Third Annual Crag Madness Competition is Giving $500 to a Southeast Coalition

The classic Southern spot in full force at the Hound Ears Triple Crown Comp. Photo by Caleb Timmerman.

Steep South is hosting its third annual Crag Madness Competition with a bit of a twist this year.

In 2019, the first Crag Madness voting contest was made on Instagram using Story Polls to decide the “Best Crag” in the Southeast. The March Madness spinoff turned into a huge hit with hundreds of climbers voting on the crags dearest to their hearts.

The semi finals ensued a stacked lineup of Rocktown, Endless Wall, Linville Gorge, and PMRP. But in the end, PMRP won the first Crag Madness title in a sweeping victory against finalist Linville Gorge.

The evident excitement for more virtual crag competitions brought Crag Madness back a second time in 2020 with the theme “Most Aesthetic Crags.” Heavy hitters like Tieranny Roof, Milipede Boulder, The Cirque, and Ship Rock’s Upper Tier kept the psych alive with an average of 465 climbers voting each round. The Red River Gorge reigned supreme yet again as the Gold Coast took home the second title and 57% of the votes against Summersville’s Coliseum.

For the third annual Crag Madness, a different approach to the competition seemed appropriate. Especially since our Southeast community has been deprived of climbing fundraisers, competitions, and parties due to the pandemic. In order to bring more awareness to coalition donation needs and reminisce about the “good ole days” from one year ago, this Crag Madness will honor the organizations that make climbing access possible.

The theme this year will be “Most Memorable Moments” and each memory (or bracket) will be dedicated to a specific coalition in the Southeast. For example, Rocktoberfest’s bracket will honor the Red River Gorge Climbing Coalition. The competition is divided into 4 main categories: Events, Scenic, Climbing, and Off Route.

Each category encompasses all the fun nuances and happenings that make Southeast climbing unique. Here are some notable players you’ll have a chance to vote for in the competition:

- Beachwhaling Slopey Topouts (benefitting the Southeastern Climbers Coalition)

- Surviving 24HHH (benefitting Arkansas Climbers Coalition)

- Sit Down Rests in Huecos (benefitting the Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition)

- Beers at the Lilly Pad Hopyard (benefitting East Tennessee Climbers Coalition)

- Hunting for Ice Climbs (Carolina Climbers Coalition)

Best of all, whichever coalition has the winning bracket will be given $500 from our sponsor DMM Climbing! Only the finalist can win, so make sure to vote throughout the competition to get your favorite coalition in the last round.

With 7 main climbing coalitions in the Southeast, not every coalition can have an even number of seeds or brackets. The four larger coalitions based on membership and property management will be given 10 spots each (RRGCC, CCC, SCC, NRAC). The three smaller coalitions will be given 8 spots each (ETCC, CACC, ACC). This means it’s still any coalition’s game and the chance for underdogs to win is nearly just as likely as a top seeded bracket.

Now it’s up to the Southeast climbing community to vote for the winning memory and affiliated coalition. Will the Red River Gorge crew defend their two-year title? Or will another coalition give them a run for their money?

Starting March 2nd, we will begin votes on the sweet sixteen rounds. Voting will take place on @SteepSouth Instagram Story Polls. This will be the only place to vote. Winners of each round will be displayed by viewing the percentage of votes listed on the Story Highlights after 24 hours. Screenshots of exact voting counts can be shown to coalitions upon request.

Best of luck to all the Southeast climbing coalitions battling it out this month! And big thanks to our sponsor DMM Climbing for supporting the cause.