Page 48 - AMA Summer 2023

SPORTCLIMBING
ARMY SPORTS CLIMBING ROUND-UP
Jordan Dickinson (Sport Climbing Secretary)
Summer marks the end of the 2022/23 sport season which has seen participation in competitive
climbing continue to snowball. Driven by a combination of grassroots enthusiasm, media coverage and Olympic recognition, the AMA has overseen the disciplines of bouldering, route-climbing and (ugh, if we must!) speed-climbing – delivering hard fought fixtures, developing existing talent through team ranking events, and identifying future stars through open and novice competition. The AMA should be assured that our sporting arm continues to go from strength to strength.
THE ARMED FORCES BOULDERING LEAGUE (AFBL)
The AFBL remains the most accessible on-ramp to anyone who has yet to stump up the courage to attend a competitive event, requiring only a £10 entry fee and a willingness to have a go, fuelled by cake and coffee.
A false-start in September due to the untimely passing of HM The Queen led to a shorter than planned 5-round league across Exeter, Sheffield, Leeds, Swindon and Milton Keynes. Each round continued to see 100+ competitors, word is clearly spreading, and whilst Army entrants still dominated the final standings, they are now looking over their shoulders at the RAF team breathing down their necks (more Army female competitors needed!).
LCpl Mawhinney, 63 Wks Gp RE
Maj Johnstone, HQ AMD Capt Kidson, RHQ AGC
Flt Lt Beasley, RAF Coningsby
AS1 Coutts, RAF Benson Sgt Dop, 6 Regt AAC OCdt Lane, YOTR
THE CLIMBING WORKS ARMY CHAMPIONSHIPS (CWAC) Immediately following Round 3 of the AFBL, rather than concurrently as in previous years, Army ranked qualifiers were invited to remain at The Climbing Works in Sheffield to compete against each other in the CWAC. Demonstrating a step up in difficulty from the AFBL, only one elite climber managed to top all the blocs and justifiably emerged victorious.
1st – LCpl Mawhinney, 63 Wks Gp RE 2nd – OCdt Lane, YOTR
3rd – Lt Thorn, 4 Regt AAC
1st – Maj Jung, PJHQ
2nd – SSgt Skipper, ATFC(W)
3rd – WO2 Taylor, 42 Engr Regt RE
ARMY NORTH) AND ARMY (SOUTH) COMPETITIONS
Spring marked the transition from the bouldering season into route-climbing with the Army (North) competition returning to the fixtures list after an absence of several years to complement the established Army (South) event. Whilst a few committed climbers made long drives to compete in both, most entrants jumped at the nearest event. Both saw new talent identified and drafted into the Army Development Squad just in time for the Army and Inter-Ser- vices Championships in the Summer with UOTC competitors and a scratch team of Phase 2 trainees from DSEME putting in particularly strong performances under the watchful of CSgt Gaz Gray RM.
1st – Capt Conlan, CEUOTC 2nd – Lt Smith, 101 Regt RA 3rd – LCpl Myers, 8 RIFLES
1st – Lt Thomas, ITC 2nd – Capt Best, ATOTR 3rd – Capt Bushell, 1XX
1st – LCpl Hordern, NWOTR
1st – OCdt Mangan, NUOTC 2nd – OCdt Weymouth, NUOTC 3rd – Gnr Moore, 3 RHA
1st – Capt Conlan, CEUOTC 1st – Lt Thomas, ITC
1st – CEUOTC
1st – Lt Stubbs, 4 R YORKS 2nd – Cpl Pearce, PAGC 3rd – LCpl Myers, 8 RIFLES
1st – Cpl Neville, 1 Sig Regt 2nd – CSgt Gray RM, DSEME 3rd – Capt Campbell, RSMS
1st – LCpl Kwong, HAC
2nd – Maj Gallagher, EMUOTC 3rd – Pte Humphries, DSEME
1st – Name Withheld, MAB 1st – Lt Stubbs, 4 R YORKS
1st – Infantry Climbing Team
THE ARMY SPORT CLIMBING CHAMPIONSHIPS (ASCC 23) Following 2022’s competition, ASCC 23 reverted in format from a combined Olym- pic-scoring event to a solely route-focused event.
AFBL
Category
Winners
Male Elite
Female Elite
Male Open
Female Open
Mixed Novice
Army (North)
Masters (over-35s)
Category
Winners
Development (under-25s)
Male Elite
Male Open
Female Open
Mixed Novice
Masters (over-35s)
Development (under-25s)
Team
CWAC
Category
Mixed Elite
Mixed Open
Winners
Army (South)
Category
Male Elite
Winners
Male Open
Female Open
Mixed Novice
1st – Pte Burt, MPGS LWC 2nd – Pte Wolstenholme, DSEME
3rd – Pte Aldridge, DSEME
Masters (over-35s)
Development (under-25s)
Team
48 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER