Contest ignited at this location, marking the second school cup event.

Rockin' Yakutia: Yakutsk's Climbing Odyssey

YAKUTIA.INFO. The past weekend in Yakutsk saw a gritty, raw battle for dominance in the Cup of NPSO School No.2's bouldering competitions. The fierce showdown took place at the oldest climbing wall in Yakutia—a decade-old beast celebrating its anniversary this year.

School No.2 isn't just any ordinary academic institution; it set the climbing stage for Yakutia's mountainous adventure. Fostering a bustling climbing scene, School No.2 witnessed the establishment of the Yakutia Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing, and birthed a new generation of yakutian climbers. Last year, "climbing" officially joined the "Children of Asia" games program, and an international-grade climbing wall was erected at the "Dohsun" sports complex. Over the years, climbing transformed from a frostbitten pastime to a bone-crushing sport, complete with ranking systems, national competitions, and yakutian champions.

We caught up with School No.2's director, Vasily Vladimirov, a sportsman with a knack for flipping the bird at gravity, to delve deeper into the competition, the climbing wall, and more.

First, let's talk about the competition. It's safe to say that these battle royales have become a tradition for the school. The growing numbers of competitors—both children and adults—are testament to climbing's recent inclusion in the Olympic games and its victory as a discipline in last year's "Children of Asia" games. Get ready to grip, lean, and pull, 'cause our climbing wall is something special; it stands tall as the first in the entire republic. Once upon a time, our infamous wall was built under the leadership of Alexei Semenov—the former school director and current president of the Yakutia Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing. You could say this is where climbing in Yakutia really kicked off. A few years ago, we decided to change things up and launched the School No.2 Cup. This year, for the first time, the District Administration's Sports Department supported us by providing prizes and medals for the competition.

Now, let's talk about our world-class wall. If you thought we'd leave it as it was after ten years, you thought wrong. We're constantly updating our climbing wall: repairing, adding new reliefs, and installing new equipment. And who knows, this year we might change the safety ropes too. Our climbing action hasn't stopped at repairing; we've even been welcoming a multitude of newbies to the fold. Aside from our school and other educational institutions, climbing walls have started popping up throughout the republic—all eager to learn from our instructional techniques.

Celebrate the wall's anniversary? You bet your chalk bag we will!

Party plans remain on the backburner for now, but we'll definitely have a shindig to commemorate our climbing wall turning ten.

Enough about the wall. Let's chat about some other fun, school-sponsored activities that'll make your heart race. Without further ado, let's shine a light on the highly-respected sports ballroom dancing section under the guidance of the one and only Dmitry Nikitin. It's a melting pot of both children and adults learning an assortment of dances, from the tango to the salsa. And guess what? Our talented offspring often find themselves competing, not just at the regional level, but hopping their way to other cities. Next up, let's talk about the shooting range, helmed by Gennady Kapchuk. Guess what? Our kids take the pie with first and second place finishes—we're talkin' state-sponsored master status here. The junior volleyball and basketball squads are tearing it up too.

Ahoy! I hear that the school has its very own camp. How'd you like 'em apples?

You bet your bottom dollar we do. Nestled in the great outdoors since 2013, our "Sputnik" camp has seen some major upgrades, thanks to participation in the federal program for quick-assembly buildings. We now have four brand-spankin' new buildings, capable of housing 200 campers, a hefty boost from the previous hundred. If that ain't enough, we've added a snazzy new dining room funded by municipal funds.

The camp's got a few tricks up its sleeve too. So, how can one secure a spot at this breathtaking, outdoorsy playground?

Looking to join our jolly band of campers? Head on over to "Gosuslugi" and submit your application by April 1st. Keep in mind, camp is quite popular, so it's a race against time to get your application in. If you miss the boat, you might find yourself grazing the pastures instead. But fear not! The cost to attend isn't exactly cheap at nearly fifty grand for one season.

Enough with the camp chat. Time to get back to rock climbing. I know you've dabbled in the sport as a PE teacher and athlete. I heard you can still do backflips from a standstill.

You bet your sweet bippy. I'm a candidate for master of sports in northern multi-discipline, and I boast a first-degree black belt in cross-country skiing and shooting. Heck yeah, I've tried my hand at rock climbing. I once even navigated a rather tricky route during last year's competitions, but sadly, mother nature got the best of me. Watching the kids though, it's like they're weaving through a spider's web with ease. Rock climbing requires precision and a touch of agility—and lots of training, of course. I'll be gettin' my sweat on, just not with rock climbing.

In a nutshell, this year's competition saw over eighty participants, both seasoned climbers and enthusiastic newbies. Top placers included Pavel Afanasyev and Yevgeniya Zaharova among the athletes, while the adult enthusiast group was won by Vladislav Alekseyev and Liliya Pavlova. The younger generation fought hard, with Timur Leonov taking the crown as the strongest schoolchild of Yakutsk.

*Bouldering - (Eng. bouldering) - a heart-pounding variation of rock climbing, demanding a series of short, incredibly difficult routes. The name comes from the English "boulder" (boulder), as bouldering involves climbing on boulders.

Sources:
Yakutia Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing
Yakutia Climbers
Wikipedia

School No.2's sports offerings extend beyond climbing, with various activities such as ballroom dancing, shooting, and outdoor sports like volleyball and basketball also available.

The school's climbing wall, a decade-old structure that started it all, continues to be a key part of Yakutia's climbing scene. The wall rewards constant updates, with regular repairs, additions of new reliefs, and the possible change in safety ropes.