On November 6th, Musa Masala sponsored our second year of climbing indoor competitions in Kathmandu, Nepal at Crimpanzee Adventure Hub. Building off last year’s beginner top rope style event, we offered an intermediate level lead climbing event. Our goal is to encourage the growth of indoor climbing in Nepal while working with the existing climbing gyms to provide challenging competitions that will grow the sport, allowing for better climbers to be able to climb internationally to represent Nepal.
The event was organized by the experts at Wongchhu Peak Promotion. Under the direction of Lakpa Sherpa, they had their hands full registering athletes, arranging for press and ad coverage, preparing the venue, securing co sponsors, providing medical care, awards, food, hosting special guests, and you name it — it was a lot of work! We celebrate the team who made it happen, Wongchhu Peak Promotion general manager, Ang Diku Sherpa, who, along with Sangita Rai, Roshan Shrestha and Tenzi Sherpa, coordinated with our co-sponsors and the press and created every step that made the day and the clinics a success. Thanks also goes to Dorji Sherpa, who was a major part of the organizing team and helped the day flow during the competition.
Watch for a future post on our climbing clinics that preceded the event. Taught by Panchamaya Tamang and presented at Gateway Adventure Hub, the Kathmandu Sport Climbing Center, Astrek Climbing Wall, and Crimpanzee Adventure Hub, these clinics were organized by the same team at Wongchhu Peak Promotion. You can see how busy they were, and it all happened during a busy trekking and climbing season!
There were many co-sponsors, including our friends at the Himalayan Rescue Association, who lent us medical help from Dr. Nishant Joshi Anjou. We are so happy we got to know Dr. Anjou. He is a wonderful person and we are grateful to the HRA!
Other co-sponsors who helped to create this fun day of climbing included:
Nirvana Gear — Binod Mani and Nirvana supplied the totally awesome climbing shirt and shorts combo. The colors looked amazing on everyone and the shirts added to the festive nature of the event.
These co-sponsors donated climbing shoes, harnesses, chalk bags, backpacks, fleece pullovers, sportswear, buffs, hats and free dinner and breakfast vouchers at the hotels.
The addition of cash prizes for first through third place winners by Pem and Moni Sherpa and Kami Sherpa created a lot of ambition to win the competition. We are so grateful for everyone who contributed to making this a competition that awarded the winners substantial prizes to help them in their climbing careers.
Our judges at the event this year returned from last year’s competition: Mr. Lakpa Sherpa, President of the Nepal Mountaineering Instructors Association, and Panchamaya Tamang, former National climbing champion. New this year was National climbing champion and instructor Niraj Karki. Niraj has experience putting on competitions and did much of the route setting; he was very busy!! Mingma Sherpa, who designed Crimpanzee and many local facilities, served as our fourth judge.
Our great thanks also go out to:
Kanchi Maya Sherpa from Crimpanzee
The route setters who worked with Niraj: Dome Sherpa and Vikash Gurung
The belayers who worked all day ensuring climber safety:
Anita Rai
Lakme Tamang
Gelu Sherpa
Pasang Rinji Sherpa
Everyone helped each other out. We saw Dome Sherpa helping belay as well as route set. It was a group effort to make it all come together.
The chief guest of the event was Mr. Tanka Lal Ghising, the Member Secretary of the National Sports Council Nepal.
Our special guest was Jennifer Dow, MD, President of the Wilderness Medical Society. Dr. Dow brought a group from the Wilderness Medical Society to the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital and they all came to enjoy the competition!
Each registered climber received admission to either the men’s or women’s division for intermediate lead climbing. They got a complete climbing suit of shorts and a special shirt, designed and donated by Nirvana Gears. They also got a ticket for a catered breakfast and lunch at the event, and a certificate of competition.
The competition drew over 40 climbers with participants not only from Nepal, but from Sweden, Japan and the United States with ages ranging from 15 to 40 years old. Thanks to the music and the team at Crimpanzee, the energy and excitement grew as the day went on through the qualifying rounds to the finals, with our emcee, Ashok Lama (who had just returned from summiting Mt. Ama Dablam days before) keeping the crowd fired up!
Now on to the winners!
Women’s Division
- Prena Rai – cash prize of 25000 Rs. 1 year membership to Crimpanzee, climbing gear, hotel dinner gift vouchers, 1st place medal and certificate
- Sara Frenning – cash prize of 15000 Rs. 6 month membership to Crimpanzee, climbing gear, gift vouchers, 2nd place medal and certificate
- Angela Widler – cash prize of 10,000 Rs. 3 month membership to Crimpanzee, climbing gear, vouchers and 3rd place medal and certificate
- Tenzhing Khado Tamang – Gift hamper with climbing gear, 4th place certificate.
- Fura Diki Sherpa – Gift hamper with climbing gear, 5th place certificate
Men’s Division
- Pemba Tsewang – cash prize of 25000 Rs. 1 year membership to Crimpanzee, climbing gear, hotel dinner gift vouchers, 1st place medal and certificate
- David Romano – cash prize of 15000 Rs. 6 month membership to Crimpanzee, climbing gear, hotel vouchers, 2nd place medal and certificate
- Tasha Sherpa – cash prize of 10000 Rs. 3 month membership to Crimpanzee, climbing gear, vouchers, 3rd place medal and certificate
- Suresh Tamang – gift hamper with climbing gear, 4th place certificate
- Pasang Tenji Sherpa – gift hamper with climbing gear, 5th place certificate
During the lunch break, which our judge and route setters worked through (thank you so much), we made an announcement that along with Lakpa Sherpa and the Wongchhu Peak Promotion team, Musa Masala would give all climbers who competed free entry for the 2024 advanced competition! This is our gift to everyone who came out. We hope to see everyone next time.
We have big plans for 2024. Stay tuned as we build and grow, make new friends and team up with climbers, instructors and the climbing gyms in Nepal. Jam Jam!!
