UoB Climbing Team:

Intro:

The UOB Climbing Team is part of UBMC. It is a competitive indoor bouldering team made up of 20 keen athletes who throughout the year travel to competitions together and compete against other universities from all over the country. Follow the Instagram (uob_climbing_team) for regular updates.

Competitions:

We compete in 3 different competition series. We’ll explain the differences below, but they’re all super fun to get involved with, there’s a great vibe at them, and it’s a great way to improve your climbing! In university comps, there is a qualification round of 25 problems and you have 3 attempts at each within 2 and a half hours. On your score card you record how many attempts it took you (1st go=10 points, 2nd go=7 points, 3rd go=4 points). The top 5 in each category go through to a finals, 2 climbs and 4 minutes to attempt each one. Transport to and from the competitions will be organised by your team secs, Zoe and Alex, and the cost for fuel will be split between everyone.

1. BUCS (British Universities and College Sports) -> The BIG one! BUCS is held once a year at the climbing works in Sheffield. It’s a huge competition with all the unis in the UK competing to be crowned the national champions. We normally make a weekend out of it and stay in a hut in the peaks, spend a day at the comp, then a day at Stanage. Last year we had the best result to date; our women’s team came 2nd!! And the men’s team was 3rd!! We’re super proud of this result and we’re hoping we can go back this year and get that win! Cost = entry is paid for by UB sport.

2. LUBE (London University Bouldering Event) à a series of 4 rounds at boulder gyms around London. With exciting and flashy finals, and fun problems to get stuck into, Birmingham has placed 2nd the previous two years so we are hoping to go for the win this year! The categories are male, female and non-binary/other. Cost = varies depending on number of people going, usually £4-£12

3. MUCC (Midlands University Climbing Competition) à This local comp series is run by UBMC and organised by our very own Freddie (follow the instagram: mucc_events). We go to 4 different rounds, to different gyms throughout the year in and around Birmingham, and just have a fun time climbing. This comp is a bit more laid back and chill, with raffles and prizes, fun setting and cool vibes. Last year we came 1st and looking to defend out title this year. The categories are male, female and non-binary/other. We are also introducing a paraclimbing category this year which is very exciting!! Cost = nothing if you are on team or dev, to enter as an individual separate from the team it is £12.

How to Join? - Trials:

To find the strongest squad to go to all these fun comps, we run trials at the beginning of the academic year. There are two stages:

STAGE 1:

· 7th October at the Depot Birmingham

· 2 hours to complete 10 climbs

· Everyone will have a score card and each colour grade at the Depot is assigned a different score (orange 10, yellow 8, purple 7, red 6, black 5, blue 4). The top 10 scores in each category are invited to Stage 2.

· We encourage everyone to give trials a go! Many people who are good enough don’t try out because they don’t think they will meet the standard, when in reality they are good enough. If you can climb a red at the depot, TRY OUT! We especially want as many girls to come to trials as possible this year (or Zoe will be sad).

STAGE 2:

· 14th October at Boulder Central

· A comp style session to get get used to onsighting problems and the feel of a competition. This will help inform us which team you would best fit into. Good luck to everyone who enters! It’s not as scary as it sounds, and it’s so worth it!

Our teams:

There are different layers within the team so that people can find the right level for them! When you go to trials, you will be placed in either the main team, the development squad, or the reserves. Each of these are explained below…

1. Team -> The highest level competitive, performance team. One coached session per week (more information below) with individually tailored training Mondays 7-9 at the Depot Birmingham. Compete in BUCS, LUBE and MUCC (and smash it every time!). The team is also a very supportive environment and you become close friends with your fellow competitors. Cost = £25 membership fee to cover insurance and additional costs, paid at the start of the year.

2. Dev Squad -> Our 2nd team, for those up-and-coming climbers who are looking to train and improve. Also have one coached session per week to facilitate training Mondays 5-7 at the Depot Birmingham. Compete in MUCC and LUBE. The Team and Dev Squad are very connected and fluid – it is possible to bumped up to team, or if training times don’t work for people they can switch their session. We view it as a team of 20 people rather than two very separate groups. Cost = £25 membership fee to cover insurance and additional costs, paid at the start of the year.

3. Reserves -> If you didn’t quite make the Dev Squad in trials, don’t worry! You will be placed in the reserves, so if anyone in team or dev cannot make a training session you will be first in line to take their place and get the opportunity to be coached! This group will be encouraged to compete in MUCC. Cost = nothing.

Team and Dev Squad training:

As mentioned above, Team and Dev each get the opportunity to have a 2 hour coaching session per week. This will be with an external coach who will provide the training plans. This year the coach is Adam Harrison (instagram: apharri_fit , website: https://www.adamharrisonsystems.com/ ) – we’re super excited to work with him as he is a high level coach and phenomenal climber! Cost = £5.50 per coaching session

!!OPEN TRAINING!!

This year we are launching Open Training!!! This is open to ANYBODY no matter whether you have only been climbing a week or are a seasoned V14 powerhouse (you do not need to have attended trials). This session will run every few weeks on Fridays 6-8 (keep an eye on the Instagram for exact dates: uob_climbing_team). Your lovely team secs Zoe and Alex will run a very chilled group training session, helped out by other team members. If your aim is to get stronger and make progress in your climbing in a relaxed and non-judgemental environment where we push each other to be better, this is for you. It’s also a great way to meet other aspiring climbers. Cost = nothing.

The 2023-2024 Team Results:

Previous UoB Teams:

See information about previous UoB teams here!