Saigon Climbing Center hosts 2nd Annual Climbing Competition- Merry Christmas Cup 2020.

Sport Climbing competition- judges, supporters, route setters and climbers at Saigon Climbing Center after finals.

The Merry Christmas Cup 2020 climbing competition was held at Saigon Climbing Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

The indoor rock climbing competition included Saturday and Sunday the 19th and 20th of December.

The climbing community in Viet Nam came together from the north and Saigon to compete and support. International climbers living in Vietnam along with the Vietnamese climbers competed. This combination of climber made the competition full of excitement and diversity. Everyone brought their holiday spirit and cheer to support all the competitors.

HOW Did THE CLIMBING COMPETITION WORK?

Trang Bùi – Vietnam | Vietclimb -Female – Lead Climb – Open.

Climbing competitions can be a little complicated to wrap your head around breaking down the categories, experience levels, and style of climbing.

To better understand the way the competition works, it went as followed :

Saturday included all indoor sport climbing with top-rope climbing and lead climbing. Sunday included all bouldering climbing.

The categories for sport climbing were divided by their climbing level, either intermediate or open. Intermediate meaning that the climbers have some experience in the climbing category. Open meaning that the climber has a more advanced level of climbing experience. Bouldering included a children’s category, as well as a beginner category on top of intermediate and open.

The climbers were then divided by female and male.

The competition allowed each climber to compete in 2 routes per category. After they completed their 2 routes, in under 5 minutes each, the top scores were calculated to confirm the top 5 climbers. After the top 5 climbers were finalized, they were able to compete in a final more advanced route.

HOW ARE THE SCORES CALCULATED? –

The climbers were all scored by judges who are experienced climbers from the community.

Each problem will have a point value: You will receive points for the problem if you top the route. At the end of the competition, only the top 5 scores on your scorecard will be counted.

Saigon Climbing Center

The competitor with the best top-score (i.e. highest number of controlled tops and the lowest number of attempts) achieves first place.

Saigon Climbing Center

Nguyễn Doan Thọ – Vietnam | VietClimb – Male – Open Boulder.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE CLIMBERS WHO CLIMBED THEIR HARDEST!

Here you can see all the finalist, with the first, second and third place winners listed first.

Congratulations to all the climbers who came out to celebrate what they love with the climbing family here in Saigon.

SPORT CLIMBING

LEAD CLIMBING :

FEMALE –

1. Yien Yi – Vietnam | VietClimb

2. Trang Bùi – Vietnam | Vietclimb

3 . My Thi Kieu Nguyen – Vietnam | Head Operator from Push Climbing.

4. Yến Nhi – Vietnam | Saigon Climbing Center

5. Rochelle Smith – South Africa | VietClimb

MALE –

1 . Jean Very – France | VietClimb

2. Nguyễn Doãn Thọ – Vietnam | VietClimb

3. Thibaud – France | VietClimb

4. Trần Hà Khoa – Vietnam | Push Climbing

5. Paul Massad – Chili | General Manager and Founder of Push Climbing.

TOP ROPE –

FEMALE –

1. Hải Yến – Vietnam | Saigon Climbing Center

2. Heather – USA | Push Climbing

3 Keiko – Japan | Vertical Academy

4. Emma – USA | Push Climbing

5.Mona – USA | Push Climbing

TOP ROPE :

MEN –

1 . Nguyễn Văn Thi – Vietnam | Saigon Climbing Center

2. Anh Phi – Vietnam | Saigon Climbing Center

3. Son Tuấn – Vietnam | Push Climbing

4. Tùng – Vietnam | Vertical Academy

5. Huynh Phú – Vietnam | Instructor for Push Climbing.

This is the first serious competition I did. I felt l a little bit nervous on the first round but with all of the climbing supporters, I enjoyed it after. I really like the moments when everyone is yelling and supporting the climbers on the wall.

My Thi Kieu Nguyen – Vietnam | Head Operator from Push Climbing.

BOULDERING

BOULDER :

CHILD –

1. Blake – Vertical Academy

2. Ippei – Japan – Vertical Academy

3. Tsubaki – Japan – Vertical Academy

BOULDER :

BEGINNER MALE –

1 . Blaise Smith

2. Jet Aiss – Philippines – Push Climbing

3. Tawa

BEGINNER FEMALE –

1. Manoe – Japan/Vietnam | Vertical Academy

2 . Thuy An – Vietnam

3. Thu Anh – Vietnam

INTERMEDIATE FEMALE –

1. Lila – Push Climbing

2. Rochelle – South Africa | VietClimb

3. Nguyễn Trần Phương Nghi – Vietnam.

INTERMEDIATE MALE –

1. Anh Phi

2. Tabata

3. Kieu Nghia

OPEN FEMALE –

1. Yien Yi – Vietnam | VietClimb

2. Yukiko – Japan | Vertical Academy

3 . Yến Nhi – Vietnam | Saigon Climbing Center

4. Hai Yến – Vietnamese | Saigon Climbing Center

5 . Trang Bui – Vietnam | VietClimb

OPEN MALE –

1. Nguyễn Huu Thái Sơn – Vietnam | Vertical Academy

2. Nguyễn Doan Thọ – Vietnam | VietClimb

3 . Minh Thai – Vietnam | Vertical Academy

4. Van Công – Vietnam

5 . Jean Very – France | VietClimb

6. Yano – Japan – Vertical Academy

My Thi Kieu Nguyen – Vietnam | Head Operator from Push Climbing – Female – Lead Climb.

SHOUT OUT TO THE CLIMBING COMMUNITY-

Thank you to everyone who supported, sponsored, route set, belayed, volunteered and judged. Congratulations to all of the climbers and to the Push Team who made it to the finals and placed!

See you all next competition!

Happy Holidays from the climbing family in Saigon to yours. We captured some moments from Merry Christmas Cup 2020. You may also find more photos at : Saigon Climbing Center.