Local climbing competitions

We have a vibrant local climbing competition scene in Scotland. These competitions are run by individual climbing walls and cater for a range of ages and abilities across a variety of climbing disciplines.

Current Competitions include:

  • Local Winter Bouldering Series: Most larger walls in Scotland run fun bouldering competitions throughout the winter months. These are mainly aimed at over 16yr olds and there are between 4 and 6 rounds in each wall’s series. They normally start in October.
  • The Leading Ladder at Transition Extreme, Aberdeen: This consists of three rounds, each round being run on a drop-in basis over a three-week window, followed by a Final. The Rounds are self-scored and partner belayed and the top competitors are invited to the Final. It remains the only ‘open lead’ competition in Scotland and is suitable for all abilities.
  • Charity events: fun climbing comps of various formats raising money for worthy causes.
  • Dry Tooling: These competitions usually entail bouldering and top-roping routes using ice axes and are held indoors. They are organised in a similar manner to normal ‘rock climbing’ competitions with height gained giving an increasing number of points. There is an annual event at The Ice Factor in Kinlochleven and this is sometimes part of a larger Series: The British Tooling Series.

To find out more about these competitions and when/where they take place, check out our events calendar (and be sure to like and follow us on our social media channels), as well as the climbing wall venues near you.

A number of climbing walls will hold a series of bouldering competitions through the winter season, some of which have been chosen as rounds for the Scottish National Bouldering League. Dates and venues to be announced.

Alien Rock/Bloc, Edinburgh

Friday 25th October 2019 (Round 1 of SNBL)

Friday 29th November 2019

Friday 31st January 2020

Friday 28th February 2020

TCA, Glasgow

Round 1 - Thursday 24th October 2019 - at the Prop Store

Round 2 - Thursday 28th November 2019 - at the Newsroom (Round 2 of SNBL)

Round 3 - Thursday 23rd January 2020 - at the Prop Store

Final - Saturday 29th February 2020 - at the Newsroom

Avertical World, Dundee

Round 1 - Friday November 1st 2019

Round 2 - Friday December 6th 2019 (Round 3 of SNBL)

Round 3 - Friday January 31st 2020

Round 4 - Friday March 6th 2010

Glasgow Climbing Centre

Round 1 - 1st November 2019

Round 2 - 13th December 2019

Round 3 - 31st January 2020

Three Wise Monkeys, Fort William

Saturday January 4th 2020 (Round 4 of SNBL)

Transition Extreme, Aberdeen

Round 1 - 1st November 2019

Round 2 - 6th December 2019

Round 3 - 7th February 2020 (Round 5 of SNBL)

Round 4 - 6th March 2020


Leading Ladder

Round 1 - 3-17 September 2019

Round 2 - 24 September to 8 October 2019

Round 3 - 15-29 October 2019

Finals - 10 November 2019

Eden Rock, Edinburgh

Round 1 - 1st November 2019

Round 2 - 29th November 2019

Round 3 - 3rd to 28th January 2020 (month-long round)

Round 4 - 1st February 2020 (+SSS competition)

Round 5 - 7th March 2020 (SNBL Final)