moody expects it to be a fun and competitive outing for the Moscow community.
“It’s always been super fun and a competition that we have opened up to the community, where we’ve had youths compete as well,” Moody said. “In the past, it was just a fun costume contest, and last year we had 40 people come out for Halloween. It’s an alternative to going out and gathering in large groups and so it gives people something else to do.”
More information about the competition can be found in the Outdoor Program office or the Climbing Center. Questions can be answered by Moody by contacting him through his email at [email protected].
Armin Mesinovic can be reached [email protected] on Twitter @arminmesinovic.