Gettysburg Climbing Club Hosts First Climbing Competition in Three Years
By Ella Prieto, Assistant News Editor
Students participate in Battle of the Burg climbing competition at the Jaegar Center on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023 (Photo Ella Prieto/The Gettysburgian)
On Saturday, the Gettysburg Climbing Club hosted Battle of the Burg in the Den of Jaeger Center. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was the first climbing competition since 2020.
The event was organized by the Garthwait Leadership Center’s (GLC) Den Team, particularly by project leader Wilson Schultz ’23 and outdoor facilitator Nick Silvis ’23. Schultz and Silvis, along with head route setter Dan Yates, who also serves as the major gifts officer for the College, created 82 routes that were split between the bouldering wall and the tower of the Den.
“This is something I have been working on for the past year, and has been one of the biggest projects that I’ve worked on within my college career,” said Schultz. “It’s been cool today, seeing everybody show up for this thing I’ve been working on for so long.”
Attendees who competed followed the routes based on their tape markings. They then tracked their routes on pieces of paper provided by the competition’s organizers.
The competition featured climbers from Gettysburg College, Dickinson College, Georgetown University, and community members from local rock climbing gyms such as Rock Bottom Climbing and Climbnasium.
“I love the Den and the tower and the GLC staff for making this an opportunity for all students and visitors,” said Gabe Guzman ’24, a member of the Gettysburg Climbing Team.
Daniel Fisher, a student from Georgetown University, expressed similar sentiments.
“It [the climbing competition] has been a great event so far! I’m having a good time. It’s a small facility but with a lot of character. It’s been very nice,” shared Fisher.
All the climbers entered a raffle with their registration for the competition, and prizes included a brand-new Asana crash pad, Black Diamonds backpacks, belay devices, a slackline, and rock climbing chalk. Individuals who won their division were given extra raffle tickets to increase their chances of winning a prize.
The divisions included novice, intermediate, and advanced, and were split between males, females, and nonbinary participants. Some of the winners for their respective categories were Riley Nolan ’26, Asher Devine ’26, and Gabe Guzman ’24.
Given the success of this event, the Gettysburg Climbing Team is looking forward to future competitions like this one.
