what is the nor’easter?
We thought it was time for New York & Pennsylvania to have a regional bouldering competition series! The Nor’Easter is designed to build momentum
through a series of competitions across multiple gyms over the course of the 2025-26 season. The more competitions you attend, the more points you earn that get aggregated towards your Series score! More points means a better chance at snagging a spot in Superfinals in June 2026!
Nor’Easter Bouldering Series schedule:
- November 15, 2025 @ Harlem: Uptown Showdown (Citizens)
- December 13, 2025 @ Gowanus: The Giant Awakens (Citizens)
- February 21, 2026 @ Valhalla: Feats of Strength (Championship)
- March 21, 2026 @ LIC: Gotham Citizen (Championship)
- April 18, 2026 @ Fishtown (Championship)
- May 9, 2026 @ Callowhill: Tough Love (Citizens)
- June 13-14, 2026 @ Gowanus: The Last Stop (Superfinals)
register
citizens events
our citizen’s events will be a modified redpoint comp followed by podiums (no open finals) 🌟 earn up to 50 Series points!
championship events
our championship’s events will consist of a morning session and afternoon session of modified redpoint format followed by open category finals and podiums 🌟 earn up to 100 Series points!
the last stop: superfinals
coming to gowanus in june 2026!
An epic two-day event with finals for all categories, Open semis and finals, and a full day of climbing, food, games, mini-comps, raffles and more, for competitors and spectators alike!
what do i need to know?
Citizens Events, Championship Events, & Superfinals
This is a progressive series format competition that builds excitement from one comp to the next, leading all the way to the The Last Stop Superfinals. We’ll host two types of qualifying competitions, Citizens and Championships events, both suitable for all categories including OPEN.
Citizens Events:
- No Finals on this round
- Winners of each category are awarded prizes from The North Face and other community partners at the podium directly after the competition ends
- Earn up to 50 Series points
Championship Events:
- The top 6 OPEN competitors in the Modified Redpoint round, go to Finals for each division in the afternoon
- The winner of each division gets a bye to The Last Stop Superfinals
- Rec, Intermediate, and Advanced categories/divisions are awarded prizes from The North Face and other community partners at the podium after Finals round
- Earn up to 100 Series points
The Last Stop Superfinals:
- The wrap up of the series!
- Top competitors for each category are invited to participate in a Finals round that will take place over two days
- Total Cash purse of $7000 for Open Competitors, over $4000 in retail goodies by The North Face for all other categories
Qualifying for Superfinals
Rec, Intermediate, & Advanced Categories/Divisions:
- Earn points for each competition you attend, more competitions = more points
- Your placement in each competition determine how many points you earned at that individual event
- The top 6 competitors with the highest Series scores for each division/category go to the The Last Stop Superfinals
Open Category/Division:
- The top 10 competitors with the highest Series score get a spot at the Semis at the The Last Stop Superfinals
- The top 6 competitors in the Semis advance to Finals
faqs
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who can compete in the nor'easter?
The Nor’Easter Series is a competition for climbers of all skill levels! All categories will have two divisions: male/non-binary or female/non-binary.
We welcome competitors to choose the skill and gender category they are most comfortable with. You will be competing with other climbers in the same category/skill level as you. As a general rule, your skill category should be determined by the grade range you typically flash (completing a climb on your first attempt).
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what category is best for me?
Here’s our recommended breakdown of which category may be right for you, depending on what grades you typically flash. Note: whichever category you sign up for, you’ll be locked in for the rest of the comp series (including Superfinals)!
Rec ➡️ For those who flash up to V3. If you consistently flash V3 and higher, please consider signing up for the Intermediate category.
Intermediate ➡️ For those who flash up to V6. If you consistently flash V6 and higher, please consider signing up for the Advanced category.
Advanced ➡️ For those who flash up to V8. If you consistently flash V8 and higher, please consider signing up for the Open category.
Open ➡️ You know what you’re getting into! Climbs range from V6-V11.
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what's the difference between citizens comps and championship events?
Citizens Events
Format: Citizen events will run a modified redpoint format in a single afternoon session followed by podiums for each category/divisionPrizes: Winners of each category/division podium and are awarded prizes provided by The North Face and other community partners directly after the competition ends
Points: Each citizens event awards you up to 50 points toward your Series score depending on where you place (ie: I got 4th place so 50-4 = 46pts)
Championship Events
Format: Championship events will host a morning and afternoon session of modified redpoint format followed by OPEN category finals that eveningOPEN Finals: The top 6 OPEN competitors in the Modified Redpoint round, go to OPEN finals for each division. The winner of each division gets a bye to The Last Stop Superfinals!
Prizes: Rec, Intermediate, and Advanced categories/divisions podiums and are awarded prizes after OPEN finals
Points: Each championship event awards you up to 100 points toward your Series score depending on where you place (ie: I got 4th place so 100-4 = 46pts)
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how does scoring work?
Individual boulders are broken down into two sections: tops and flashes. Tops are worth 25 points and Zones are wroth 10 points. Each attempt deducts .01 points, and flashes award you full points.
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what is a modified redpoint?
Each category is assigned a certain number of boulders. Every boulder contains a Zone and a Top.
The goal is try and get as many Zones and Tops as possible within the time frame.
Each attempt deducts -.01 points.
To put it simply, the more tops and zones in the fewest attempts = more points.
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how do i prepare for the nor'easter bouldering series?
First time competing? Or not sure whether you should sign up? No problem – we’ve got some resources that will help you build your knowledge on comp climbing!
Check out Comp Climbing 101 to get the basics on types of competitions and commonly used terminology. This guide will help you strategize at a modified redpoint competition! Start here to learn about tactics and decision-making skills to help you maximize your comp experience.
rules
- You have 3 hours to try any climb within your category, as many times as you would like.
- An attempt begins when you are no longer in contact with the ground, and ends when you use any surface that is not part of the route you are attempting (This includes the ground, holds from other routes, the top of any wall, or any other “illegal” surface, indicated by black tape).
- All volumes are considered extensions of the wall, and are therefore useable surface on any climb.
- In order to receive credit for finishing a climb, you must make contact with both hands on the marked finish hold and stop all momentum for at least 1 full second.
- Bolt holes in the holds are “on” and can be used for hands or feet. Bolt holes in the wall (or volumes) cannot be used as hand holds, but are allowed as feet.
- All routes are color coordinated, you may not make contact with any holds that are not “on a route”. An attempt ends if you use any “off” holds such as downclimbing jugs or the top of the wall.
- A “Technical” is any instance of an attempt being interrupted by factors outside of your control. A hold spinning, unsafe conditions created by other climbers, or blood on a hold are all examples of valid technical interruptions. If you are forced to or choose to stop your attempt due to a technical, you may strike that attempt from the running tally as long as you stop immediately. If you continue to climb, the attempt will still count.
- Please refrain from sharing unwanted information with anyone!
Prizes
Total Retail + Cash Prizes valuing over $36K
Citizens Events:
Over $375 in The North Face retail prizes per category/division
Championship Events:
Over $375 in The North Face retail prizes per category/division (Rec, Intermediate, Advanced)
Cash Purse for OPEN competitors (1st – $700 | 2nd – $500 | 3rd – $300)
The Last Stop Superfinals:
Total Cash purse of $7000 for Open Competitors
Over $4000 in retail goodies by The North Face for all other categories!
Sponsor
Huge thank you to our 2025-26 title sponsor, The North Face, for all their support in the Nor’Easter Bouldering Competition Series!
