Sanctuary Rock Gym Community Comp

Sanctuary Rock Gym could probably tell a million-and-one secrets. It's old-school, home town feel attracts  climbers of all generations to enjoy its quality climbing terrain. The facilities are small in volume, but the space is very well used, with bouldering islands and 40' overhung sport lines to bout. Being that the gym is also situated in the beautiful coastal city of Monterey, it served as the perfect venue for the fourth stop and first ever sport climbing competition in the Northern California Collegiate Climbing Series.

The route setting crew for the comp was small, but they produced quality work that ranged in difficulty from about 5.7 to about 5.13. There were enough routes so that no matter what difficulty you were climbing, by the end of the day you were pumped. The relaxed attitude of the local community shined during awards, when the prizes were raffled off rather than given to the winners. It was Humboldt State University that won the collegiate competition, perhaps partially due to the fact that they were the only team to attend... That makes the second comp in a row that HSU has swept podium in Men's and Women's. During the awards ceremony, pizza and good micro-brews helped keep everyone's spirits high, and they stayed high well into the evening when the after party took place at a local alehouse. 

All in all, it was a positive experience to switch disciplines from the usual bouldering competitions, and clip some draws. The price tag for admission to the comp was higher than most, and was probably responsible for the lack of collegiate attendance. However, the experience was worth it in the author's opinion. For any climber looking for a good gym experience, be sure to get in a session at Sanctuary Rock next time you pass through Monterey!