Climbers to step up to challenge of national championships

Over 100 climbers from all over the UK and Germany will descend on Cardiff this week for the Army Sport Climbing Championships 2009.

Taking place at Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre, soldiers from both the Regular and Territorial Army, some of which will come back from operational tours, will compete for two days on 28th and 29th May to be crowned champions.

Boulders, one of the largest indoor climbing facilities in the UK, has been chosen as the new location for this year’s competition after the world class facility opened last August.

Teams and individual competitors will take part in the preliminary rounds on the first day where they will be scored on six routes which get progressively harder, and then on the second day, after semi finals and a final, the champions will be chosen.

As well as winning trophies on the day, the best climbers will be chosen to take part in the Inter Services Climbing Competition 2009, where climbers from the army will compete against those in the RAF and Navy in Edinburgh later this year.

Vice chairman of the Army Mountaineering Association, Major Peter Skinsley, says: “The aim of the army sport climbing, a branch of the Mountaineering Association, is to improve army climbers’ technical climbing ability through the use of indoor climbing walls and regular competitions and the annual Sport Climbing Championships is the culmination of a year of activities.

“This year we have chosen Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre as our new venue for what promises to be an exciting and challenging championships. Catering for climbers of all abilities, the world class facilities on offer at Boulders gives our army challengers everything they could ask for.”

Former British Army Officer and founder of Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre, Rob Lawrence, who himself has formerly taken part in the competition, says: “We’re thrilled to be hosting this year’s championships and look forward to welcoming some of the best climbers from across the UK and beyond. Having taken part myself I know how tough the competition is, but it has always been a great occasion and I’m sure that this year will be no different.”

One competitor taking part on the day is 20-year-old Cardiff University student Jack Brown, who is a member of the Wales Universities Training Corps. The mechanical engineering student who plans to enlist in the army after his studies is one of three climbers in his team. Having competed in last year’s competition, he is looking to improve his position of coming fourth in the novice category.

He says: “I really enjoyed last year’s competition as it was great to compete against professional climbers. I have been training hard at Boulders throughout the year so I’m looking to improve into the intermediate category. However for me it’s not just about what ranking I get, it’s about building contacts and seeing some of the country’s best climbers in action. I’m looking forward to it.”

Spectators can watch some of the Army’s best climbers in action for free. For more information visit www.bouldersclimbingcentre.co.uk

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