The BoulderCup took place in Marburg for the second time. Participating schools included Landheim Schondorf Boarding School with 14 participants, Birklehof Boarding School with 9 participants, and Hermann-Lietz-Schule Bieberstein with 14 participants. Twelve participants from the Steinmühle Boarding School competed in the event.
On Saturday, the boarding schools met for lunch and then drove together to the Volksbank Climbing Gym in Marburg. There, we found ideal conditions and fantastic support from the gym staff (routes set specifically for our event, last-minute changes and route requests were accommodated, and many other little details) to hold the traditional cup competition among the climbers from the boarding schools. By 5:30 p.m., all the routes had been bouldered, our arms were tired, and the mood was great. And, of course, a winner was crowned in every category.
The successful day of competition was capped off with a delicious dinner together and a celebration afterward in the tea room. Everyone involved in the competition had plenty of time to nurture existing friendships, make new acquaintances, and exchange ideas with and about the other boarding schools. Unfortunately, the teams from Bieberstein and Birklehof had to head home on Saturday evening, as they had other commitments to attend to on Sunday.
Sunday morning’s brunch marked the end of the BoulderCup, as Schondorf also had to head back home and return to his daily routine.
The competition itself was marked by a spirit of fair play and mutual support; even though winning was at stake, the shared experience and the joy of bouldering took center stage. Everyone received support in the form of tips and advice, and at tricky spots, many spectators were on the edge of their seats, cheering on the climbers. It was also wonderful to see so many spectators who didn’t want to miss the competition from the sidelines. Official competitions in Munich usually attract less interest.
The number of participants was also very encouraging; 49 competitors took part in the Cup: 31 were male and 18 were female. We competed in four categories: U13, U16, Over-16, and Educators/Alumni. Each category was further divided into male and female divisions.
The winners are:
U13: Louis from Schondorf and Julika from Schondorf
U16 Elias from Schondorf and Caroline from the Birklehof
Over-16s: Tim from Schondorf and Amanda from Bieberstein
Teachers: Schäfer and Ines from Steinmühle
“Congratulations” to all the winners on their achievements.
The overall trophy therefore goes to the Schondorf team this year, which clearly emerged as the winner with four individual victories over the other boarding schools.
Two trophies went to the Steinmühle. One trophy each went to Bieberstein and the Birklehof.
I’d like to thank all the participants in the Cup for their dedication and sportsmanship during the competition. I wish everyone a safe (climbing) year and look forward to seeing everyone again next year at the 15th BoulderCup. A very special thank you goes to everyone who worked behind the scenes to ensure the success of the Cup.
Christian Schäfer
