ROPE BURN
8 hour Endurance Team Climbing Competition
2 hour Family Relay
2 hour Kids' Challenge
Sunday, September 13, 2026
High Plains Climbing proudly presents the 2026 Rope Burn climbing competition and events.
Pick your team. Pick your climbing level. There are multiple ways to participate.
The main event is a team-based 8 hour endurance team climbing competition. You can have a two-person team or a three-person team. Over the course of the day, each team climbs as many routes as they can, earning points for every completed route based on its difficulty, length, and climbing style. There is no fixed route list requirement — teams choose their own path through the available routes and manage their own pacing, rest, and belay rotation across the 8 hours.
Each climber self-determines their own skill level (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced) at registration. Teams may be matched (both partners at the same level) or mixed (two different levels).
Climbing Levels
Skill level is self-reported by each climber on the honor system. Use the guide below to pick the level that best fits — partners do not need to match, and a team's category is simply determined by the levels declared. When registering enter your PERSONAL climbing level (not team level). These are general guidelines, don't overthink it. You will be able to select the climbs you want to try.
Beginner - New to climbing and/or comfortable top-roping up to about 5.9
Intermediate - Climbs in the 5.9–5.11 range. May be leading up to 5.10.
Advanced - Climbing in the 5.11 and up range.
Masters (Age 50+) - This is an age-based category and can be any skill level.
Team Categories
For Teams of 2, your category is decided based on the selected climbing level of each participant. In total, there are 6 categories based on each participant's climbing level:
Spark (Beginner + Beginner) - First flicker — two climbers just getting their fire going.
Ember (Intermediate + Intermediate) - Steady heat — consistent, warmed-up climbers.
Inferno (Advanced + Advanced) - Full burn — the top tier, matched at the highest level.
Flare (Beginner + Intermediate) - A quick jump in intensity between the two partners.
Kindling (Beginner + Advanced) - The advanced partner helps kindle the beginner's fire.
Blaze (Intermediate + Advanced) - Bigger gap, bigger burn — a strong combined team.
Additionally:
Slow Burn (Those teams with a team member in 50+/Masters are automatically entered)
For Teams of 3 there are no separate categories based on individual participants climbing levels. There is one category: Bonfire. Teams of 3 can be any combination of climbing level for each participant. All Teams of 3 compete with other teams of 3.
2-hour events
The Family Relay or Campfire Category is for climbing families. At a minimum, each team must consist of 1 child and 1 adult, but can be any combination of kids and adults, up to a maximum of four participants.
For kids 12 and under we have the Kids' Ember Climbing Challenge, a 2 hour scavenger-hunt-like challenge for kids consisting of a list of climbing-related challenges and exercises. Each participant requires an adult belayer for supervision and support.
Event Details
Entry Fees
Prices are per person and includes an event t-shirt with pre-registration. HPC members receive a 15% discount on entry fee.
8-hour Endurance Team Climbing Competition
$60
2-hour Family Relay
$35
2-hour Kids' Ember Climbing Challenge
$30
Additional event shirts are $25
Schedule
The following schedule is subject to change.
Sunday, September 13, 2026
9:15am - Participant check-in
9:45am - Rules and Rope Burn oath
10:00am - 8-hour Rope Burn climbing event begins
11:30am - Family Relay and Ember Challenge check-in
12:00pm - Family Relays and Ember Challenge begins
2:00pm - Family Relay and Ember Challenge end
2:30pm - Awards for Family Relay and Ember Challenge
6:00pm - 8-hour Rope Burn climbing concludes
6:45pm - Awards for 8-hour Rope Burn
7:00pm - Happy fun time
8:00pm - Event concludes
Register Here
To register there are two steps.
Step 1: Please complete the Registration Form.
Step 2: Please provide payment.
Finer Points
Scoring
Each team keeps their own score via a scorecard based on the honor system.
Every completed route earns a team points. A team's total score is the sum of every counted route climbed by either partner during the 8-hour window. Both partners' climbs count toward the same shared team score.
Each route must be climbed without falls (or takes) to receive points.
Each route will have base difficulty points relative to its grade. Additional points are provided based on the route's length. If a route is lead climbed it will received an additional bonus.
To keep the event about endurance and variety rather than farming one easy route for 8 hours, a team scores full value the first two times they complete a given route. Every subsequent completion of that same route by the same team scores at 50% value. Different routes, and the same route climbed on lead after being followed (or vice versa), still each count as their own scoring events.
Route Score = Base Difficulty Points + Route Length × Lead Bonus (if applicable)
Team Score = The sum of every Route Score earned by either partner across the 8-hour event.
Ties
If two teams in the same division finish with an equal score, we will resolve the tie in this order:
Higher total number of completed (scoring) routes
Highest single Route Score of the day
Awards
Awards and recognition will be granted to:
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each of the six divisions: Spark, Ember, Inferno, Flare, Kindling, Blaze and Bonfire
Slow Burn (Masters, age 50+): a separate podium open to any team where both partners are 50 or older, regardless of skill division — awarded in addition to, not instead of, that team's skill-division placement
Raging Inferno: Overall point earner (bonus award, does not replace division podiums)
Family relay (Campfire)
Ember Challenge participants will receive completion certificates
Support
Thank you to our wonderful supporters for this event.
Artwork by: Cori Crawford @trad.artist
Chalk sponsor: Doctor Rock's Herbal Chalk