What is it?
The BMC Leading Ladder is a series of competitions that start in October and run at a number of selected walls for two weeks in rotation. That means that you can travel around the country and take part in leading competitions right throughout the winter - and all at your own pace.

How hard are the routes?
Six routes are set at each venue: F6b, F6c, F7a, F7b, F7c and F8a. All routes are set by BMC routesetters to ensure grade consistency.

Categories
There are four age categories: 12 – 15, 16 – 18, 19 – 45, and 46 and over, with separate male and female categories. Ages will be those on 31st August in the year the series starts.

If you would like to find out about other BMC climbing competitions for young people, please click here.

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

Scoring
The BMC 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 their card. If not an X is marked on the card. Higher scores are awarded for fewer goes and, of course, a flash ascent receives the highest score.

Succeeding on a route on the first attempt (a flashed ascent, or flash for short) gains 20 points. Getting it second go gains 10 points, third go 5 points, 4th go 4 points, 5th go 3 points, 6th go 2 points, and any subsequent attempts, however many, gain one point.  Competitors may attempt the routes as often as they like during the two week period when the competition is running at a particular venue.  The maximum score possible, and therefore the perfect score, at any venue is going to be 120 points - that's six climbs multiplied by 20 points. 

Can I practise the moves before trying the routes?
Nope. With the maximum score for the onsight 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 the two week period walls collect the cards for the competition held at their venue and return them to the BMC. They will be published here on the BMC website.

National final
When all the competitions 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 360. Those with the highest overall scores qualify for a national final.