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Matt Conroy, a guide and coach at GMRCC, to join their ad-

vanced climbing team (name: “Sendstorm”). After training with
Conroy, Ketcham’s journey started with local competitions in
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. After placing well in her
age group, she advanced to competitions at the regional and

then divisional levels.
In her first year of competitive climbing, Ketcham advanced to
the USA Sport Climbing Series National Competition in Atlanta
this past July where she was one of more than 300 of the top
climbers from around the country to compete.

For a young climber used to her home gyms in northern New
England, Ketcham says the experience was unforgettable.
“You have all these climbers from all over the country coming
to one place to climb,” she recalls. “And they’re all incredible.”

The competition was held over four days. On the first day,
climbers in each of the five age divisions attempted to climb a
certain grade. The next day, those who qualified climbed the
previous day’s route intended for the division ahead of them.
Serena advanced through the first day’s events. The second day’s

route was over-hung, stepped with roofs and fitted with sloper-
style holds that demand fine control of balance, friction and
open-hand grip strength. Ketcham had to bow out after Day 2,
but left the event placing 23rd in the SCS National Competition.

Ketcham comes from a family of climbers. Both of her parents
are avid climbers who “met on a rock bouldering in Boulder,
Co.,” as her father says. Serena and her brother, Noah, were
born in Bozeman, Mt., moving most recently from Portland,

Ore., to Hanover, where they now live.
“It was difficult to get out and climb when the kids were very
young,” her father, Mike, says. “But we were thrilled when they
took an interest in the sport. That way we could rekindle our
own climbing passions and introduce them to the sport.”

And the young Serena learned quickly, surpassing both of her
parents by time time she was 10. Ketcham also climbs outdoors
with her family at popular spots in New Hampshire such as
Rumney, the southern edge of the White Mountain National

Forest, and North Conway. She’s also climbed at Joshua Tree
National Park in California; Moab, Utah; Acadia National
Park, Maine; Smith Rocks, Oregon; and El Chorro, Spain.
For her, outdoor climbing is her opportunity to take it easy.

“When I climb outdoors, I don’t have to push myself as hard
because my mom and dad can’t climb 5.12s or 13s,” she says.
“So I get to do fun stuff like 5.10s or 11s. When I climb indoors,
that’s when I push myself harder and try the 12s or 13s.”
Her daily practices start with bouldering laps around the low-

er portions of the gym. If someone’s not able to make it, they’re
forced to complete 50 push-ups. Then she warms up with an easy
5.10. Lately, she’s been working on developing her endurance, a
skill she calls “mileage.” She does this by climbing up and down

the same
problem for
15 to 20 min-
utes. Resting

by hanging
on the rope
or touching Ketcham climbing during the USA sports Climbing National Competition this past July in Altanta.
the ground is
met with pen-
her technique with those sloper holds as well as lead climbing, an area that
alty burpees.
she’ll have to start using more in competition as she gets older.
In terms of a personal “Each time I try a new route it’s like a new puzzle,” she says. “And I like find-
climbing style, Ketcham’s de- ing funky moves to make up for being short. But what I mostly enjoy is when I
scription is short: “Crimps,
finally get to the top of a project that I’ve been working on for a very long time.
overhangs and a positive at- I feel good that I have put all of my effort into this climb and it has paid off.”
titude,” she says.
This fall, she’ll compete in the American Bouldering Series at gyms around
“She’s small,” her father the Northeast, a middle school competition series and the regional competitions
says. “For now, she’s work-
ing on finding a way to make her team at the Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center participates in. She’s
also got her crosshairs set firmly on the nationals again and this time she plans
the smallness work for her.”
on placing better than last year. She’s confident she can pull it off with the right
As she grows, the tech- amount of focus and practice.
nique will change, but she
says she’s keeping up her “One of my goals is to make it to the top five in the Nationals SCS competi-
tions so I will be able to join the USA Climbing Team,” she says. “Also to com-
Serena Ketcham with "Sendstorm" team coach strength to go along with it. pete internationally — that would be awesome.”
Matt Conroy.
This fall, she’s working on

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