GB Climbing: IFSC 2025 competition season preview

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the climbers who have been named as part of the England National and Regional Squads for the 2025 season.

The international climbing season got underway this past weekend with the IFSC Boulder European Cup in Munich, Germany, with a strong showing from the eight athletes representing Great Britain.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the athletes selected for the GB Paraclimbing Team for the 2025 season. A total of 36 climbers have been chosen to represent Great Britain, competing across nine classifications. The athletes will be grouped into three squads - Podium, Progression, and Development - each reflecting different levels of experience and competition goals.

Since its founding in 2023, the National Universities Lead and Speed Climbing Championships (NULSCC) has rapidly grown into one of the UK’s premier university climbing competitions. Created by passionate climbers Elliot Payne and Laure Renault during their final year at the University of Warwick, NULSCC was born from a shared love for competition climbing and a desire to build an inclusive, high-level event for student athletes.

The competition is heating up on Day 2 of the British Lead Championships as the semi-finals conclude at the Big Depot, Manchester.

The qualification round of the 2025 British Lead Championships concluded this evening, with Olympian Toby Roberts top of the Senior Men and a three-way tie at the top of the Senior Women.

This weekend (Saturday 8 February - Sunday 9 February), the country’s top Lead climbers will battle it out for the coveted title of British Champion.

The 2025 British Boulder Championships came to an electrifying conclusion on Sunday 26 January, at Big Depot, Manchester, where Erin McNeice, Jack MacDougall, Iggy Rinaldi, and Spike Fullwood were crowned national champions after an intense weekend of competition.

The opening day of the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) British Boulder Championships unfolded on the walls of the Big Depot Manchester, showcasing the best of British bouldering talent.

'Tis the season for indoor sessions! But if you feel like you're becoming part of the furniture at your local, why not try a bit of wall tourism? Grab your mates and get ready to check out some of the UK's coolest climbing walls...

Ready to have a go on the sharp end? We've put together a list of eight great choices for your first ever trad lead in the Lake District.

Ahead of the 2025 Boulder, Lead and Speed season, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) have made changes to how they define age categories.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) is pleased to announce that the British Boulder and Lead Championships, the pinnacle of the domestic competition calendar, will take place in Manchester in early 2025. 

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.

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 (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.

The 2024 Olympic Games are underway, and the nation's eyes are firmly on Paris and all the Team GB athletes. As Sport Climbing makes its second-ever appearance at the Olympic Games, we get to witness a new chapter in history as four climbers step out onto the mats to represent Great Britain.

It might seem like a lofty goal, but maybe it’s time to give 8a a go. All you need is the right route, a shot of determination, and to read this 10 step guide on how to climb 8a.

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?

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

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

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.

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.

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...

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

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

Four sport climbers will make their Olympic Games debuts this summer for Team GB as the British Olympic Association (BOA) name the team that will compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

An interview with Kenneth Ellacott, a paraclimber whose life changed post-accident

Registered blind since birth, due to a genetic condition called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, Anna Foo lost her vision completely at the age of 15 years. Talia Lazarus interviews Anna and finds out more about her journey into the GB Paraclimbing team.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) celebrates the historic inclusion of Paraclimbing in the LA28 Paralympic Sport Program. This landmark decision represents a significant milestone for the sport, reflecting its growing popularity globally.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the 15 athletes selected to represent the GB Climbing team at the IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup Innsbruck 2024. Competition will run from Monday 24 June to Tuesday 25 June at the Kletterzentrum Innsbruck. 

The culmination of the Olympic Qualifying Series in Budapest saw GB Climbing athletes Erin McNeice, Hamish McArthur, and Molly Thompson-Smith qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics Games.  

Round Two of the Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS) kicked off in Budapest, marking the athletes' final opportunity to secure a spot for Paris 2024.  As the heat was turned up on and off the wall the top 20 men’s and women’s Boulder & Lead semi-finalists have been confirmed.

The Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) is reaching its finale at the Ludovika Campus in Budapest this week. A total of 48 top climbers from around the globe will vie for their last chance to secure a spot in the Boulder & Lead event for Paris 2024.

After six remarkable years with the GB Climbing Team, Richard Slocock has announced his retirement from international competition. With an impressive tally of three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, the 44-year-old’s contributions to the GB Climbing team have been extraordinary.

The third day of the Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS) featured the men’s and women’s Boulder & Lead semi-finals, selecting the top-eight athletes to compete in the final.

Part one of the Olympic Qualifying Series in Shanghai, China, began today with the Boulder qualifying round. 46 men and 48 women are contesting the combined Boulder and Lead event at the city’s Urban Park over a four-day event on the Huangpu riverside, all in a bid to secure coveted spots at Paris 2024. 

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the lineup that will compete in Shanghai, China to represent the GB Climbing team at the first event of the Olympic Qualifying Series from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 May 2024. 

The May bank holiday weekend witnessed our teams in action in Graz, Austria, for the European Youth Cup, and Salt Lake City, USA, for the Speed and Boulder World Cup and Paraclimbing World Cup. 

The first Lead competition of the World Cup series got underway yesterday (12 April) in Wujiang, China. Erin McNeice, Molly Thompson Smith, Jack Macdougall, Max Milne, and Toby Roberts represented GB Climbing.

Three GB Climbing athletes competed for medals at the Keqiao Boulder World Cup in China.

The semi-final round saw four GB Climbing athletes take to the wall for the first men’s Boulder competition of the World Cup series. Due to worsening weather conditions, the qualification round was cancelled on Monday 8 April, which means that the semi-final today featured 67 athletes, with the top 20 moving into the final.

Erin McNeice reached her first finals in an IFSC World Cup competition today, which saw the 20-year-old secure a personal best result with fifth place in the Boulder competition in Keqiao, China.

GB Climbing’s Erin McNeice cruises into the semi-finals in the opening Boulder event of the 2024 IFSC World Cup Series in Keqiao. 

A strong start to the 2024 season was had by the GB Climbing team at the first IFSC Youth European Cup of the season in Curno, Italy.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) can today announce the climbers who have been named as part of the GB Climbing Team for the 2024 season.