Bend Endurance Academy is hosting the 2025 Climbing Youth Bouldering Regional championship on Jan. 11. Summit students, including Gwen Plowski, are set to compete.

“I just thought it was so fun,” said Plowski, reflecting on what drew her to the sport. She credited her interest in climbing to its variability, loving that a route can be approached in many different ways. 

To qualify for regionals, climbers must first attend qualification competitions, attempting to complete as many routes as possible in a three hour window. The regional championship, however, follows a more demanding structure: competitors have just four minutes to complete each of the four designated bouldering routes. Since they are given limited space when bouldering, competitors must adapt creatively.

“You try to make something interesting and difficult, but also still entertaining to watch,” Plowski explained. 

In order for climbers to achieve a high score, they must reach the highest section of the climb they can, the low zone being 250 points, while the highest could possibly be worth 1,000 points. Climbers are not allowed to view the climbs beforehand, they simply rely on their skills and training to complete the climb within the four minutes allotted to them.