BMC Leading Ladder
Glasgow Climbing Centre Round 2: 13th Feb - 28th Feb 2010
The BMC Leading Ladder is back for the 2009/10, sticking with the successful format from last year. Taking part in this fun competition series is an excellent way to improve your climbing standards and a great way to get fit - and stay fit - over the winter months.
What is it?
The BMC Leading Ladder is a series of competitions that start in October and runs at 24 walls, with 35 rounds right through until the end of March. Each round of the BMC Leading Ladder runs for a 16 day period - thats 2 weeks including 3 weekends. That means that you can travel around the country and take part in leading competitions right throughout the winter - and all at your own pace.
The grade range will be the same as last year, so that each round will have 10 routes ranging from F5+ to F8a, with the same three ability categories - Improver, Recreational, and Elite.
• The Improver category is aimed at climbers whose on-sight limit is F6B/6B+.
• The Recreational category is aimed at climbers whose on-sight limit is F7A/7B.
• The Elite category is aimed at climbers whose on-sight limit is F7C/8A.
You choose which category you want to compete in and then your points will be entered into that category in the scoring system. This gives climbers that are operating at a more intermediate level a chance to compete in a national competition and possibly compete in the National Final.
N.B. British Climbing Team members must enter the Elite category.
How hard are the routes?
Each competition shall consist of 10 routes graded F5+, F6A, F6A+, F6b, F6b+, F6c, F7a, F7b, F7c and F8a.
Categories
As detailed above there are three categories, which will then be split into male and female categories and into under 16's and 16's and over. Ages will be those on 31st August in the year the series starts, and climbers must be at least 12.
How will it work?
The BMC Leading Ladder competition routes are clearly marked and anyone using the wall may climb them. But if you want to take part in the BMC Leading Ladder competition, and have your score recorded, then you need to buy a scorecard for £1 from the host venue. Don't try any of the routes before buying a scorecard - that's cheating!
Scoring
The BMC Leading Ladder is a fun competition relying on the honesty and integrity of those taking part and those belaying to ensure fair play. Climbers start at the bottom of a route and see if they can climb to the top. Clipping the lower-off from a hold on the route signifies a successful ascent. If a climber is successful, their belayer marks their score their card. If not an X is marked on the card. Higher scores are awarded for fewer goes and, of course, a flash ascent receives the highest score.
Succeeding on a route on the first attempt (a flashed ascent, or flash for short) gains 20 points. Getting it second go gains 15 points, third go 11 points, 4th go 8 points, 5th go 6 points, 6th go 5 points, and any subsequent attempts, however many, gain one point. Competitors may attempt the routes as often as they like during the period when the competition is running at a particular venue. The maximum score possible, and therefore the perfect score, at any venue is going to be 200 points - that's 10 climbs multiplied by 20 points.
Can I practise the moves before trying the routes?
Nope. With the maximum score for the on-sight climbers can't practice or inspect the routes first. Nor are they allowed to weight the rope, use out of bounds holds or features, use the top edge or side edges of the wall, or grab the lower-off. All quick-draws are to be clipped while climbing - the first one may be pre-clipped for safety purposes.
Belayers
Competitors choose their own belayer(s) as usual at a climbing wall. Climbers and belayers need to be aware that they will be required to meet a wall's usual entry conditions. To find out what these are, especially if you are under 18, please contact the wall direct prior to your visit.
Results
At the end of each round walls collect the cards for the competition held at their venue and return them to the BMC. They will be published here on the BMC website.
National Final
When all the rounds in the series have been completed, each competitor’s highest 3 scores will be added together to give their overall score for the series. The highest possible overall score is 600. Those with the highest overall scores in each category qualify for a national final. The national final will run similar to a leading ladder round - the final this year will be on the 24th April 2010, and the venue will be announced soon.
Full rules
A copy of the full rules is available here.
