NACS- North American Cup Series- Salt Lake City

This year Brendan and some friends decided to try their hand at the North American Cup Series (NACS) at the USA Climbing Training Facility in Salt Lake City, UT. This is an elite-level competition that is designed to prepare up-and-coming climbers for the upper-level competitions. A sort of mid-level between Youth Nationals and the World Cup series. Having never done this type of comp before, here are some things to keep in mind.

First off, to compete in a NACS event, a competitor must be turning 16 within the current season (before 1/1/25 at the time of this writing or the next year). They must also have an elite/youth series membership. That said, basically, anyone can register for it. That is not really clear in the advertisements for this series. It looks so high-level that we didn't immediately think about doing it.

Next, the registration is open until the day before, so the running order is not published until late the day before. There are no times posted with the running order, so it is challenging to figure out exactly what time your climber will be climbing. Additionally, there is no running clock or buzzer posted anywhere. The only way to know when your climber is climbing is to look at who is on the wall. The technical meeting states: 

• Clock will not be visible to climber or spectators; climbing judge will notify competitor when time is done

• Climbers are responsible for reporting to their climb in order of the start list; Climbers are responsible for being ready to climb when the climber preceding them comes down.

There are also blue crosses to be aware of that tell when to clip in. The rules state:

• Some of the qualification routes have blue crosses. This means you must make your clip from the hold marked by the blue crosses.

If your climber is participating in the Lead event, then here are some things, you as a spectator, need to remember: This is held on the outdoor climbing wall, so be prepared with sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, lots of water, food for the day (there limited options nearby), and even a camping chair if you don't like sitting on the ground all day. There is no other provided seating. Also, bring a phone charger. Being outside, I didn't realize my phone was on full brightness due to the sun, and I ran out of power! 

Moving on to the Boulder category, the clock and buzzer returned. And since there were so many people, there were two identical versions of the 5 problems for two groups of athletes. So the comp was able to have double the climbers going simultaneously. 

As for spectating inside the Training Center (TC), be ready for any temperature. It is freezing in the TC right now, but if you are here during the summer, it can be extremely hot and humid. Also, if you are dropping a competitor for isolation (ISO) you won’t be able to enter the hall to watch until ISO closes. This meant I had to spend 45 minutes outside in the rain. Fortunately, I found a covered spot since I had no car. 

As for as advancement, here are the requirements in a NACS setting:

• Top 24 climbers from the Quals go on to Semis
• Top 8 climbers from Semis move on to Finals

And speaking of ISO, be ready for a long or short stay depending on where your climber is on the start list. Brendan had to spend 6 hours in ISO for this category. I sent him in with a ton of food at 7 am and he won’t climb until about 1 pm. (Time enough even for a nap!) The boulder category is pretty straightforward. 

Overall, this was a valuable experience for our climber. He will be back!

    CLIMB ON!

How NOT to get sick while traveling

I thought I had thought of everything for all of our climbing trips. But I hadn't accounted for the possibility that we could get sick. During a trip in Bend, OR, Brendan started coughing. At first, I thought it was an allergy since it was spring there and everything was spouting, but alas no. It turned into some viral thing that eventually we all got. (UPDATE: turns out it was Croup; yes, you read that right. Croup in a 17 year old and we all got it.) Not fun. I've done some research and asked savvy travelers how they avoid getting sick and here is what they said.

For the most part, if you are traveling on an airplane, the consensus is that the recycled air is so well-cleaned that it is not as much of a worry. Folks worry about surfaces. We all have read about how an airplane could be better cleaned since the turnaround time is so little between flights. Most people recommend wiping down the seat belt, window shade, tray table, and armrests before sitting. If you are able, travel first class to avoid the masses. People also mention getting Lounge access to get away from the masses. I cannot do either, so oh well. (Plus, I'm not a fan of lounges...it stresses me out to be so far away from the gate. There, I said it.)

Then there are the things you can do to yourself, like washing your hands often. This is perhaps the most important thing to remember to do. Many folks suggested taking vitamins, zinc, emergencee, and other supplements to help boost the immune system before and during a trip. Some folks also subscribe to the mask-wearing idea, especially N95s. I started wearing my KN95s not for the germs, but because it keeps my nose from drying out. (Yes, the idea is gross, but my nose survives the dry air at 30,000 feet better with it on.) I'm a big fan of taking Vitamin D, especially up here in Alaska, so that is a given. Getting a good amount of sleep is also recommended. It is also recommended to open the vents on the airplane to get the filtered air. Drinking colloidal silver, zinc, and vitamin C as well as hydrating before a flight. Some suggest using a saline nose spray with Vaseline to keep the nasal membranes moist and harder for viruses to infiltrate.

I will be changing my airline protocols after this last bug, which was a doozy. Here's to virus-free travel.

UPDATE: We have figured out that if Brendan wears a mask on the plane after a competition, he doesn't get sick! And that means I don't either!

CLIMB ON!