BMC News

On Tuesday 8 October, the Supreme Court will consider whether the right to wild camp on Dartmoor continues to be a cherished freedom. The case, brought by Alexander Darwall, owner of 4,000-acre estate in southern Dartmoor, challenges the notion that wild camping (or backpack camping) should be considered an open-air recreation in its own right. 

Did you know that the 140,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways we have access to in England and Wales are under serious threat? The footpaths you love the walk on are disappearing fast before our eyes due to erosion from increased footfall and more extreme weather conditions. Here are 14 reasons why we can't ignore footpath erosion.

The Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Big Clean Up event marks an unprecedented effort to begin to rid the mountain of decades-old litter, including a misplaced Santa hat! Over two days, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st September, dedicated volunteers and specialists undertook a challenging mission to clean one of Wales’ most iconic natural landmarks. 

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 BMC Volunteer Awards.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 BMC Volunteer Awards.

Zoe Peetermans and Sam Butterworth claimed the 2024 British Boulder Champions titles on Sunday 25th August at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.

The British Mountaineering Council is proud to present the 2024 edition of the British Boulder Championships being held at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce that the 2024 British Boulder Championships will be hosted at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.

Works on the upgrade of the bouldering facilities at Edinburgh Leisure’s flagship climbing arena at Ratho will begin on Monday 3rd June following a major funding investment from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund. There will be a steady schedule of works across the summer and autumn as the changes occur.

A weekend of action was kick-started with a new British Speed Climbing Record and culminated in a fantastic day seeing many athletes vie for the title of British Champion. Here are the results of the British Lead, Speed and Paraclimbing Championships 2023:

On Tuesday 8 October, the Supreme Court will consider whether the right to wild camp on Dartmoor continues to be a cherished freedom. The case, brought by Alexander Darwall, owner of 4,000-acre estate in southern Dartmoor, challenges the notion that wild camping (or backpack camping) should be considered an open-air recreation in its own right. 

This unassuming, bright, green or red moss with lush, almost tentacle-like fronds is hiding five well-kept secrets.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024 BMC Volunteer Awards.

The BMC welcomes and supports the Cumbria Wildlife Trust who are set to rewild the bleak plateau of Skiddaw. This work aligns fully with BMC values - protecting the mountains for future climbers, hill-walkers and mountaineers and promoting environmental sustainability.

For many hill walkers, the call of the wild is a lifelong passion. However, the demands placed on our bodies by these activities require thoughtful care, especially as we age.

On Sat 21 September, 40 BMC volunteers will climb Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) to rid the mountain of as much litter as possible in The Big Clean Up event, including the 'waterfall' of trash which has been stuck for decades in the steep and hazardous Trinity Gullies.

A peregrine survey by boat with high-quality photography organised by local BMC Access Reps Iain Peters and James Mann has helped to identify peregrine nesting sites so that a blanket ban on climbing at the Cornish climbing site of Carn Cowla can be lifted. A temporary ban had been put in place by the National Trust covering the cliffs between Tubby Head and Bawden Cliff, including major route locations up to and beyond the America Buttress. The ban has now been lifted so all sections are open, with only crag- and area-specific restrictions in place when necessary.

Planning an adventure? Remember to pack BMC Travel Insurance. We’ve got your back: from bouldering in France to trekking in India, sport climbing in Kalymnos to new routes in the Himalaya. Here are five reasons why BMC Travel Insurance is built for the mountains.

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.

Fancy giving climbing a go but don't know where to start? Follow these five easy steps to kick off a lifetime of vertical adventures.

The BMC Incident and Near Miss reporting system helps to promote reflection and effect behavioural change to reduce the potential for future incidents.

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...

Planning an adventure? Remember to pack BMC Travel Insurance. We’ve got your back: from bouldering in France to trekking in India, sport climbing in Kalymnos to new routes in the Himalaya. Here are five reasons why BMC Travel Insurance is built for the mountains.

Want to know everything you need to know about how to climb the Breithorn - one of the classic "4,000ers". Mountain Guide Andy Perkins offers his insider tips.

Here’s your heads-up to some of the most common winter walking mistakes and how to steer clear of them.

Get the inside knowledge: IFMGA Mountain Guide Caroline George offers some beta on route-finding, gear, and tackling the cruxes of Chamonix's classic AD alpine route, Cosmiques Arete.

Get your hands and feet on rocky slopes and snow, taluses and airy gendarme-studded ridges. Why not challenge yourself to reach the summit, or traverse one of our top 10 alpine peaks this summer?

The Matterhorn is surely the world’s most iconic peak. Its commanding, isolated position at the head of the valley is unique in the Alps and its claim to being one of the world’s most beautiful mountains is justified. Mountain Guide Tim Blakemore offers his top tips on reaching its summit successfully.

We asked five experienced climbers for their top pick of Europe's alpine routes to get you inspired...

How to choose an ice axe for your next winter adventure

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Laura Needham as its new Head of Performance.

The IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup 2024 series concluded with a spectacular finale in Arco, Italy, marking the end of a competitive series that also included events in Salt Lake City, USA, and Innsbruck, Austria.

Here is the summary of Competition Climbing Performance Group (CCPG) meeting on the 12th June.

British climbing sensation Toby Roberts added another medal to his collection last weekend after securing a bronze medal at the IFSC Climbing Boulder World Cup in Prague last weekend.

Zoe Peetermans and Sam Butterworth claimed the 2024 British Boulder Champions titles on Sunday 25th August at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.

The IFSC Paraclimbing European Championships in Villars, Switzerland, this weekend saw 13 GB Climbing athletes clip into the Lead wall, delivering strong performances and personal bests across the board.

The British Mountaineering Council is proud to present the 2024 edition of the British Boulder Championships being held at Last Sun Dance in Leeds.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the 18 athletes who will represent the GB Climbing team at the 2024 IFSC Youth World Championships in Guiyang, China. The event is scheduled to take place from Thursday 22 August to Sunday 1 September at the Guizhou Bureau of Sports.