5 Things You Should Do Before and After For a Successful Climbing Comp

When you know a comp's coming up, it's ever so important to do as much as you can to make the most of your big day. There are a few things I like to do the night before, and I'd like to share them with you in this post!

#1: Research - BEFORE

The last thing you want to do is show up to a comp and have no idea what's going on. So, make sure to familiarize yourself with some of the following things:

• Gym layout. Look at their website, social media, and Google Maps pin. Get an understanding of what it's going to look like so you don't run into any unexpected surprises if it's your first time there.

• The format. Find out if you'll be competing in scramble format versus 5-on 5-off, if you'll have Finals, and so on. This will help making a strategy ten times easier. :)

• Who's competing. Most organizations and/or hosts will post startlists or registration lists, so you can see who'll be competing in your category - this will help make a mental map on where you stand in terms of athletes. In the end, it doesn't matter how good the others are compared to you, or how you place - really, you're competing against the setters and their boulders, not the other climbers.

• Strategy/Approach. If you're not a big prep-before person, STILL you need to make a plan for the actual day. I like to just sit down with my coach or my friends and talk about my expectations, goals, and strategy for the comp.

#2: Rest - BEFORE & AFTER

You know your body better than anyone else, but still - we're all humans, and I can confidently say that climbing a day before the comp won't do you much good.

This is why I recommend taking at least two days off before your comp, to give yourself time to recover.

• For example, let's say my comp is on Sunday:

• On Tuesday, I'm going to train really hard, project my highest grade, maybe do a mock-comp to simulate what it will be like. I also like doing a workout on this day.

• On Wednesday, I'm going to NOT climb but actively rest and recover.

• On Thursday, I will have a relaxed projecting session in the gym; maybe some V2> circuits.

• Friday and Saturday will be rest days, and I will leave either the night before or early Sunday morning (depending on the comp's location).

After the comp, no matter whether I'm sore or not, I'm still going to take 1 day as an active rest - and if I had to travel, maybe a day off school too - and let my muscles recover.

#3: Bath - BEFORE

Not gonna lie, this has been a lifesaver. The night before your comp, whether you're at a hotel or still at home, take a hot bath and infuse the water with epsom salt for 15-30 minutes.

This has a couple of benefits:

• Epsom salts are proven to soothe and relax tense muscles, also relieving stress and improving sleep. (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/epsom-salt-benefits-uses.)

• If you're someone who finds it hard to sleep well before a big competition, this can help you fall asleep faster.

• Also, try to avoid the bedtime doomscroll on this night - it's less important to check your Instagram feed than it is to get a good sleep.

#4: Eat - BEFORE, DURING, & AFTER

To climb at peak performance, you need fuel - and this comes from food. Sometimes, it might be difficult to shove something down before you climb, but it's ever so important to remember that if you don't eat, you won't climb well.

• Try to include a meal full of protein and carbohydrates - these will provide long-term energy for you when climbing. Think yogurt + granola, protein shake, peanut butter banana toast, eggs, etc.

• Eat the meal 1 - 2 hours before you climb, and have a small snack right before the round. If you know you're going to be in iso for a while (eg. lead comps with large categories) bring extra food for yourself as well.

• If your comp is scramble format, don't get caught in the time crunch worry. You have way more time than you need to try all the boulders, so that's why it's okay to take breaks and eat.

• After the comp, you should also eat a healthy meal that has plenty of nutrients to replenish your energy.

You can read this article from Rock Spot Climbing for more information: https://rockspotclimbing.com/blog/2025/07/22/nutrition-nuggets-fueling-your-body-for-optimalclimbing

#5: Talk to Others - BEFORE, DURING, & AFTER

For me, having friends at a comp changes everything. When you're surrounded by people that know you and share your viewpoints, everything starts to seem ten times easier and better!

This is why even if you don't know anybody at your comp, try to talk to somebody! If you prefer climbing solo and focusing on what you need at the moment, that's a fair point too - but making new friends can help you in the long term.

• If you're not sure about something, instead of wasting time trying to figure it out yourself, just ask somebody! Look out for people wearing vests or t-shirts saying "Official" or "Judge" or "Volunteer," or even people with the gym's logo on their clothes. They'll know how stuff works around here.

  
  

• If you're still trying to figure out your warm-up routine, keep an eye out for other people in your category and try to mimic what they're doing. Maybe even go up to them and ask hem about how and why they're doing a specific exercise.

  
  

• If you're the kind of person who climbs better based on the performance of others - which isn't ideal, really - ask around to gauge an idea of what the ranking in your category looks like.

  Who is most likely to top/flash all the boulders?

  Do you know this person?

  Where do most of the other athletes come from: what gym do they train in, what do you know about their team and their climbing?

  Who climbs at your level? Can you climb with them during the round and try the same boulders?

• Never steal someone else's beta, but ask other climbers if you're not sure about a move or if you saw someone do something cool on the wall. For example, if another climber figured out a way to skip the zone hold and go straight to top, you could ask them how they did that and if you could try as well. Diplomacy is all you need! ;)

• After the comp, most athletes will stick around to watch the podium, or even go out to a cafe or something. Ask your fellow category members about how they felt the difficulty of the climbing was; how the scorekeeping went; and etc.

• Also, cut down on the music. Ultimately this is all about personal preference, but I suggest NOT wearing headphones/earbuds during the comp, becauseyou won't be able to hear the loudspeaker announcements and the judge if you get called off/top a boulder. It's more important to be aware of your surroundings than it is to zone out and listen to your favourite song. It's up to you, really.

Good luck!

-- Sophia