Climbers grasp top spots in national championships

SANDY — High above a crowd cheering her on, Emily Harrington felt like she was on top of the world.

You could also say she was on top of the room.

Harrington scaled a wall modeled to simulate a sheer cliff, using a series of quick draws and holds of varying shapes and sizes to propel her body upward. The Boulder, Colo., resident felt her ultimate goal — the finishing hold — within her grasp.

Harrington swung out and latched onto it. But her grip, so sure on previous holds, failed her at that moment. She swung away from the wall and was lowered to safety.

"I thought I had it for a second, but I kind of swung out really far and my hand slipped off," Harrington said. "But I was psyched because I felt like maybe I had won at that point."

Indeed, her suspicions were confirmed minutes later when Harrington walked away with a first-place trophy.

She was one of several professional indoor climbers who competed last weekend in the 2009 Adult National Climbing Championships. The competition was staged at Momentum Indoor Gym in Sandy.

A qualifying round on Saturday produced 16 climbers — eight men and eight women — who moved on to a final round on Sunday. Climbers scaled the same wall, but separate routes were laid out for the men and women.

In the end, Harrington's climb — which was higher than any of her competitors — earned her 98.84 points and secured for her a second consecutive national title. On the men's side, Carlo Traversi claimed the national title with a climb that netted him 94.67 points.

Only 3.4 points separated Harrington and female runner-up Paige Claassen. The margin of victory was even closer in the men's competition, with Traversi edging second-place David Graham by 2.52 points.

To reach the pinnacle of this sport requires unparalleled dedication. It's not just about putting in the man-hours climbing. It involves conditioning, a strict diet and learning correct climbing techniques.

Traversi, for example, has spent much of the past six years climbing and left the University of Colorado after just a year so he could compete full-time as a pro.

"It's very much a lifestyle," Traversi said. "Every part of my day is based around when I'm rock climbing and when I'm not."