Competition Squads

The Scottish Teams

The annual MCofS youth competition series (the YCS) operates two regions in Scotland. The top three climbers in each category (boys, girls, 8-10, 11-13, 14-16) selected from the YCS each year make up two Scottish National Teams: North and South. The teams compete and represent Scotland at National level competitions.

These Scottish Teams gain support from the MCofS through a series of coaching and training events, including outdoor sessions, where MCofS endorsed coaches help prepare them for National and GB competitions as well as ‘Open’ completions and trials. They also help identify talented young climbers who could become British Team members in the future.

We are also pleased to recognise the support that many of the major climbing wall operators offer, in association with the MCofS, through reduced cost access to Team members to help them train on a regular basis.

In addition, the annual MCofS Scottish Youth Climbing Championship takes the top five from each category in the YCS (boys & girls, 8-10, 11-13, 14-16) as well as entries from an Open Category for boys and girls aged 17-19. This competition now gives a means of identifying the overall Scottish Champions.

There is no national Scottish competition series for adults at present so there is no means of identifying an adult Scottish Team. However,the BMC operate a British Team (both Lead and Bouldering) and Scottish climbers are eligible for selection.

The British Teams

The MCofS and the BMC jointly manage and deliver the GB Youth Team. With around half the members of the selected team being from Scotland most years, the MCofS has a direct role in supporting these climbers, most of which have come through the Scottish Youth Climbing Series.

MCofS takes responsibility for the organisation of all these Scottish based GB Team members. This includes the coaching of the Scottish kids using MCofS endorsed coaches, both the 1:1 personalised coaching as well as a series of coaching sessions we operate across Scotland for all young competition climbers (see the ‘Kids Indoor Events page’ for full details).

Neill Busby (an instructor at Ratho) is the MCofS representative on the GB Team Management Group with the support of the EICA and has input to all the decisions of the management team including selection as well as being on the BMC’s Competitions Committee which acts as a discussion forum for Team issues.

The GB Team Manager is Ian Dunn and the BMC Comps Committee is chaired by Iain Mackenzie and MCofS Development Officer, Kevin Howett, acts in a coordinating role.

The website page on the right (British Team News) highlights specific news about the Scottish members of the Team. It includes profiles of the climbers, breaking news and archive news that is particularly relevant to Scotland.

The GB Team also has a dedicated Team website where you can keep up to date with all the various team news (The Youth Climbing Team, Bouldering Team and Lead Team)

Most of the work of supporting and coaching the children on the team is voluntary. Often parental contributions include not only the full costs of attending competitions but also as volunteers acting as chaperones at International comps. But we never have enough funding to fully support all members. For this reason we are always looking for donations from anyone who feels they can help. Contact Kevin Howett if you feel able to do so.

Neill Busby I've been climbing for 19 years and enjoy all types of climbing. I’m not so good in winter but I would like to get better. I have been route setting for over 10 years and have set for various national competitions. I have been working at EICA: Ratho for 7 years. I enjoy coaching in both indoor and outdoor environments. My favourite Trad climbs would be Pause (HVS 5a) on the Etive Slabs, Titans Wall (E3 5c) on Ben Nevis, Freak Out (E4 6a) on Aonach Dubh, Resurection (E4 6a) on Dinas Cromlech in Wales and Positron (E5 6a) on Gogarth. My favourite Sport climbs would be Obsession (7b+) at Malham, Dominatrix (7c) at Kilnsey, Vegabond (7c) at Ceuse in France, Pins sans Rire (7b+) at Rodellar in Spain. My favoutite boulder problems are Gorilla (V6) at Dumbarton Rock, The Shield (V8+) and Bens Groove (V8) at Caley in Yorkshire and Caress (V8) at Little Cottonwood Canyon, USA.

British Team News Letter

 "Psyched" is the newsletter for the British Team. It is edited by Ian Mackenzie (Chair of the BMC Competitions Committee) and Assistant Editor Natalie Berry (MCofS member & British Team Member). It contains profiles, reports, advice and competition results from IFSC events as well as UK competitions. It is available as a downloadable pdf. below or on the BMC site.

Psyched 4 (January 2011) Featuring: The BLCC's and the World Youth Championships, both held at Ratho in 2010 by Nat Berry, British Bouldering Team Report by Nick Clemens, British Bouldering Championships 2010 by Dave MacFarlane,The Bouldering World Cup at the Cliffhanger; Profiles of Luke Tilley and Dave Barrans; some advice about injuries and a report on British Bouldering Team fitness tests at Teeside University; an IFSC report and a word about the eam sponsors: Mountain Hardwear and The Epicentre

Psyched 3 (June 2010) Featuring: Youth C Category at the International Youth Open at Imst, Austria by Ian Dunn; British Climbing Team News featuring Scots climbers by Ian Dunn; Junior Team Training Meet at Aix, France by Racael Carr; Eleanor Hopkins profile; Dry Tooling and the Scottish Tooling Series by Pete hill; UIAA Ice Competitions by Rob Gibson including the first Youth Championship by Tom Randall; The Scottish Youth Climbing Championship report by Avril Gall

Psyched 2 (January 2010) Featuring: Team News by Ian Dunn; Foreign News by Natalie Berry; Dry Ice Tools; BMC Leading ladder by Becki Hall; getting the most from your local wall

Psyched 1 (September 2009) Featuring: The World Youth Championships 2009, France by Natalie Berry; YCS Final 2009, The Westway, London by Rob Adie; British Bouldering team by Nick Clement; The BBC and BLCC (at Ratho) by Dave McFarlane; Jonny Stocking Profile; Jonny Stocking on winning the BLCC; Natalie Berry on winning the BLCC; Climbing and the Olympics by Lucy Creamer; training technique by Dave MacLeod