2022 competition round up… so far
This year already we have seen the Scottish Youth Bouldering Championships, the Scottish Youth Climbing Championships, the Scottish Youth Speed Championships, the Scottish Paraclimbing Festival and the Scottish Lead Climbing Competition.
3 days of action saw 5 of Scotlands biggest climbing events take place at EICA Ratho and Eden Rock Edinburgh. These competitions are always mega fun and this year did not desapoint. With the strongest youth athletes from across the UK battling it out on some insane routes and boulder problems, this years competitions started out strong.
The days of having the same 50 kids from across Scotland attend the comps are gone, as at the start of 2022 we saw a total of 313 competitors from across the UK join ClimbScotland for the Scottish Youth Bouldering Championships and The Scottish Youth Climbing Championships, plus 30 competitors in the Scottish Paraclimbing Festival. This is a huge turnout for Scottish competition climbing – and that’s only 5 competitions so far, with 4 more to go!
Find all the resluts here: Competition Results
Scottish Youth Bouldering Championships
Sometimes the wrong way is the right way
Hosted by the amazing Eden Rock, Edinburgh, the Scottish Youth Bouldering Championships saw 198 competitors, from the ages 9 to 17, battle it out on 31 mega qualification boulder problems, before the top athletes took on the finals. The climbs themselves, set by Eden’s in-house route setting team, were perfect, hard and technical, forcing the best out of all our athletes. And what a show they put on. Huge thank you to Eden Rock for all their hard work and for hosting this event.
Some serious skills on show at the SYBC
Scottish Youth Climbing Championships
Just chillin
One month later, The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena hosted our Scottish Youth Climbing Championships. 115 competitors is a little less than we are used to, but with exams on at the same time I think we can forgive some kids for focusing on their studies. Nevertheless it was a huge day of climbing on Scotland’s biggest walls. The routes, set by the ClimbScotland-endorsed Route Setting team, were an absolute spectacle. They looked great from the ground and looked even better with youth athletes cranking through them (almost making them look easy at times). With the qualifiers over, the finals began and, as one of the route setters, I can tell you it was stressful. Watching these ridiculously strong climbers cruising through some hard moves, all nearing the end of the routes but being split by a few points. Such an awesome display of climbing ability is great to see but it does make a route setter nervous. These finals were closed out in spectacular style with the final male and female competitors both putting on a massive fight to top their finals routes next to each other, at the same time. What a show.
Our athletes looking composed and strong
Some serious speed on show at the Speed Championships
Scottish Paraclimbing Festival
The next day saw the Scottish Paraclimbing festival, with 30 paraclimber from across the UK, including some of the GB team attending the event. Some challenging routes and boulder problems, some shared with the SYCC climbs, gave our competitors a good fight and it was inspiring to see everyone pushing hard. Yes the routes were hard, but loads of fun was had and it gave us the much needed feedback and psych to make next year’s Paraclimbing Festival event bigger and better.
Seriously impressive climbing on show… and loads of smiles
Scottish Lead Climbing Competition
Following on from the SYCC, for only the second time we hosted the Scottish Lead Climbing Competition. A lead climbing comp for adults using the same tough routes from the SYCC gave a spectaular finish to the weekend. 20 strong competitors from across Scotland came down to Ratho to test themselves, and what a fight they put up. Big thank you to everyone that attended. We can’t wait till next year.
Great to see adults crushing in a lead comp again
As always we want to give a huge shout out and thank you to all of our volunteers at these competitions. CCOs, Judges, Belayers, we love you all and could not do any of this without your support. And to Iain Bain for the amazing photos. Thank you, legends!
Legends
Also a huge thank you to City of Edinburgh Council for supporting this year’s Edniburgh based competitions. Your support makes a huge difference.
The years where only 50 people showed up to a competition gave us the likes of Rebekah Drummond and Robbie Phillips among others, including William Bosi, who as I write this has just established Scotland hardest route, at 9a+. Now, with over 300 competitors attending, I’m excited to see the new generation of mutant climbers our competitions will produce. Watch this space!