Dates and Venues 2010 / 2011 season Full List of veneus and dates across the UK is available from the BMC website Scottish Venues & Dates: 16th - 30th October Glasgow Climbing Centre 15th - 30th January EICA: Ratho 12th - 27th February Glasgow Climbing Centre Northern England Venues: 11th - 26th December Newcastle Climbing Centre

The BMC Leading Ladder

A UK Wide Leading Competition Series
For Children 11yr + and Adults
Administered by the BMC

What is it?
The BMC Leading Ladder is a fun lead climbing competition that starts in October each year and runs at walls across the UK (including a few in Scotland). Up to 40rounds are held through until the end of March. Each round of the BMC Leading Ladder runs for a 16 day period - that’s 2 weeks including 3 weekends. You can travel around the country and take part in leading competitions throughout the winter at your own pace.

Format
Three Leading Ladder rounds are run at any one time giving plenty of opportunities to compete at different rounds right throughout the winter.

Dates & Venues
Dates & venues: see opposite 

Categories
Each round has 10 routes ranging from F5+ to F8a, with the following 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.

Competitors choose which category they want to compete in and their points are entered into that category in the scoring system.

Each of the three categories is then split into male and female, and under 16's and 16's and over. Ages are based birth dates on 31^st December each year, and climbers must be at least 11 years old to take part.

N.B. British Climbing Team members must enter the Elite category.

Grades
Each competition consists of 10 routes graded F5+, F6A, F6A+, F6b, F6b+, F6c, F7a, F7b, F7c and F8a.

How does it work?
The Leading Ladder competition routes are clearly marked and anyone using the wall may climb them. But if anyone wants to take part in the competition they need to buy a scorecard for £1 from the host venue and have their score recorded. Don't try any of the routes before buying a scorecard - that's cheating!

Scoring
The 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 card. If not, an X is marked on the card.

Higher scores are awarded for fewer goes. Succeeding on a route on the first attempt (a flashed ascent, or ‘flash’) gains 20 points. Getting it 2^nd go gains 15 points, 3^rd go 11 points, 4^th go 8 points, 5^th go 6 points, 6^th 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 200 points - that's 10 climbs multiplied by 20 points.

Can I practise the moves before trying the routes?
No! With the maximum score achievable for an on-sight (flash), 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 the walls return the cards for the round held at their venue to the BMC. Results are published on the BMC website.

The 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 runs similar to a leading ladder round and is usually announced near the end of the rounds.