Competition Climbers

Imagine how much focus it takes to train year-round in a gym with the single goal of winning a competition, whether it's a regional championship or a World Cup final. Climbing magazine's interviews with comp climbers at all levels reveal what makes these unique climbers tick—and how they get so amazingly strong.

  • Brian Runnells (aka The Climbing Narc)

    With user-friendly, DIY websites, anyone can run a rock climbing blog. But few update their blogs several times daily—and attract more than 2,500 unique visitors per day. Brian Runnells, aka the Climbing Narcissist, is one of those few. The Wisconsin native created Climbingnarc.com about four years ago, and he now spends 10 to 20 hours a week posting competition results, news of hard ascents around the world, videos, and debates over controversial topics.