This weekend, Milton's Outdoor Club will host its 4th Annual Climbing competition. The student organized, student-run competition will take place at Milton's H. Adams Carter ’32 Indoor Climbing Wall in the Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium, at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 24.

While discussion about the competition begins in September, planning steps up in January as members of the Outdoor Club, led by Joe Posner (II) and Merebea Danforth (I), send invitations to area schools, contact sponsors, track registration, and design and order event T-shirts. This year's participants include student climbers from Nobles, Lawrence, Loomis Chaffee and BB&N. The sponsors, manufacturers of outdoor and climbing gear, donate prizes and raffle items to the competition including socks, harnesses, baseball caps and climbing shoes.

During the qualifying round, students try up to 20 marked routes; each route is marked with a point value. Belaying each other, the climbers try to make their way up each route without falling. Using the honor system, the climbers mark their score and move on to the next route.

At noon the score sheets are collected and the top five point winners move on to the finals. All finalists climb the same route, a longer and more difficult one than those from the morning round. During the climb the other climbers are sequestered so everyone has a fair shot at the route. The student who climbs the highest wins.

Each climber enjoys lunch and an event T-shirt designed by the Outdoor Club. Good luck to this year's climbers.