SPORTS DEVELOPMENT NEWS
British Regional Youth Competition Series 2003 Report
Scotland North Team
By Robert Mackenzie
a competitor
All North Scotland's three rounds were held at Climb Caledonia, Inverness. They were a lot of fun for everyone from competitors to route setters. Many thanks to the Sport Centre management team for continuing to support youth competition climbing. A huge, huge thanks to TISO Inverness for again donating £500 worth of prizes.
So we were all set to travel to Ratho.... oops make that Wales. My dad produced grey hairs overnight thinking of the 1261 mile round trip. He refused to go unless we promised to hire a big shiny car to travel in. The Welsh International Climbing Centre, South Wales, one giant leap for North Scotland's youth team, one small step for dads new MPV.
The Welsh wall was awesome, nearly twice the height of our wall; with funky artwork. Their bouldering room was cool with lots of roofs. The BMC route setting team did their usual perfect job and set very challenging routes. The competition with 180 young climbers ran like clockwork but still took ten hours, ha, ha!
My young brother Dylan did really well in his first national final finishing 6th place in the 7-9 yrs; well done bro. Anna Wells finished 12th in the girls 13-15 yrs and was our best placed girl. I struggled with some awesome young climbers to finish 5th in the 10-12 yrs boys.
Cheers to Kevin Howett and his boys Niall and Rory for coming all that way to support the Scottish teams. Thanks to the Travel Lodge for putting up with our rowdy parties (sorry about the food fight) when everyone let their hair down a wee bit, it's definitely the best attitude for travelling any distance. I'm looking forward to next year already when the BRYCS finals will be held at RATHO...yeeee...haaaaa.
I've been to Ratho a couple of times now......amazingly AWESOME. I'm sure I can speak for all Scottish climbers, young and not so young, when I say thanks and a huge well done to all involved in the giant project. I'm proud to have what has to be one of the biggest and best climbing walls in the world here at home. I'm sure Scottish youth climbing will benefit. MCofS - Good job guys. Here's to 2004.
Scotland South Team
By Dave Berry
Area Youth Co-ordinator
The BRYCS 2003 final at the WICC, Mid Glamorgan, on 27th September 2003 was the best event we have been to in our (the Berrys) three-year involvement in junior competition climbing. Although hastily re-arranged to the WICC, it was extremely well organised with excellent problem and route setting and some great competition.
Scotland South as a Team, with a 7th place this year (out of 10), did not reach the giddy heights (no pun intended) that they did last year when they came 2nd. The closure of Hadrian's Wall in Falkirk and the resultant impact on some junior climbers training being a major factor. Hopefully, this will be resolved this year with the addition of Avertical World (Dundee) and Ratho (Edinburgh). Despite this, there were still some fine individual performances and all showed a lot of grit and determination!
In the 7-9 category Ella Shimmin did well in her first BRYCS final and Mathew Oliver did particularly well with an 8th place in the boys with Jonathan Field also showing promise.
In the 10-12 girls category Lianne Smith and Natalie Berry battled it out for the honours all day with Charlie Davies (Midlands) and Beth Monks (Peak). At the end of normal competition there was nothing to separate them (they had all topped out on all the routes and boulder problems)! There then followed a quite amazing top rope super final, under isolation conditions, of a hard technical overhanging route in which Charlie and Beth both reached the same hold and drew just ahead of Lianne, with Lianne just pipping Nat by a single move. All four girls were truly awesome to watch!
In the 10-12 boys category Deb Banerji did really well after his Australian rest from climbing. John McKenna and Ross Kirkland were also having a good final.
In the 13-15 girls category Aline Kirkland had an excellent competition with a 7th place. Jennifer Hutton and Alison Rhodes also climbed well.
In the 13-15 boys category Peter Johnstone showed great potential in coming 14th in his first BRYCS final. David Lambert and Richard Field also climbed well in what was an incredibly talented field.
Many thanks to MCofS/BMC, Avertical World (Dundee), Glasgow Climbing Centre, Alien Rock (Edinburgh), Tiso, our parent volunteers and especially all the competitors for their support and effort during the rounds of this years BRYCS!
Thanks too to the hosts, organisers, volunteers, competitors and parents involved in a great BRYCS final. I think that with the advent of Ratho we should have some pretty strong entrants in the coming years BRYCS!
BRYCS 2004
Scotland has two regions competing as teams in BRYCS. This year we welcome The Ice Factor at Kinlochleven as a much needed venue for the North Region. Avertical World in Dundee will again be participating as a venue in the South Region and the grand final will definitely be held at the awesome Adventure Centre Ratho (The National Rock Climbing Centre) on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Competitors can only compete and score points at their home regional heats of three competitions. The categories are for girls and boys in 3 age groups from 7yrs to 15yrs. The top three in each category will have the chance to enter the final as a Regional Team to compete with the best young climbers in the UK.
Application forms for each region are available from the individual venues and from MCofS. MCofS Youth Members and families on benefit are able to get a discount.
North Scotland Region:
May 22nd Climb Caledonia, at Inverness Sports Centre
Tel: 01463 667 505
June 12th The Ice Factor, Kinlochleven
Tel: 01855 831 100
June 26th Climb Caledonia, at Inverness Sports Centre.
Tel: 01463 667 505
South Scotland Region:
May 8th at Glasgow Climbing Centre.
Tel: 0141 427 9550
May 22nd at Alien Rock, Edinburgh.
Tel: 0131 552 7211
June 12th at Avertical World, Dundee.
Tel: 01382 201 901
Final:
September 25th
The National Rock Climbing Centre, Ratho, near Edinburgh
Tel: 0131 333 6333
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