The Kent State Adventure Center through the Recreation and Wellness Center is hosting a rock climbing competition Saturday, which is open to Kent State students and members of other local colleges.

The event will offer competitors the opportunity to boulder climb, which gives people the chance to climb 15-feet off the ground. Because the height of the climb is low and the ground will be heavily padded with spotters, the competitors will not need to be holstered with a rope.

Mike McFall, Adventure Center graduate assistant, said the competition appeals to all climbers regardless of experience.

“Some of them are so easy, it’s almost like climbing a ladder,” McFall said.

“Some of these I couldn’t finish to save my life — it’s that difficult — but some people have the strength to climb up.”

Bouldering is different than other types of rock climbing because it causes problems for each climber, involving one solution for the person to advance on the route, McFall said.

“Bouldering involves routes that if some girl is 5’2” and some guy is 6’4” you want to make every single person have to make the same sequence of hand and foot movement to finish the problem,” McFall said.

Each route has a different level of difficulty ranging from beginner to advanced, and a total of 65 problems are set for the event.

There will be six overall winners, three female and three male, one for each level of difficulty.

The winners will have the opportunity to choose from a table of prizes and each winner will be able to choose what he or she wants. After the winners choose a prize, the rest of the competitors can choose from one of the remaining prizes.

Kent State has hosted the event for the past five years, and invites climbers from different colleges such as Ohio State University and Slippery Rock to compete.

The event will take place at the indoor rock-climbing wall in the Recreation and Wellness Center, and check-in will begin at 10 a.m. The cost is $20 for Kent State members and $25 for non-members. To register for the event, call (330)-672-4732, and press zero.

The competition has a 30-person limit and is first come, first serve. The competitors will begin climbing at 11:00 a.m. and finish at 2:00 p.m.

Contact Matt Orszag at [email protected].