Overview
Climbing is the latest sport to be included in the Olympics. It requires physical agility, mental focus, and resilience. Pure physical strength counts for less than determination, creativity, and problem solving skills as climbers work out how to tackle climbing and bouldering ‘problems’.
Climbing is an upcoming sport at Marlborough College Malaysia, with a rapidly developing climbing team, new fixtures, and a plethora of opportunities for pupils to get involved at many levels.
Facilities
The College has its own 12 lane climbing wall with just under 50 routes. These are graded at a variety of levels to cater for pupils of all abilities. The wall also features an overhang to simulate many outdoor rock climbing conditions.
The climbing room also has a bouldering wall with dozens of routes and an overhanging ceiling section. The bouldering wall features a ‘spray wall’ section where pupils can exercise their creativity by designing their own routes and sharing them with others.
Training
Whether pupils climb for fun, fitness, or to compete, our aim is to develop safe, competent, independent climbers. With this in mind pupils are taught not just how to climb but also how to belay, how to communicate effectively with their climbing partner, and how to safely set up and check essential equipment.
Climbing is accessible to pupils in Friday activities sessions and in Games during Seasons 2 and 3 (Nov-Apr). Some of these sessions are open sessions while others are aimed at specific groups such as beginners. Additionally, the College climbing team trains weekly, with the team having previously competed in JB and KL.
There are also opportunities for experienced climbers to participate in outdoor climbing trips, which typically take place at Gua Damai (Batu Caves) in KL.
