Climbing ban lifted in Carn Gowla, Cornwall

The BMC is pleased to announce our membership of Sports for Nature (S4N) - the first mountaineering organisation to do so. S4N enables and encourages sporting bodies to champion nature and contribute to its protection and restoration, an initiative that aligns completely with the BMC’s values, including our ongoing access and conservation work, aims for net-zero emissions by 2040 and new Climate & Sustainability Action Plan.

The sphagnum season is upon us again! Now that the ground-nesting birds have stopped ground-nesting, it’s time for BMC volunteers to start planting this incredible, carbon-sequestering moss at strategic locations across the Peak District moorland. Can you help us?

A climbers’ meeting this week expressed their opposition to the continued ban on climbing at Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, imposed by Forestry England.

This weekend the BMC joined Avon Access Rep Ben Darby and his team of volunteers near Bristol to install 28 new belay stakes on Main Wall so that climbers no longer need to rely on the wobbly old iron fence as an anchor point. Vegetation was also cleared and a thorough litter pick was carried out.

Yesterday, former Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Chris Boardman CBE met with BMC staff in the Peak District to highlight projects that are successfully fighting the climate crisis.

Do you know your gaston from your guppy, and can you spray about it while sandbagging your mate? Find out what it all means with our guide to climbing terminology.

The Youth Ready to Rock Sport climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer.

It’s Britain, it’s summer, and it’s wet. Why am I not surprised? But all is not lost! There are ways to circumvent the weather when you want to go climbing...

Proposals to make ordinary trespass a criminal offence have alarmed outdoor groups, including the BMC. Ahead of a debate in Parliament on the issue and the possibility of Government publishing the Police Powers and Protections Bill, Ed Douglas calls for the Government to think again.

There are concerns that government are considering moves to turn trespass from a civil offence to a criminal one. In a public consultation that is currently out for comment, it has been suggested that police powers could be strengthened to force people to move on from unauthorised encampments. The BMC is concerned however, that there could be unintentional consequences of the proposals around issues such as wild camping.

Lowering off from a sport climb isn't always as easy as it is at the climbing wall. Knowing a few techniques can make the difference between an enjoyable day's climbing and a trip to A&E.

Back in 2017, Margo Hayes ticked La Rambla 9a+ in Siurana, Spain. By September that same year she had climbed another 9a+, Biographie at Ceuse, and in 2019 she ticked her third. How does she do it?

Are you a hill walker wanting to tackle steeper terrain, but nervous about heights? Don’t panic – there are steps you can take to fight the fear.

Everything you need to know about the various types of rope for climbing and mountaineering can be found in our handy, free guide.

Access to the south side of Cheddar Gorge is fragile and relies upon climbers following the agreements in place with the landowner.

Climbers have a responsibility to understand the relevant access and conservation issues associated with the places we climb. Here are a few pointers to help you enjoy these areas sustainably.

A look at the essential skill of abseiling. What do you need to know to get down in one piece?

What are the different types of climbing and mountaineering and what do they involve?

The health and well being benefits of physical activity are numerous. Apart from the obvious physical benefits, there are many mental health and social perks to hillwalking and climbing too.

Dream of climbing 7a but think you’ll never reach that level? With a little hard work and some secret beta from top sport climber Steve McClure, you’ll be clipping the chains on your project in no time.

In this booklet for managers and landowners, the aim has been to address a range of common questions and concerns about rock climbing in disused quarries. Covering all aspects of access and liability, through a selection of case studies, it showcases the benefits not just for climbers, but for the wider public and land managers themselves. Benefits which can be realised with assistance from climbers and the BMC, through the repurposing of disused quarries as rock climbing destinations.

Trad climbing offers an unparalleled sense of freedom. With the appropriate skills, training, and equipment you really do have the ability to go anywhere. Here we give the low down on how to get started.

Test your knowledge and see if you can name these 10 famous British female mountaineers and climbers, from pantaloon-clad pioneers of the alps, to contemporary crushers.

Camping ‘wild’ is a different way of spending the night outdoors but it isn't allowed everywhere - with a responsible approach however, there are many remote areas where you can still rest your weary head under a star-filled sky.

The Youth Ready to Rock Trad climbing course is designed to help young climbers (11-17 year olds) make their first moves onto rock by having a fun day out, as well as covering the use of some key skills and equipment, for both the participant and the parent/carer. Trad climbing is the most popular style of climbing on British crags.

The stats are in from the Bangor University Mountaineering Society's (BUMS, excellent acronym) crag clean up at Penmaen Head, a limestone sport climbing venue in North Wales, near Colwyn Bay.

If you’ve never climbed before or have only climbed indoors, the equipment used for tackling real rock can seem mysterious, exciting and expensive. We've put together a list of the essentials...

If you've learnt to climb routes indoors, sport climbing can be a logical first step into the exciting world of outdoor climbing. Here's how to get started...

Want to know more about how you can reduce your own personal carbon footprint and lessen your impact on the environment? We’ve tried to make it simple for you by producing three separate checklists – for yourself, your workplace and for any events you might be arranging.

Planning a winter sport-climbing escape? Leave the crowds and polish behind with these five best-kept mid-grade Spanish sport secrets. Dos cervezas por favor.

Climb grade 5 outdoor sport routes, but want to progress? How do you start pushing your comfort zone, and what should you focus on?

Diversity conversations in the outdoors can’t leave anyone out. At ESEA Outdoors UK we’re celebrating the fact that East and Southeast Asian people go outdoors too, in spite of historical erasure and lack of representation in outdoors media. Here’s what you need to know:

The BMC has welcomed another conservation project into The Climate Project portfolio, planting seagrass with Seagrass Ocean Rescue in conjunction with the North Wales Wildlife Trust. This is in addition to the current sphagnum moss planting and peatland restoration with Moors for the Future in the Peak District that you can also get involved with here.

With the general election announced for Thursday 4 July 2024, get behind the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) as we lobby for more access to nature, outdoor education and more protection for the places we love to walk and climb in. Pick one (or all!) of the below and ask your election candidates if they will back it and why it’s important to them.  

Where are you currently getting your mountain inspiration from? Are the walls in your house lined with photos and paintings of stunning peaks? Your social media feeds endlessly presenting you with trails and skylines to add to the list of high places to explore? We're here to add to that by giving you five more films to keep your inspiration levels up. Enjoy the watch.

Grab a brew, get comfy and enjoy our top five trad climbing films from the BMC TV channel to inspire your next tradventure...

Ever since 2021, a new method of setting up the top rope on the bolted anchors at Southern Sandstone crags has changed. Read on to make sure you're following the latest method.

As the general election date draws nearer, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) have reviewed the manifestos from each party to help you make a more informed choice when it comes to protecting the landscapes and crags that we love to walk in and climb on.

The first of four films in The Landscape Project has just been released on BMCTV, a fascinating new series that brings climbing and natural history together. Starting with the Lake District, presenter Nathan Chrismas, a biologist and ecologist, shares his deep knowledge and passion for the geological and ecological highlights of four hugely popular climbing and walking areas.

The Labour Party has announced three policies to help connect people with nature. The British Mountaineering Council has advocated for greater access to nature for many decades and welcomes action to promote this – we’ve therefore taken a look at each policy individually. 

Wildlife and Countryside Link—a coalition of over 80 charities including the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and WWF UK—is challenging all political parties to set out how they would halt wildlife decline by 2030, ahead of the General Election.

This week is Volunteering Week 3 - 9 June so why not get involved with one of the many BMC volunteering opportunities? There are loads to choose from, including helping out at climbing competitions, leading hill walks at events and litter picking nationwide, planting seagrass in Wales, repairing footpaths in the Lake District and restoring peat bogs in the Peak District.

BMC volunteers from the Get Stuck In programme joined Fix the Fells last month in Wasdale on Lingmell Breast, one of the main routes up to Scafell Pike. They spent the day helping to maintain part of this hugely popular footpath up to England’s highest mountain.

Right now, this May, it’s National Hill Walking month, but not everyone finds it easy to access this hills, whether that’s due to physical, financial or knowledge-based barriers. That’s where the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains charity campaign comes in - this year funding a new Grants & Access officer for the Cotswolds Natural Landscape (formerly known as Cotswolds AONB). The newly appointed Nina Stubbington is now leading the ‘Access for All; Removing Barriers’ programme, improving access to the area for people of all ages, abilities and from all backgrounds.

This May is National Walking month, so to celebrate the power of a good old stomp around the UK’s countryside, nine of the BMC staff have shared their favourite hike. From fossil-hunting in the Peak District and airy Scottish scrambling to the Via Alpina in Switzerland, one of these is bound to tickle your fancy this spring or summer. Better still, with the BMC collaborations with Komoot and HotelPlanner, you can plan and navigate your route and find your accommodation for your trip for less!

The Watkin Path up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the peat hags on neighbouring mountain Glyder Fach have benefitted from BMC volunteer improvement work on the latest Get Stuck In event, 15-16 April 2024. This was organised by Hill Walking Rep Steve Charles and Access & Conservation Officer (Wales) Tom Carrick as part of the Mend Our Mountains project, funded by the BMC Access & Conservation Trust.

Grabbing your attention with this beautiful picture of a Kestrel (Cudull Coch)! Now that the rain has subsided a little, it's a good time to remind everyone that we share our crags with many other creatures, notably our feathered friends who like to nest where we like to climb.

This April, local climbers have cleared overgrowing vegetation on the main crag at Wildcat, a popular collection of buttresses near Matlock Bath with a good selection of classic long, mid-grade routes.