YOUTH CLIMBING SERIES

EVENT ORGANISATION GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS

General

The timing of competitions is crucial to their success, so each competition needs to be thought through well in advance to make sure the start and finish times are reasonable and that the finish time is achievable. The length that the competition takes to run is dependant on the number of competitors taking part, the number of volunteers available to help out on the day and the effectiveness of the pre event briefing and time table. Recommendations on number of routesetters, marshals, judges and other personnel appear in the BMC event recommendations template. It is important for the Area youth co-ordinator (AYC) and wall manager to be free during the event to deal with any unexpected incident or problem with communication.

Remember that some categories will have many more climbers than others, so plan on a worst-case basis. E.g. if an estimated 20 aged 10-12 boys is expected to be the biggest category, each will need to climb 6 times, making 120 climbs in total. Even with a time limit of only 3 minutes this will still take around 8 hours!

If large numbers are expected in any category (10-12 boys is likely to be the largest category) it should be possible to split a category into 2, demonstrate 2 routes and/or problems together and swap over after each half has finished with their route/problem). For fairness it would be best if this was done at the beginning of the competition and maintained for all climbs in the event. Clearly this requires that no other category is scheduled to attempt either of the two climbs during this time.

To prevent over-use injuries Competition Team Members cannot compete in BMC Youth Climbing Series.

All entry forms accepted on the day need to be forwarded to the BMC as soon as possible – at the latest, the Monday following the competition.

Pre-event Information

Should include any info needed by young competitors and their parents prior to the event, such as:

Event application forms and BMC Youth Climbing Series rough guide.

Address and tel no. of venue, also directions and/or road map.

Start time of comp.

Anticipated finish time of comp. Scheduling should take place to try and have all of the groups finishing at the same time and so that parents can watch the prize giving. The start and finish time is left up to the wall and area youth co-ordinator. Please see sample time table for a rough guide.

Availability of food and drink at the venue.

BMC Youth Climbing Series volunteer support form should be filled in and returned to the BMC office for each area.

Entry Fees

Registration for the event is done through the BMC.

Walls, AYC’s and the BMC will have application forms that are returned to the BMC with accompanying cheques or card numbers. AYC’s or walls may wish to collect entrance forms from parents and send them to the BMC all together. This must be done 1 week prior to the event at the latest and with prior agreement of the Competitions Officer.

BMC Youth Climbing Series

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Price for 1 event

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Price for 2 events

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Price for 3 events

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Includes

BMC member (U18, Family or Club) or McofS or MCI members / £10.00 / £18.00 / £27
Non-member price / £12.50
(£15 if paying on the day) / £24.00 / £35.00 / Includes civil liability and personal accident disability insurance for all BMC Youth Climbing Series events attended this year
Climber whose parents are on income support or family credit. / £4 / £7 / £10 / As above

The BMC will pay £5 for each competitor to the venue to cover event costs. Payment will be made within 2 weeks of the final qualifying round. Please note that host venues are allowed to charge for spectators, a recommended maximum of £2.50 has been set (this does not apply to any volunteers helping at the event). This fee will increase incomes to the walls but may also help encourage parents etc to help as volunteers.

Entrance may be made on the day but should be discouraged. It is the responsibility of the AYC to have the money and application forms collected and returned to the BMC within 48hrs. Application forms should be faxed to the BMC on the day of the event whenever possible. For entrance to be made for £3 supporting evidence of receipt of family credit or income support must be seen. (see application form).

The BMC will provide a list of entrants at regular intervals to the walls and AYC’s.

Routesetting

Please read the specific BMC Youth Climbing Series route-setting guidance notes in addition to these notes.

All routes and problems should be created specially for the event. This may involve rotating existing holds or making minor alterations to existing routes. At least 2 entirely new routes should be created. Boulder problems should be marked or created specifically for the event to eliminate home bias for the resident wall club.

There is no requirement to strip the wall of other routes. Routes and problems should generally be of similar-coloured holds, and should definitely be marked with clearly identifiable tags or coloured tape that boxes around holds or features. Routes may be shared between categories. A reasonable degree of sharing would be to have one of the three routes and two of the five problems shared between any two age categories. Route-setting and marking, topo drawing and marking of problems at the base of the wall must be completed the night before the competition starts. Please note that if required the BMC has a stock of coloured gaffa tape (blue, red, green, yellow and red) that can be sent to you if required, contact Rob Adie at the BMC (email or 0161 438 3318).

Be careful when planning routes that shared climbs do not cause a bottleneck and delay the event.

The first route or problem that climbers in each category are to attempt should be decided in advance. Care should be taken that these climbs may be undertaken simultaneously. Experience has shown that having a detailed schedule for the whole day causes difficulties due to large difference in time taken by some categories on some climbs or problems. In practice category marshals may move onto any available problem or route on their list. The Area Youth co-ordinator will have a plan of all the groups’ problems and planned movements so that changes may be suggested as necessary ‘on the hoof’.

The diagram below shows one way in which eight routes could suffice for all categories. Note that in this case routes 5 and 6 would be the most critical in terms of scheduling, since each would need to be climbed by 3 different categories. A similar exercise may also help in assigning boulder problems to categories.

The grade of routes required will vary between regions. It is to be expected that all competitors would successfully complete at least one climb (route or problem), and category winners would be expected to successfully complete at least 4 out of the 6 climbs. Remember the idea is to produce routes which enable every participant to have a good time (and a sense of achievement), so there shouldn’t be more than a few climbs which are seriously likely to trouble the region’s most talented young climbers.

As a guide the 6-9 age group boys and girls perform at about the same standard (with girls probably having the edge), the same is very nearly true of the 10-12 age group (but with boys now having the edge), though in the 13-15 age group the standard of the boys’ climbing is quite a bit higher.

Naturally the requirement that routes not be unduly reachy makes life difficult for adult routesetters. As a rule if a climb has a large number of small holds it is likely to be less reachy than one with a small number of large holds. If in doubt add extra small footholds and hand holds. The below is a rough guide to the type of route grades the different age groups will be able to climb. Your area may be different dependant on the standard of your most and least able competitors.

Guide to grades

BMC Youth Climbing Series

/ Boys 7-9yrs
B1 / Girls 7-9yrs
G1 / 10-12yrs
B2 / 10-12yrs
G2 / 13-15yrs
B3 / 13-15yrs
G3
3 Boulder problems / 4b-5b / 4b-5b / 4c-6a / 4b-5c / 5a-6b / 4c-6a
3 Routes / F4-F6b / F4-F6b / F6a-F7a+ / F5-F6c/6c+ / F6b-F7b+ / F5-F7a+/b

Guide to numbers of boulder problems and routes needed (minimum requirement)

BMC YOUTH CLIMBING SERIES

/ Heats / National
final
Boulder problems / ~5/6 / ~20
Routes / ~ 5 / ~12

NB These grades are for people of a particular height. They are not necessarily the same as for a person of adult size. Routes and problems should be tested by people who are the size of those attempting them in the competition. If they are unavailable think small- it is an acquired art. Ask the wall for assistance. Routes should increase in difficulty as you get higher or further along a traverse. This allows for most of the competitors to get at least half way up. Do not be afraid to set the top of the boulder problems below the top of the boulder wall for the younger age groups. Traverses can be just as much fun. Liaise with the wall on the adequacy of the matting. There should be no very steep routes or boulder problems for the younger age group.

Volunteer support guidelines on the day

Marshals
to escort the
age groups and assist with
spotting
(parents, BMC area committees, students) / Judges
(parents, students, wall staff) 1 per problem or route being attempted at any one time. / wall staff / warm up
staff / computer operator
and
scorer / Belayers / BMC AYC/
AYV staff / Registration
Numbers: ~6 / 6+ / 2 / 1 / 1 / 6
Including back up belayers for 13-15 leading / 1 AYC
normally chief judge / 2

people willing to help out on the day and the wall may arrange its own volunteers if you are lucky. These numbers are dependent on the number of competitors in each age group. Belayers may also be judges but this is not ideal..

It is helpful if the scores can be totalled as the competition progresses with a separate score card for each age group on each problem that they attempt. Names can be filled in on a pre prepared template at registration and printed off while the climbers are warming up.

Judging

The role of Chief Judge should wherever possible be performed by an accredited national judge. Category Judges should be chosen carefully from the personnel available. If there are sufficient helpers available an assistant judge (who may also be a belayer and/or spotter) may play an advisory role to support the Category Judge. No judging decisions should be influenced by competitors, parents or other members of the public.

Belaying

Belayers should be experienced adult climbers and known to the chief judge and wall manager or representative present on the day of the competition. The type of belay device used is a matter of personal preference for each individual belayer, but it should be appropriate for the task and the belayer should be experienced in its use. The Chief Judge has overall authority to order a change of belay device and/or belayer if required. The belayers co-ordinator is responsible for monitoring belayers on the day of the event and should be acceptable to the wall. The role of belayers co-ordinator is more important where bouldering and roped climbing are taking place at the same time. In the rounds, for the 13-15 age group the first 2 bolts should be pre clipped before the climber starts to lead their route. . In addition the IFSC (international competition) recommend that lead belayers have a back up belayer. See BMC belayer guidelines. Belay training is available on request and recommended.

Spotting

Spotting of competitors on boulder problems (or at the base of lead routes) may sometimes be required by the Chief Judge, depending upon the nature of the problem, the height, the landing surface, etc. Competitors and parents should be made aware at the beginning of the competition that the existence of a cushioned landing mat and/or a spotter may help but cannot guarantee a competitor’s safety in the event of a bad fall.

Start list and running order

When registration is closed, the competitors in any one category e.g. M1 should be ordered at random and their names written down on a score card. No climber shall go first on more than one occasion (unless numbers dictate this) and the running order should be random after the first climb.

The order of the routes and problems is not important but should be determined. The competitors should be notified of the running order prior to the start of the competition.

Injury prevention advice for Chaperones and judges during the BMC Youth Climbing Series

Make sure that you know where all of your group is all of the time. Make it clear that if they or want to leave they tell you first. If a toilet break is requested ensure that the climber is accompanied especially for the younger 2 categories.

Make sure that the competitors are drinking enough water and are not hungry during the competition. Make sure that they have enough warm clothes to put on in-between goes.

Make sure that the competitors are properly warmed up by doing an aerobic then a stretching session before the competition starts; and then have easy problems or routes for everyone to start on.

If possible run a warm up session

Remember that competitors may need a rest. Listen to this they can always go to the end of the queue for their group.

Make sure that if they do not have rock boots they have appropriate footwear e.g. plimsols or trainers.

Check that all harnesses are fitted correctly and that climbers are tied in using a figure of 8 knot and additional safety knot.

Parents of, or the adult responsible for, a competitor must be encouraged to stay.

For top ropes arrange the anchor to prevent the young climbers unattatching the rope at the top of the wall. If in any doubt set the route so it is impossible for them to reach the top anchor or the top of the wall. The use of a screw gate or maillon is recommended. If in any doubt ask the wall manager or a BMC accredited route setter for advice.

Areas may have to be coned off to prevent parents or children wandering into areas underneath routes or boulder problems.

If you have any doubts about the ability of any belayer or other safety consideration during the event then inform the wall manager or area youth co-ordinator as soon as possible.

Fixtures, fittings and matting are the responsibility of the wall. The Area Youth Co-ordinator should liaise with the wall manager if in any doubt.

Spectator Facilities

There may be a considerable number of parents and friends of competitors present at the event. There should be sufficient provision at the venue (in terms of circulation space, refreshment availability, etc.) to accommodate approximately the same number of spectators as there are competitors.

Wherever possible refreshments should be provided for all helpers on the day. Most walls will help provide these facilities if asked.

Prizes

Prizes obtained via local sponsorship arrangements are to be encouraged. There should be no cash prizes.

Equipment

Some climbers may not have harnesses although parents are responsible for ensuring their child uses appropriate safety equipment. Fully adjustable harnesses should be made available for hire at the wall. If these are loaned free of charge a system for returning them needs to be in place. Climbing helmets should be made available to parents if they ask for their child to wear one whilst climbing during the competition.

Press and PR

The BMC will circulate BMC Youth Climbing Series information to all of the specialist climbing magazines for inclusion. All U18 members will be mailed directly with details and entry forms.

Venues and AYCs should liaise to promote or provide for any local press interest.

BMC Youth Climbing Series should be promoted at all hosting walls and where possible arrangements should be made for their junior club(s) to take part.

The AYC should contact their local recreation department, schools and youth service in the area to circulate information on BMC Youth Climbing Series. They will often support the cost of circulating information or provide editorial in their ‘in house magazine’.

Insurance and Regulations

The venue must ensure that suitable insurance cover is in place for all aspects of the event. The venue must ensure that all local planning, health and safety and other statutory requirements are met.

Medical Cover

Qualified first aid support must be on hand at all times during the competition.

Financial Risk

The venue is responsible for the full financial risk of hosting the event.

Venue Benefits

The venue will retain £5 for each competitor at their regional event. Additional income may be derived from the sale of refreshments, equipment, etc. . Please note that the host venues are allowed to charge for spectators, a recommended maximum of £2.50 has been set. This fee will increase incomes to the walls but may also help encourage parents etc to help as volunteers..