The History of Rock Climbing Development in the USSR

Every sport has its own origin story. Some have ancient and arduous beginnings, while others boast new and extraordinary ones. From a historical perspective, rock climbing is a very young sport. Back in the 1930s, the sport of rock climbing as we know it didn’t exist.

There is a well-known story: the globally famous mountaineers the Abalakov brothers were born in Krasnoyarsk. While preparing for their ascents, they regularly trained on the Stolby (Pillars) of Krasnoyarsk (these rock formations reportedly attracted people as far back as 150 years ago). This made them excellent rock climbers. Their skills helped geologists discover a tin deposit in the Pamirs.

Evgeniy Abalakov during an ascent on Peak Kommunizma

Rock Climbing. The Beginning

Rock climbing is often referred to as sprinting on vertical surfaces and the younger sibling of mountaineering. Initially, this sport served as a way to improve the quality of mountaineers’ training on rock routes. However, as it evolved, it became an independent and very captivating sport, earning recognition on the international stage.

The need to hold competitions for mountaineering instructors was first considered in 1945. The first official competitions for mountaineering instructors took place in 1947. Judging was based on rules and perspectives heavily influenced by mountaineering.

Popova and Karpov in 1950

Over time, changes were made. Rock climbing gained its own set of laws and rules. In 1955, Crimea’s Upper Oreanda hosted the first USSR championship in rock climbing. The competition was held on the Alim rock.

Alpinists training in the 1960s, ascent on Ai-Petri with rock climbing legend Burlakov Y.B.

From then onward, competitions were held, though irregularly. Only in 1965 was a decision made to hold the championships of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions in even years and USSR championships in odd years. Before that, there was even debate over whether it was worth developing rock climbing as an independent sport .

However, the first international competitions were held only twenty-one years later, in 1976. Since 1964, the city of Krasnoyarsk has been the site of national-level Russian rock climbing competitions. This event is dedicated to the memory of the outstanding mountaineers, the Abalakov brothers. It has traditionally been a gathering of the country’s strongest rock climbers .

Competition

Climbing Walls: The Second Life of Rock Climbing

The sport saw a revival with the advent of artificial walls ( climbing walls ). This was a real boom in the world of sports and marked a new milestone in the development of rock climbing. Since then, many climbing routes have been developed for competitions. Over the course of 70 years, numerous championships, tournaments, and competitions of varying levels of difficulty have been held. Remarkable climbers, both Russian and international, have emerged. But one extraordinary event from 2014 deserves special mention.

In the city of Sudak (Crimea), an international championship for veteran mountaineers and climbers was held. It was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Crimea’s liberation from fascist forces. However, what stood out most was the age of the participants!

Veteran mountaineer and climber from Kryvyi Rih, E.V. Shcherbak – 80 years old.

The Russian Mountaineering Federation registered 94 participants from 6 countries. A total of 77 athletes were allowed to compete, and only men aged 50 and over and women aged 45 and over were eligible. Among them, some athletes were born in 1939 or earlier.

Veteran competition in Sudak

There were both men and women among the participants. These individuals tackled a thirty-meter rock route on the Sudak Fortress Massif. Such strength of spirit and character! And their physical fitness? Not every 30-year-old could achieve this.

In the early 1980s, one of the best rock climbers, Uzbek athlete Flyura Zhirnova, expressed hope that rock climbing would one day be included in the Olympic Games. Three decades later, her dream came true: rock climbing debuted at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. This young sport has a bright future ahead.