Great success at Arco (Trentino - Lake Garda)

for the European Youth climbing Festival

Arco 19/06/2005
If Arco equals climbing, then the Rock Junior is its future. The second day of the great European Youth climbing meeting, or rather, the European Youth Climbing Days - Rock Junior, turned out be a great party. This fantastic youth climbing festival was fueled by the enthusiasm of more than 2500 participants, from young and even younger climbers to their parents, all of whom participated in two days of climbing and games. And, of course, the European Under 14 Cup, reserved for the best young European climbers who competed on the impressive and mythical Rock Master wall.

For two days the climbing Stadium was transformed for these young climbers, who came in all different shapes and sizes and spoke a myriad of different languages. 14 different nationalities were represented on the green lawn beneath the Colodri wall which, for the occasion, was transformed into a great amusement park for the young. Climbers from Italy, Austria, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, England, Sweden, Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine were all united by one common passion: climbing both as a sport and a game. All, from the youngest to the oldest, released their incredible energy, and immense desire to climb.

All found their own, personal dimension. Starting with the impressively determined and able athletes who travelled here for the European Under 14 Cup, and finishing with the youngest climbers taking part in the Kid's Rock, climbing lines which resembled nature such as crossing tree trunks, the river or the sweets climb.

The bouncy castle and slide were a particular favorite and the children literally assaulted this ascent. And many continued with the fun, crossing the River Sarca on the Tyrolean traverse and, for the smallest, drawing in the arts laboratory. Many mini climbers chose to test their physical capacities and plan their training programs under the supervision of the University of Perugia professors Paola Gigliotti and Prof. Francesco Coscia.

The second round of the European Under 14 Cup was won as follows: category A (1992/93) Arman Ter-Mynasyan from Russian and Johanna Ernst from Austria; category B (1994/95) Domen Skofic and Vita Osolin from Slovenia, while category C (1996/97/98) was won by Julija Kruder from Slovenia and Markus Ladurner from Italy, the best Italian athlete together with Jessica Morandi from Arco who won the Italian trophy yesterday and European Speed.

But what really counts at the Rock Junior, more so than anything else, is taking part. And so this great open air festival came to a close with an event shared by both parents and children, the Family Rock. 50 pairs of parents and their young ones took part in this exciting relay on the speed wall. Pairs "passed the baton" at half height and, at the same time, took part in a game which has few equals in other sports and which was perhaps the most interesting aspect of these two beautiful climbing days at Arco. Two days of happiness and joy, documented also by Disney Channel, which prepared two showings of the event and the climbing.

The 4th edition of the Rock Junior was a great success therefore, thanks to the participants and the impeccable organisation. This was headed by the Associazione Rock Master di Arco, with the indispensable collaboration of the Associazione Sportiva Arco Climbing, the FASI (Federazione Arrampicata Sportiva Italiana) and the help of the Guardia di Finanza, the Polizia, the Carabinieri, the SAT mountain rescue service and the mountain guides Friends of Arco, who all worked to guarantee the participant's safety. Once again their help contributed in making Arco the world's climbing capital.

Thanks also go to the institutions, the Autonomous Province of Trento, the Comune di Arco, Cassa Rurale Alto Garda, Ingarda Spa, Azienda Municipalizzata Sviluppo Arco, and the technical sponsors The North Face, La Sportiva, Cassin, Sint Roc & Ecogrips, Pareti and PlanetMountain who all made this festival for young climbers possible.

Press Office Rock Junior
Vinicio Stefanello
Tel. +39 049 8808423
Stefanello@planetmountain.com

INFORMATION:
ASSOCIAZIONE ROCK MASTER
C.P. 60 38062 ARCO TN
TEL 0464 516830
FAX 0464 517691
mail@rockjunior.info
www.rockjunior.info