Monday, December 12

MBC2017 Event Details

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4th 

STEEPWORLD CLIMBING GYM
208 North 13th Street 
Billings, Montana
406-25-CLIMB

The Montana Bouldering Championship is a fundraiser for the Steepteam 501c3 non-profit program. Steepteam provides climbing mentorship and training to Billings area youth through practice and competition. The Championships provide a competition venue that promotes and rewards the upper talent of Montana Bouldering while providing a fun and entertaining event for recreational climbers.

REGISTRATION
Pre-registration information will be available within the next few weeks.  Registration can also be taken care of the day of the competition.

EVENT SCHEDULE
1:00p - Check In / Late Registration Opens
2:00p - Climbing Begins
6:00p - Climbing Ends
6:30p - Results, Drinks, Food and Early Raffle
7:00p - Open Finals Begin
8:30p - Open Awards and Late Raffle

OPEN COMPETITION FORMAT 
$50 Pre-registration or $55 Day Of. All open registration fees go towards the cash purse. 
The 2016 purse was over $1500
Guaranteed $150 minimum to winners (men & women) and custom Montana Bouldering Champion Belt Buckle.

QUALIFIERS
Open redpoint format consisting of more than 70 routes of evenly distributed difficulty. 
4 hours of climbing time.
Each route is given points based on its difficulty.
A climbers total score equals the top 5 scoring routes plus flash bonuses.
The top third of the open field plus 1 in each gender will move on to finals.

FINALS
Competitor scores will zero out for finals. Ties will be split by qualifier scores.
Finals will be a timed onsight format, competitors remain in isolation until their turn to climb.
There will be 2 finals routes. Each route will have 6-14 moves of various techniques.
Each climber will get 3:00 minutes of climbing time per route. The 3:00 minutes is a soft time stop, meaning climbers will be allowed to continue climbing the route if they are still on the wall after 3:00.
Each finals route is worth 1000 points.
Every move on a finals route is scored equally to the other moves on the route.
If route has 10 moves / holds then each move is worth 100 pts. (1000pts / 10 moves = 100pts)
A competitors finals score equals the combined total from the two finals routes.
The finals score determines final placement. Ties will be split by attempts and then qualifier scores.
Cash payout to the top third of the field in each gender.

AMATEUR & MASTERS & YOUTH COMPETITION FORMAT
$40 Pre-Registration or $45 Day Of.  Entry fee includes climbing, pizza, & beverages. 
100% of the amateur, youth, & masters entry fees go to the Steepteam non-profit.
$5 Adult Spectator Beverage fee. This gets the spectator pizza & beer.
Redpoint format consisting of 70 routes of evenly distributed difficulty. 4 hours of climbing time.
Competitor score equals the top 5 scoring routes plus flash bonuses.
Youth competitors compete within their respected USA Climbing age category.
Category winners awarded with medals.
Pizza and beverages included in entry fee.
High value prizes will be raffled off among all youth, amateur, and masters competitors.






Friday, November 11

2016 Rock Jam



Date: Saturday, November 19th
Location:  Steepworld Climbing Gym - 208 N 13th St

Registration:  Online preregistration can be taken care of here - 
Registration fee is $40 in advance, or $45 the day of.  The registration fee does not include the USAClimbing fee, which is covered be either a USAC Climber Membership or a Day Pass.

Schedule:
10a-11a - Climber Check In
11a-2p - Youth Competition
2:30p - Youth Competition Awards

We ask that all Steepteam climbers arrive no later than 10:30.  There is also an adult competition that afternoon, with Finals beginning at 8p.  We highly encourage all of our Steepteam kids to come back and watch some of the strongest climbers in the area do what they do best!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Dillon Key at (281) 450-2422.

Wednesday, October 12

Full Gravity Day 2016


Date: Saturday, October 22, 2016

Location: Spire Climbing Center - 13 Enterprise Blvd, Bozeman, MT 59718

Schedule:
9:00a - Registration Opens
10:00a-1:00p - Youth Competition
2:00p - Youth Awards

Registration: Online registration can be done at the following link -  
The cost for registration is $40 pre-reg, or $45 the day of the competition.

USAC Membership: If you are not a registered USAClimbing member, you must pay a $10 Day-member fee.

We ask that all Steepteam climbers arrive no later than 9:30am.  If you have any questions, please text or call Dillon Key at (281) 450-2422. 
We hope to see you there!

Monday, October 10

2016 Booty Bash

Steepteam's next competition is the 2016 Booty Bash in Missoula, MT.  All of the information such as a schedule and registration link can be found below on the flyer.  We ask that all Steepteam members arrive no later than 10:30am.

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Steepteam Head Coach, Dillon Key at (281) 450-2422.


Thursday, September 1

2016-17 Winter Competitive Season


ABOUT STEEPTEAM
Steepteam is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to providing climbing mentorship and training to Billings area youth interested in improving their climbing skills through practice and competition.  

Our focus is to develop lifelong climbers.

Competitive Head Coach: Dillon Key (281) 450-2422
Assistant Coaches: Aj Elliston, Brady Stoppel, Katie Jacobsen
Non-Profit Board Members: Joel Anderson, Joel Svec, Jim Barron, Jim Rott, Dan Parnell

LOCAL CLIMBING // USA CLIMBING
Local competitions will be required as we feel that they provide great benchmarking and goal setting opportunities in a friendly environment while helping foster the greater Montana climbing community.  We are not requiring team members to participate in USA Climbing sanctioned events.  Climbers wishing to compete at a USAC level will still have continued support by the team and coaches.  

2016-2017 WINTER SCHEDULE
Starting Thursday, September 29, practices will be twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, at Steepworld, with breaks for the holidays.

Junior Team: (born in 2007 - 2004) 6:00 - 7:30pm
Senior Team: (born in 2003 - 1998) 7:30 - 9:00pm

Sign Ups:  September 26, 7:00 - 8:00pm at Steepworld climbing gym. 

Competitions:
October 8 - Helena (Stonetree) - Local
October 15 - Missoula (Freestone Climbing Gym) - Local
October 22 - Bozeman (Spire Climbing Center) - Local
November 19 - Billings (Steepworld) - Local
December 10 - Ogden, UT (The Front) - Regionals
January 14-15 - Boulder, CO (ABC Kids Climbing) - Divisionals
February 4 - Montana Bouldering Championships
February 10-12 - Salt Lake City, UT (The Salt Palace) - Nationals

GEAR
All team members are required to have their own gear, this includes shoes, chalk bag, and appropriate climbing attire. Rental shoes greatly hinder the development of good footwork and are not acceptable.

EXPECTED COMPETITION SEASON COSTS
$395 + competition fees and travel costs for the 4 month Winter session. The total cost is broken down below.

Team Gym Membership: $145
Steepteam practices at Steepworld Climbing Gym in Billings Montana. Team members are expected to maintain a membership at the gym while team is in session. Gym fees are separate from team fees.
Steepteam Fee: $250
Fees cover coaches time and travel for 30 practices,  competitions, team shirt, insurance, administration, and other necessities needed to run the Steepteam non-profit program.
Competition Entry Fee: TBD
Climbing competitions have entry fees around $30-$45 per competition.  These prices are set by the host gym 
and cover the costs for routesetters to set and prepare for the comp as well as t-shirts, awards, gym time, etc.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Steepteam is happy to announce that we will be awarding 2 scholarships this year. Talk to Steepteam Head Coach, Dillon Key (281) 450-2422, or Steepworld Owner, Jim Rott, for more details.

Tuesday, June 14

Trip Cancelation - Ten Sleep Canyon - July 5-10

Steepteam has decided to cancel the first trip to Ten Sleep Canyon that was planned for July 5-10.  Due to July 4th being a very big celebration in Ten Sleep, we are worried that the canyon will still be overcrowded and might not provide a positive environment for our climbers.

We will still be running the second Ten Sleep Trip from August 2-7.

We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.  Please contact Dillon Key at (281) 450-2422 with any questions or for more information about the summer programs.

Tuesday, May 3

2016 Summer Session

ABOUT THE SUMMER SESSION
Steepteam has changed our focus for the Summer Session from a 5-6 week long program, to focusing on individual trips.  We understand that summer schedules are becoming busier and busier as the years go by, and we want to try and meet the needs of our climbers as best as possible by providing more opportunities to experience climbing outdoors.


THE CLIMBING TRIPS
Yankee Jim Canyon - BOULDERING Dates:  June 16-18
Cost: $80.00
This trip will involve an evening out at Phipps Park to practice spotting and pad placement, and then a full day of bouldering in Yankee Jim Canyon, south of Livingston, MT.  Minimum of 6 climbers required.
Required Gear:  Climbing shoes
Registration Deadline:  June 4th

Cedar Mountain - BOULDERING Dates: July 28-30
Cost: $80.00
This trip will involve an evening out at Phipps Park to practice spotting and pad placement, and then a full day of bouldering on Cedar Mountain, located just outside of Cody, WY.  Minimum of 6 climbers required.
Required Gear:  Climbing shoes
Registration Deadline:  July 16th

The Island (Cody) - SPORT Dates: June 22-25
Cost: $100.00
This trip will involve one evening at Steepworld and one on the Rims to review basic rope skills, and then a full day of climbing at the Island, just outside of Cody, WY. Minimum of 5 climbers required.
Required Gear:  Harness, belay device, and climbing shoes
Registration Deadline:  June 11th

Ten Sleep Canyon - SPORT Dates: July 5-10 (Trip 1) & August 2-7 (Trip 2)
Cost: $150.00
This trip will involve one evening at Steepworld and one on the Rims to review basic rope skills, and then a weekend trip (leave Friday, return Sunday) to Ten Sleep Canyon, located just east of Ten Sleep, WY. Minimum of 7 climbers required.
Required Gear:  Harness, belay device, climbing shoes, and a tent (cabins are also available)
Registration Deadline:  June 25th (Trip 1) & July 23rd (Trip 2)

Natural Bridge State Park - SPORT Dates: July 13-16
Cost: $100.00
This trip will involve one evening at Steepworld and one on the Rims to review basic rope skills, and then a full day of climbing at Natural Bridge State Park, south of Mc Leod, MT.  Minimum of 6 climbers required.
Required Gear: Harness, belay device, and climbing shoes
Registration Deadline:  July 2nd

REGISTRATION
To register for any of the Summer Session Climbing Trips, please contact Dillon Key by phone at (281) 450-2422, or by email at dillonkey92@gmail.com.  Please pay attention to the registration deadlines specific to each trip.  The minimum number of climbers must be met for each individual trip, and every trip caps off at a maximum of 12 climbers.  There is a 50% deposit due before the registration deadline for each trip in order to guarantee a spot on the trip.


ABOUT STEEPTEAM
Steepteam is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to providing climbing mentorship and training to Billings area youth interested in improving their climbing skills through practice and competition.
Primary Guide: Dillon Key (281) 450-2422;  Assistant Guides: Brady Stoppel, Aj Elliston

Non-Profit Board Members: Joel Anderson, Joel Svec, Jim Barron, Jim Rott

Monday, April 18

On Saturday, April 9th, several Steepteam members travelled to Bozeman to compete in Spire Climbing Center's annual Spring Fling.  It was a phenomenal event and we would like to thank all of the staff at Spire, the routesetters, the volunteers, and all of the parents for making it such a great competition.

Results from the comp can be found here.

Below are some pictures from the competition.



Alex cranking through the heinous pockets on the green mono route.

Alex making big moves and showing off the guns.

Chalking up on some pockets mid route, no biggy.

Caden floating up the blue route.

Caden making it look easy on the auto belay.

Caleb leading up green, showing us how it's done.

Carter (left) going big on the black slopers, while Caleb (right) nears the top of green.

Charlie clipping chains after sending the black route.

Charlie flashing the orange route.

Charlie cruising up the other orange route.

Daisy compressing some slopers halfway up the blue route.


Daisy getting stretched out on the green route.

Daisy confirming the send on green.

Dane clipping bolts while walking up the green route.

Emily deciphering beta while navigating the green arete route.

Emily pulling hard on the purple route.

Just relaxing and checking out the views.

Jaden clipping the chains on pink.
Jaden setting up for a big move on the purple route. 
Jaden casually clipping draws on purple.
Katlyn chalking up after the start crux on the volume route.


Katlyn working her way through the geometric maze on the volume route.


Nearing the top after wrestling up the volumes.

Nolan taking a second to figure out the beta on his way up the black route.

Nolan working up the orange slab route.

Emily (left) getting close to the top of the yellow arete, while Nolan (right) confirms a send.

Tanner halfway up the pink route.

Tanner throwing the thumbs up after a send of the volume route.

Tuesday, April 5

Gregory Hills - Graffiti Clean Up

This past Saturday, volunteers with Billings Parks & Rec and members of the climbing community came together to clean up a large amount of graffiti that had appeared on the walls of the local crag, Gregory Hills.  Of those volunteers, we had several Steepteam members come out and contribute.  It was a great day with gorgeous weather, and the cleaning went much faster than expected!  We want to throw out a HUUUGE thank you to Parks & Rec for organizing this event, as well as to all of the community member, climbers and non-climbers, who came out to help beautify the Rims!

Nolan striking a pose after a long day of scrubbing.

Climbers, Charlie, Jaden and Carter posing with local legend, Chad Chadwick.

Assistant Coach, Brady, doing what he does best... looking good.

Local hardman, Brian Hagerty, helping out with the clean up, but mostly reminiscing about "back in the day."

Charlie getting amped up about being the water boy.

Brady grinding away at a tagged boulder.

Monday, March 21

Spring Fling 2016



Date: April 9, 2016

Location: Spire Climbing Center - 13 Enterprise Blvd, Bozeman, MT

Schedule:
9:00am - Registration Opens* 
10:00am - Climbing Begins 
12:00pm - BBQ
2:00pm - Climbing Ends 
2:30pm - Awards
*We are asking that all Steepteam members arrive by 9:30 at the latest.  

Registration can be taken care of online at http://www.spireclimbingcenter.com/onlineregistration. Early registration ends 4/3/16, and is $40, registration after 4/3 is $45, and t- shirts are an additional $5.

If it has been over a year since you were at Spire, please save time and fill out a waiver before the morning of the comp by visiting http://www.spireclimbingcenter.com/waiver.

Please remember to bring your harness with you as this is a rope climbing competition. Additional information can be found at: http://www.spireclimbingcenter.com/spring-fling-2016 Please contact 

Dillon Key at (281) 450-2422 if you have any questions!

Sunday, February 21

Spring Session

HOW TO SIGN UP
We will host a sign-up session and first practice Monday, February 29th, from 6pm- 8pm, at Steepworld Climbing gym. Waivers can be signed, team fees can be collected (the team cannot accept credit cards at this time), gym memberships can be paid (credit cards accepted). If you cannot make the sign-up, please call Dillon Key (281-450-2422) prior to secure your spot on the team.

SPRING COMPETITION SEASON
The Steepteam Spring Extended Season is open to current Steepteam members as well as new climbers who are approved by coaches, and focuses on indoor competition climbing. The team will have the opportunity to compete in the USAClimbing Sport Climbing Series (SCS) and travel and compete in competitions from Bozeman to Pocatello.  All competitions are sport climbing competitions, meaning climbers will be on ropes, either top rope (YD-YC) or lead climbing (YB-Jr).

LOCAL CLIMBING or USA CLIMBING
We have decided to renew our focus in developing lifelong climbers. We feel that local competitions provide great benchmarking and goal setting opportunities in a friendly environment while helping foster the greater Montana climbing community.  Thus, we are not requiring team members to participate in USA Climbing sanctioned events. Climbers wishing to compete at a USAC level will still have continued support by the team and coaches.

GEAR
All team members are required to have their own gear, this includes shoes, chalk bag, and appropriate climbing attire.  Additionally, a harness and belay device (preferably an ATC) is highly recommended for all climbers, and required for those who wish to compete.

SHOES
Rental shoes greatly hinder the development of good footwork and are not acceptable. Shape and fit are the number one priority. All team members should have a climbing shoe with a downward pointed toe, preferably velcro or slip-on. The fit of the shoe should be snug and tight with little foot pain. Shoes should be sized for no more than six months of growth. 

2015 SPRING SCHEDULE
Starting Monday, February 29th practices will be twice a week, Monday and Thursdays with breaks for the holidays at Steepworld Climbing Gym, and will continue through May 12th.    Junior and Senior Team: 6pm - 8pm

EXPECTED COMPETITION SEASON COSTS
$225 + competition fees and travel costs = total for the 2.5 month Spring session. The total cost is broken down below.

TEAM FEE
$120.00 - Fees cover coaches time and travel for 19 practices, 3 competitions, insurance, administration, and other necessities needed to run the Steepteam nonprofit program. Currently the non-profit is unable to accept credit cards.

GYM FEES
$105 for a 3 month gym membership. Steepteam practices at Steepworld Climbing Gym in Billings Montana but is a separately operated non-profit, thus two different fees need to be paid. Team members are expected to maintain a membership at the gym while team is in session. Annual and family memberships are also available that may reduce costs. Gym fees are separate from team fees.

COMPETITION FEES
To be determined. Climbing competitions have entry fees around $40-$60 per competition and the team attends at minimum 1-2 competitions per season. These prices are set by the host gym and cover the costs for routesetters to set and prepare for the comp as well as t-shirts, awards, gym time, etc.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Steepteam offers need based scholarships on a case by case basis. Talk to Steepteam Director Joel Anderson (406) 860-7616

ABOUT STEEPTEAM
Steepteam is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to providing climbing mentorship and training to Billings area youth interested in improving their climbing skills through practice and competition.
Competitive Head Coach: Dillon Key (281) 450-2422;  Assistant Coach: Aj Elliston

Non-Profit Board Members: Joel Anderson (406) 860-7616, Joel Svec, Jim Barron

Sunday, January 24

Montana Bouldering Championships 2016

Hosted at SteepWorld Climbing Gym on Saturday, January 30th.  See poster below for more details.  Hope to see you there!