Rip & Grip Competion Lowdown
We sat down with Alec, one of the routesetters for the Rip & Grip Competition at Vertically Inclined Rock Gym to get all the details on the upcoming event!
What is Rip & Grip?
The rip and grip competition is a friendly competition hosted by Vertically Inclined hosts about once every couple of months. They have three categories: beginner, advanced, and expert. The competition welcomes everyone. There are 30 routes all throughout the gym so it’s a great opportunity to walk around, make some friends, try some routes and win some prizes at the end.
The next Rip and Grip is May 22, 2026 and there will be another one June 26th. You can register online for one night or both!
What is the structure of the comp?
The competition features 30 problems scattered throughout the gym- you can walk around, there’s music playing, and meet some people. You climb the routes and you get someone to witness your attempt so, for example, if it takes you 5 tries on that last try when you get it, you’ll get someone to sign off on it. Then you can give your scorecard at the end to try to win some prizes.
They also have some activities like the Big Rocker at the front desk that you can win extra prizes at if you don’t win on the routes, so it’s very much open to all levels. There are avariety of activitiesthat can change each event but in the past there has been roulette, wordle, shuffle board, and cup pong. There are also sometimes Feature Climbs such as buddy climbs, mirrored climbs, or guess the grade of the climb which are an extra little fun activity for the competition.
What are the routes like for the competition?
We asked Alec what he considers when he’s setting routes for this competition. The routes are set based on the number you sign up for, so for example if he is setting a number 17 it’s usually in the V4 V5 range so he’s looking at if its on grade and it fits in between the other two grades that he has. So if he’s setting 17, it has to be harder than 16 but easier than 18. Alec really enjoys the competition so he explained that he tries to include some pretty funky stuff when it comes to the Rip and Grip just because they are a competition so there are bigger holds, bigger moves. He likes to feature bat hangs, toe hooks, heel hooks- moves like that. These of course are featured in VIRG’s regular routes but the competition routes look more into some funkier moves.
How do you register? What kinds of prizes are there?
There is no deadline for registration but the gym does get crowded and there is a limit to how many people can sign up, so it is a risk to wait until day of. To make sure you get a spot, you can register online on the Vertically Inclined website or over the phone at 780-496-9390.
The prizes come from the competition sponsors- like Corona Physio. There is a wide variety of prizes based on who sponsors that particular night but in the past they’ve had movie tickets from Metro Cinema, passes for a yoga studio, and a lot of climbing gear like chalk pots, chalk bags, backpacks, and hats. They usually give out VIRG merch as well and this year we’ll be donating hangboards that will be available to win at each of the competitions throughout 2026!