19 December 2005
Following the cancellation of the Outdoors Adventure Show at Olympia on 18 and 19 February, The Castle Climbing Wall have stepped in to host the final senior round and single junior round of the British Bouldering Championships. The complete line-up of dates and venues is now:
21 January 2006 Ratho, Edinburgh - Seniors only
4 February 2006 BoulderUK, Blackburn - Seniors only
18 February 2006 The Castle, London - Juniors only
19 February 2006 The Castle, London - Seniors only
25 February 2006 West View, Preston - Veterans and Youth

18 December 2005
All three competing Dane Court pupils finished in the top six places at yesterday's youth round of the British Indoor Climbing Chamionships.
In addition, old boy Tom Gore won the event thus taking the title of Youth Champion.
Tony Musselbrook finished third, Callum Harris fourth and Matt Cousins sixth.

Results | Report

16 December 2005
The final senior round (19 February 2006) and the single junior (18 February 2006) round have been cancelled. This has come about because the Outdoors Adventure Show at Olympia, the venue for the competitions, has itself been cancelled. The BMC are looking into alternative arrangements.

More information on UKClimbing.com forums.

12 December 2005
21 January 2006 Ratho, Edinburgh - Seniors only
4 February 2006 BoulderUK, Blackburn - Seniors only
18 February 2006 Olympia as part of the Outdoors Adventure Show - Juniors only
19 February 2006 Olympia as part of the Outdoors Adventure Show - Seniors only
25 February 2006 West View, Preston - Veterans and Youth

Application forms are available on the BMC website

20 November 2005
The single Youth and Veterans round of the Bitish Bouldering Championships will be held at the Preston wall on Saturday 25 February 2006.

5 October 2005
Regional rounds
22 April 2006 Chiltern Climbing Centre, Amersham
6 May 2006 Craggy Island, Guildford
20 May 2006 Westway, London

National Final
1 July 2006 venue to be arranged

Details of other regions available on the PlanetFear website

16 September 2005
The British Mountaineering Council have announced the following details of national leading and bouldering championships for this winter.

Confirmed BICC dates and venues:
The Adventure Centre, Ratho (nr Edinburgh) 5 November 2005 Junior, Senior
Westway, London 12 November 2005 Junior, Senior
The Sunderland Wall 3 December 2005 Junior,Senior
The Leeds Wall 17 December 2005 Youth, Vets 1,2 & 3

Provisional BBC dates:
21 January 2006 venue to be confirmed (Ratho or BoulderUK) Seniors only
4 February 2006 venue to be confirmed (Ratho or BoulderUK) Seniors only
18 February 2006 Olympia as part of the Outdoors Adventure Show, Juniors only
19 February 2006 Olympia as part of the Outdoors Adventure Show, Seniors only

The Vets & Youth date has not yet been finalised.

29 August 2005
In his first international, Tony Musselbrook turned in an excellent performance, finishing 39th overall in the Youth A category in Beijing, China.
Tony was among the younger competitors in the field of 73 and still has one year to compete in the same category.
Tyler Landman and Natalie Berry both finished a very impressive 5th in their respective Youth B categories.

Other Results

Male Youth A: Tom Newman 36th, Tom Bolger 19th and Jeff Landman 16th Male Youth B: Rob Mackenzie 39th Male Juniors: Liam Desroy 45th, Joe Wilson 40th, Cal Reedie 24th, Ben West 15th

Female Youth A: Katy Whittaker 21st Female Youth B: Beth Monks 17th Female Juniors: Jemma Powell 24th

The following also entered the speed discipline: Rob Mackenzie - 26th Liam Desroy - 26th Cal Reedie - 29th Report on 8a.nu Pictures

9 August 2005
Even before reaching the halfway point in the summer holidays, our climbers have made some memorable ascents:
In June, Russ Bates, Joe Cook, Tom Gore and Chris Powell took advantage of their extended study leave by paying a third visit to North Wales. All climbed into the E grades with Chris storming up several E1's. Joe recorded two first ascents; an alternative start to Fear of a Slopey Planet (see northwalesbouldering.com) and a still-to-be-confirmed new route on Craig Bwlch y Moch at Tremadog.

Tom Gore worked some impressive boulder problems on that trip and carried his success through to a visit to Magic Woods in Switzerland where he completed numerous 7b's, a couple of 7c's and a 7c/7c+.

Meanwhile Tony Musselbrook visited the Peak with Richard Winters; a fellow British Team Member. Tony completed The Knock E5 6a and led Life Assurance E6 6b with pre-placed gear. He also completed several 7b boulder problems; one in trainers.

The Kent Mountain Centre Maintenance team consisted of Rhys Barnes-Miller, Nathan Kemp and Nathan Miller. All improved their grade and skill level significantly with Nathan Kemp's competent ascents of Holy Holy Holy E2 5c in Dali's Hole and The Wrack E2 5b on Bochlwyd Buttress being the highlights.
Nathan also bravely took on (and almost beat) Quasar E3 6a on Clogwyn y Grochan and led the others on an epic trip across Wen Slab on a Dream of White Horses.

Tom Gore and Matt Cousins are currently in the Peak and a first report indicates some impressive ascents. In particular, They both led Life Assurance and Matt top-roped The End of the Affair E8 6c.

17 July 2005
Yesterday, in a national final where the outcome was far from predictable, Joel Charley finished sixth and Nathan Kemp third.
Nathan's achievement is our highest ever BRYCS national final placing and the first podium position for a Dane Court climber.

To add to the local excitement, London and South East region won the Team event on their home ground at the Westway.

27 June 2005
In a recent return to regular visits to Southern Sandstone, team members have been making singificant improvements in their standards at Harrisons Rocks. Of particular note is Callum Harris who has climbed The Limpet, Blue Murder and Eric at 6b and The direct finish to Woolly Bear at 6c.
Tony Musselbrook has added a couple more sixes to his list as have Nathan Kemp and Matt Cousins.

Development Team members have been busy working through the grades and it will not be long before we see them climbing 6a.

26 May 2005

Tony Musselbrook, our first national team member, will be undertaking his first tour of duty at the World Youth Championships in Beijing this summer.

He flies out on 19 August returning at the end of the month.

Tony will compete in the Youth A category (born in 1988 or 1989).

More pictures of the Beijing climbing venues.

15 May 2005

The Performance Team were able to spend today with elite climber and coach Neil Gresham. The venue was Bowles Rocks with its good number of well-placed hard routes.

Neil joined in with the Team's assault on more of the 6b's and 6c's. He impressed everyone with his demonstration of Carbide Finger, 6c. This was followed later in the day with a successful attempt by Tony Musselbrook (who also topped Sandman, 6b). Also; Matt Cousins completed Cardboard Box, 6b and Joel Charley Temptation, 6b.

Our thanks go out to Neil for his sound advice and significant contribution to a great day. Many thanks, also, to Geoff Pearson who hatched the original idea and masterminded the whole day.

8 May 2005

Tony Musselbrook has again gone down in Dane Court history as the first pupil ever to climb 6c.

Actually graded English 6c+, Them Monkey Things takes a powerful roof and short wall before the difficulties ease.

Tony had tried the route on two or three previous days but completed it in his first attempt today.

Ranked amongst the hardest climbs on Southern Sandstone, this success leaves Tony searching for similarly challenging test-pieces.

1 May 2005

In an exciting end to the regional phase of the British Regional Youth Climbing Series, Dane Court pupils took two convincing and well deserved places at the national final to be held on 16 July at the Westway in London.
Joel Charley and Nathan Kemp competed on very tough climbs all day with Nathan climbing higher on the routes and Joel completing more boulder problems. In the end it was Nathan's mistake in using an out-of-bounds hold that moved him into second place both at this round and in the series.
Again, Ben Olive improved his performance to finish third at this round.

24 April 2005

Joel Charley took a convincing first place in the 13-15 category at Craggy Island in Guildford yesterday.

Nathan Kemp was, again, battling it out at the top of the scoreboard but Joel's superior bouldering put him well ahead in the end.

Joel and Nathan go into round 3 in joint first place.

Ben Olive finished an excellent fourth in the strongly contended 10-12 category. He is now fourth overall.

17 April 2005

A total of eleven Dane Court pupils were involved in the first round of the British Regional Youth Climbing Series on 16 April 2005.
Seven were competing, three for the first time. Nathan Kemp and Joel Charley dominated the 13-15 category; both climbed superbly, flashing all but one climb with Nathan eventually winning by just two points. James Cooper, Ben Olive, Nick Gore, Nathan Miller and Rhys Barnes-Miller all competed with great enthusiasm and determination.

Matt Cousins, Tom Gore, Callum Harris and Tony Musselbrook; now all too old to compete, took on the responsibility demonstrating climbs and belaying. They impressed competitors and parents alike with their competent, good-natured and efficient attitude.

In a coming-together of like-minded members, Bowles Rocks' hardest routes began to submit to Tom Gore, Matt Cousins, Tony Musselbrook, Nathan Kemp and Callum Harris.
A total of six 6b's and a 6a (all English grades) were completed for the first time by their respective ascentionists.
Of particular note were Callum and Tony completing Cardboard Box and Tony's ascent of The Thing (both 6b).
There were also frenzied attempts at Temptation (6b) and Them Monkey Things (6c+) with Tony's near completion of the latter impressing the rest of the group.

21 March 2005

Tom Gore and Tony Musselbrook took first and second place in the Male Open category at round seven of the Southern Indoor Bouldering League.

Neither were highly placed in the overall league as they had only attended three rounds. Nevertheless Tony finishing 20th and Tom 14th was a surprise.

Tom flashed every single problem at round 7 thus scoring a maximum 256 points.

Results | UKClimbing.com news report | SIBL website

19 February 2005

In a well attended second and final round of the junior series at Olympia, London on 19 February 2005, Callum Harris and Tony Musselbrook reached the afternoon final.
They both climbed exceptionally well in the with Callum taking second place on the day and Tony third.

This meant Callum took second place in the Championship and Tony fourth.
Matthew Cousins finished eighth overall and Nathan Kemp twelfth.

Full Results | Report | More Pictures

6 February 2005
Our Performance Team Members took part in the Junior and Youth competitions yesterday.
Tom Gore, in the only Youth round, finished a close second in the face of exceptional competition.
Tony Musselbrook and Callum Harris were Third and Fourth respectively in the first of two rounds in the Junior Series.
The second round of the junior series is at Olympia, London on 19 February 2005.

More Pictures | Full Results | Report

24 January 2005
Following a very successful year of climbing; both indoors and out, Tony Musselbrook was yesterday invited to join the British team.

His consistent competition performance has been most influential in gaining national team status. Notably, finishing ninth in his first BICC series in March 2004 followed by fourth overall at the BRYCS final and, most recently, fourth in the BICC series in December 2004.
His superior status in the junior Southern Indoor Bouldering League last winter will have undoubtedly helped the situation.

Tony's Climbing Profile

16 January 2005
All five members of the Performance Team attending round 4 of this year's Southern Indoor Bouldering League finished in the top eight places of the Open Male Category. Tom Gore maintained his high performance completing all the problems, dropped only ten points and finished second.
Tony Musselbrook finished an impressive third.
Matt Cousins, Callum Harris and Nathan Kemp all took part in the head-to-head and gave the other two senior competitors a run for their money.

Amongst our other competitors Ben Olive, in his first SIBL, made his mark finishing 23rd and nearly breaking the 100 barrier with his score.
Full Dane Court Results

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