Multi-Pitch Speed Fest

2003 Red Bull-Big Wall Speed Climbing ContestTired of plastic-pumping comp coverage ? Check out the Klaus Fengler photos from the fourth annual Red Bull-Big Wall Speed Climbing Contest, held on the limestone big walls of Croatia’s Paklenica Canyon.Sponsored by Red Bull, male and female teams gathered May 1st -4th to test their mettle on the canyon’s celebrated multi-pitch sport climbs. Teams were prohibited from simul-climbing and were required to clip all bolts on their respective routes, resting on gear at belays only to prevent disqualification.“I never really wanted to participate in another competition,” says German participant Stefan Glowacz on his website www.redchili.de “But this one was simply unique. I had to climb in it.”Climbers and spectators alike gathered after the festival to enjoy a series of climbing slideshows and an after party that carried them into the night.

Courtesy of redchili.de Results Women’s Final (min : sec) 1. Suncica Hrascanec – Maja Roboz CRO 10:12 2. Alenka Lukic – Tanja Grmovsek SLO 10:49 3. Iris Prebeg – Katja Bajc CRO/SLO 18:25 4. Gaelle Fohr – Cordula Knappe FRA/GER 21:16 Route: Hugga wugga (5.10b, 200 ft, 3 pitches) Men’s Final (min : sec) 1. Erik Svab – Marko Lukic ITA/SLO 25:24 2. Igor Corko – Andrej Grmovsek CRO/SLO 29:39 3. Stefan Glowacz – Jürgen Knappe GER 35:20 4. Tim Emmett – Mike Weeks ENG 40:40 5. Boris Cujic – Ivica Matkovi CRO 44:43 Route: BWSC (5.11c, 525 ft, 5 pitches)