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New Venture to Drive Climbing Enthusiasts Up The Wall

DUBAI – Setting a new Middle East record, the world’s best climbers had the crowds gasp in awe as they clambered up ‘The Wall’ in 4.76 seconds, a few milliseconds away from the world record for speed climbing.

Officials at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Sunday inaugurated ‘The Wall’ in an event in which International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) was also involved, at the Dubai World Trade Center Hotel Apartments Club.

The 15-metre high Wall is claimed to be the first and only professional and standardised artificial climbing wall in the Middle East and can be used for speed climbing, lead climbing and boulder climbing for both professional and recreational purpose.

World’s number one speed climber Evgeny Vaytsekhovsky from Russia and the World’s third best climber Maksym Stienkoyi from Ukraine set the Middle East record for speed climbing by climbing 10 meters in 4.76 seconds. The world record for speed climbing is currently 4-and-a-half seconds which is held by a Chinese national.

Riendert Lenselink, the Secretary General of the IFSC said at the inauguration that the Emirate is currently a testing ground for more serious climbing sports in this region. He added that the federation has been in talks with local authorities for the last two years to set up a world class climbing facility in the region and to make it a launch pad for world climbing sports. “The region has a lot of potential, the local people here have the correct kind of body for climbing,” said Lenselink.

Climbers Evgeny Vaytsekhovsky and Maksym Stienkoyi both said the wall was very well built. “You don’t have walls like this in Ukraine and except for the weather, climbing here is very good,” said Maksym.

Twenty-two-year-old Russian national Vaytsekhovsky who started climbing 13 years ago, was overtaken by 26-year-old self-trained Ukranian climber Maksym at the opening ceremony. Johan Kardolus, the Managing Director of Vertigo Climbing, the company that designed and created the wall said the finest kind of materials have been used in it construction. “The wall has a base of plywood material with three coatings of paint over it. And the fixtures for climbing are strong polyester material with strong steel for the hooks,” said Kardolus.

Maurice Doreleyers, spokesperson for Dorell Sports, the owners of ‘The Wall’ said it is a big opportunity for the fast-growing climbing community in the UAE. Climbing enthusiasts go as far as Oman, Hatta and Ras Al Khaimah to climb in natural terrain.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com