Blue Tornado Climbing

The McCallie climbing team has a long history of producing excellent climbers in the core disciplines of the sport: bouldering, sport, and traditional climbing. Coaches work yearly to help prepare the team to not just climb well in competition, but to be able to safely climb “any line, anywhere."

Through participation in the Chattanooga Interscholastic Climbing League via local climbing gyms, the boys get challenged weekly to climb well under pressure. A typical roster of over 20 climbers allows the program to field varsity and junior varsity rosters, creating opportunities for all climbers to score for the team.

The climbing team is benefitting from the new Outdoor Program Center on the south end of campus and continues to set the standard while the number of school programs in the area grows. Under the direction of head coach Jake Altemus, the climbers went undefeated in district competition in 2025, won the district trophy, and were runners up for the ICL area title.

The 2024 squad went undefeated in 10 interscholastic matches. It claimed the city title and won regular season and open division championships.

With numerous climbing areas and thousands of specific routes, Chattanooga is a world-class destination for climbing. At least once a week, the boys venture off campus to climb outside at one of the area's distinct climbing faces and boulder areas. Those days often are what transition climbing from a sport sponsored by the school to a lifelong pastime.

Altemus has coached McCallie’s climbing team since 2010. Climbing became an interscholastic activity in the Chattanooga area in 2015, and the McCallie climbers have dominated competitions from the outset. The sport has certainly become popular with the McCallie students.