A climber from Warren’s bouldering team is moving up — literally.

Natalie Muntz, part of the Goat Fort Climbing Team, finished in 11th place in the USA Climbing Bouldering Regional Championships in the team’s first season of competition.

She has added top-rope and lead climbing to her repertoire.

Bouldering and top-rope climbing are related, but distinct, endeavors.

Photo submitted to Times Observer Natalie Muntz of the Goat Fort Climbing Team, scales a 50-foot wall at a top-rope competition at Shaker Rocks in Cleveland.

“With bouldering, the routes — problems — are short, and do not require a rope and harness for protection,” her coach, Dana Harrington said. “Bouldering moves are of the highest difficulty and often require a gymnastic or parkour type of climbing.”

“With top-rope/lead competitions, however, climbers are protected with a rope and harness, and face off on routes 40 to 50 feet in height,” Harrington said. “This type of climbing requires athletes to have superior endurance and the mental fortitude to problem-solve high on the wall, while they are increasingly fatigued.”

The Goat Fort is a bouldering facility and Harrington had doubts about one of his athletes moving to top-rope climbing — not just because the facility was not cut out for that event.

“At first, I was concerned about the transition to roped climbing,” Harrington said. “Our facility is a bouldering gym, so we are at a serious disadvantage.”

Harrington had another concern.

“Training for endurance has the potential to be tedious, especially when compared to the fast-paced and exciting nature of bouldering,” he said.

“Regardless, we have been able to work through these limitations,” he said. “We have been able to modify her training, and for the past six weeks she has been hard at work.”

“Hard work, it appears, pays off,” Harrington said. “In her first ever top-rope/lead event she placed sixth, which should guarantee her an invite to the USA Climbing Top-rope/Lead Regional Championships this April in Columbus, OH.

At her second competition, on Saturday, March 5, Muntz scored even higher — finishing in fifth place at Hoosier Heights in Indianapolis.