Putting climbers to the test, a fun competition, and a buzzing community — bhive’s Christmas competition is set to be an exciting day of bouldering fun!
Bouldering has become a very popular pastime among Filipinos. Ever since the emergence of climbing gyms around Metro Manila, many people have been dedicating their weeknights and weekends to bouldering — climbing new walls, finding the best routes, and meeting fellow climbers. It helps that it serves as a great full-body workout, too.
But for weekend warriors who are looking for a way to test out their climbing abilities, take part in a friendly competition, or simply raise the stakes, The Bouldering Hive is hosting a Christmas-themed competition, Queso de Boulder.
The Bouldering Hive, also known as bhive, is one of Manila’s most popular indoor climbing gyms. They opened their first gym in Makati back in 2019, and this year, expanded with a new branch in Greenhills to make climbing even more accessible in the Metro. Ever since they first opened, their community has steadily continued to grow, and as a celebration of the bouldering boom, they decided to take things to another level, inviting the members of their community to take part in a friendly competition.
In 2021, bhive hosted its first-ever Christmas-themed competition, the first competition ever since the pandemic lockdown restrictions were lifted. Inviting the members of their community to join the competition, their mission was to get the climbers to participate in a friendly contest in a fun and relaxed environment.
But this event is more than just putting climbers to the test. More importantly, it is about celebrating the community they have built together.
How does it work?
This year, the Christmas-themed competition, Queso de Boulder, will be taking place on Saturday, December 7. Over the last few weeks, The Bouldering Hive has been encouraging climbers of all levels to join in either of the two categories: the Open Category or the Team Category.
The Open Category has no restrictions — it is open to anyone who wants to climb and compete, including current and former members of the National Team. In this category, the competitors will need to climb five boulders, which all put different skills to the test, and they are given five minutes per boulder.
From there, the competitors will be ranked based on the number of points they accumulate. The top six participants in the qualification round will then proceed to the final round, where the finalists will have to solve four problems in four minutes each.
In the Team Category, on the other hand, bhive invited teams of three members each, excluding members of the National Team. In this category, each team will be given five minutes per boulder, wherein each member must attempt to climb the same boulder. The points of each member will be accumulated, which will also determine the rank of each team, and the team with the highest score at the end of the round wins!
And as a plus, bhive is also bringing over PHP 150,000 worth of prizes, passes, and freebies from their sponsors!
The Bouldering Hive’s friendly tournament will definitely put their climbers to the test and bring out their competitive side — but in the spirit of Christmas, it is all about celebrating holiday spirit.
Come and enjoy the festivities!
Even climbers or other members of the community are invited to come to Queso de Boulder and enjoy the competition from the sidelines!
For a spectator fee of PHP 150, you can attend the Christmas competition in bhive Greenhills on December 7, watch the excitement on the walls, and enjoy the festivities they have to offer. On top of the bouldering action, you can also check out the stalls from the event sponsors, which include Commonwealth PH, Raptor, SNAKE Brand, and Decathlon, among many others, and enjoy snacks and drinks from Potato Corner and Monkey Eagle Brewery.
There will also be a DJ and drinks after the competition program, making it a full day of holiday fun!
More than just motivating climbers to test their limits, bhive wants this to be a celebration of the holidays with their passionate and close-knit community.
Images courtesy of Nadine Narciso via The Bouldering Hive.