Tenzing Brawl on the Wall:

Our annual flagship competition. It is a two day competition, with qualifiers on Saturday 11th, and semis and finals on the 12th November at The Font Wandsworth, our mothership site in South-West London. The event was sponsored by Tenzing in association with Tenaya!

Saturday 11th

Saturday was a lucky sunny day, so our shutters were open and we had natural light and a nice breeze coming into the centre. Outside the shutters we had our beer tent with festival lights and deckchairs, and seating with a gas heater to keep people warm! Tenzing had just finished a large mural of a himalayan mountain range on the front of our building making it a real head-turner when walking down the street!

There were twenty spots for qualifiers to make it into the semis. The line-up of competitors had some of the UK's best-known comp climbing legends such as Max Milne, Erin McNeice, Eugenie Lee, Jim Pope, Louis Parkinson and more (see a full list of semi-finalists below), as well as some of the Romanian national team, in Remus and Andrei Muntean.

As well as the superstars there were a lot of stronger amateur climbers this year, so the fight was much harder to make it into semis.

There were three 'rounds' in qualifying at different times throughout the day. Those that entered the first two rounds were for those who wished to qualify for semis.

The third and final round was a fun round which included games and challenges where you had the chance to win other prizes. You were not able to qualify for semi-finals in this round as some of the qualifying blocs were covered up by the game and challenges.

For those that finished the rounds there was food from the delicious Pirates Burgers. In addition to drinks from our bar and cafe, we also had a mobile bar from 'By the Horns' brewery that was serving all day - they even brewed a beer especially for the event, which we fittingly named the 'Sandbag Pale Ale'.

Finally, we had local brush/training tools maker Matt from Beekind, who had a stall with his latest creations!

At the end of Saturday, with the qualifiers finished, we had our semi-finalists:

Sunday 12th:

Our spectators tickets for Sunday 12th sold out completely, leading to a crowd of three hundred, which was a huge success and a testament to the line-up of athletes and the presence of the event within the London Climbing Community.

Semis started in the morning at 11:00.
There were four blocs for each athlete. It was an exciting start and was a first experience competing in front of a crowd for some of our amateur climbers.

By 13:30 we had our finalists, and there was a two to three hour break whilst the setters were putting up the finals blocs!

Qualifying for the final were:

During the break, we screened the UK premiere of Chris Sharma's new route Sleeping Lion (9b+) playing inbetween semis and finals, along with a personalised message from Chris Sharma himself to the Font wishing us the best, which was a lovely touch!

Finals started at 17:00. All the lights in the centre were switched off and the spotlights at the back were switched on, lighting up the finals blocs! Our bar and the 'By the Horns' portable bar joined were all lit up to add to the effect.

Erin McNiece, a formidable force in the climbing community, displayed remarkable skill and determination throughout the Brawl on the Wall final. Defending her title from the previous year, she climbed with a calm precision, tenacity, and a sheer display of expertise, solidifying her position at the top of the women's category. Her victory was not just a win but a testament to her continued excellence and commitment to the sport.

On the men's side, Toby Roberts, last year's champion and future olympian, fought valiantly to defend his title but faced strong competition from Max 'The Future' Milne.

Despite Toby's incredible skills and tenacity, Max's exceptional performance led to a change in the champion's seat! Max's victory showcased incredible talent and determination, making him the new champion and etching his name into the 'Brawl on the Wall's history books! The Future is now!

The dynamic nature of the competition, with defending champions facing strong challenges, added an extra layer of excitement and anticipation, highlighting the high level of talent and competition among the climbers at the Tenzing Brawl on the Wall competition, and demonstrating what is required to operate at that next level!

The event was not just a success in terms of the incredible climbers but also among spectators. Tickets for spectators completely sold out, testament to the Brawl's growing popularity. Enthusiastic fans and supporters packed the venue, contributing to the electrifying atmosphere and making the event a true spectacle and celebration for the Font and the wider climbing community!

The final results were as follows:

Prize Money

1st - £1500
2nd - £600
3rd - £400
4th - £200
5th - £100
6th - £50

Expenses were also paid for those that made the podium!

Route Setters

Our setters for the competition were Jake Mason (GB setting team + well known from the Bouldering Bobat YouTube channel), Yann Genoux (IFSC international/world cup route setter), Alex Prescott (Font setting team + head setter of stronghold + has set for national events), Imi Bagnall-Smith (Font Setting team and has set for national events) + Matt VC chief.

Games and Challenges (third round)

The third qualification round had some fun games/challenges where competitors could win prizes - including:

●  'We suck at climbing' - A blank shiny wall stand between you and a finishing hold! You are left with some suction cups and your climbing abilities. What do you do..?

●  'Slam Dunk' - Combining dynos from climbing with hoops from basketball.. Use your imagination!

●  'Awkward hug' - Who doesnt love a long hug! Use your niche skills and hang onto a punchbag as long as possible! One for those who find it hard letting go...

●  'King of the swingers' - Straight out of jungle run! Campus through the cave on hanging balls just like our primate relative Chris Sharma!

●  'Dyno tree' - Simple but effective! Multiple holds to dyno to. How far can you go?!

●  'Pinch me' - A 'tug of war' but with pinch blocs!