John Horscroft takes a regular look at the world of BMC volunteers. This issue he’s tackled Tony Powell. Tony is a familiar face at climbing competitions, and he’s spent over ten years supporting young British climbers. Here he explains why the greatest threats to UK climbing are bumblies and bouldering...

How did you start climbing
I started quite late, around 30, at the West View wall in Preston before joining the Lancashire Caving & Climbing Club and teaming up with some brilliant local mentors.

What’s your favourite climbing area?
I’m into anywhere but I find the Lake District the most inspiring.

How did you first get involved with the BMC?
When my daughter Jemma was six or seven we visited a youth climbing festival run by David France and Paul Dewhurst, the founders of the British Regional Youth Climbing Series (BRYCS), and both equally responsible for the success of young competition climbers in the UK. Jemma won the competition part of the event and we were effectively hooked. Of course she attended all the events she could afterwards, and soon my wife Debbie and I got roped in as helpers. The rest as they say is history...

What do you for the BMC?
Well, I recently and reluctantly passed over the mantle of Area Youth Coordinator (AYC) for the North West to Steve Garbutt, after seven very rewarding years of being involved, to free up more time for my new role as Junior Team Manager. The main role of the AYC is to manage and coordinate the annual BRYCS series. This is a series of three rounds held in each of ten areas around the UK, culminating in a national final which is attended by up to 180 brilliant and motivated kids aged between 7 and 15. It’s a fantastic event and it’s been a privilege and joy to watch and help kids evolve and improve, and eventually maybe even make the British Team.

Now as Junior Team Manager (with the help of Assistant Team Manager Jill Whittaker) I coordinate and facilitate training events and competitions around the UK and abroad for the Junior British Climbing Team. We’re not the coaches, these are Dave Binney (Head Coach) and the very capable and invaluable Andrew Earl, Lucinda Hughes and Andy Long, together with more occasional people like Anne Arran. Our numbers are few, which means a very high workload - most winter weekends, and many, many evenings! The managers tend to have kids in the Team, hence their commitment, and the coaches are mostly competitors or ex-competitors. However we could always do with more support, so if you’re a knowledgeable coach who’d like to help some of the most talented young climbers in the country, then get in touch!

What do you enjoy most?
The opportunity it provides to be involved with top climbers and to travel and meet people from around the world at training events, competitions, and on the crag. For example we took the team to China this August for the World Championships.

Why should climbers join the BMC?
To have an influence! The BMC is an important organisation that does a lot of good work but it depends on its various committees to maintain policies. Having attended many meetings I have been able to see how decisions are made, and how BMC policy is affected and it really is quite alarming. You’d be amazed how few people can actually have a major influence. I can’t really understand why these committees are not better attended - we’re only talking a few nights a year.

What are the greatest challenges currently facing climbing?
Bumblies and Boulderers.

Er, How do you mean?
Well, all too often I hear the old school complaining about today’s young climbers and their lack of respect for the rock, it’s total rubbish! I’ve been involved with young climbers in one way or another for ten years now, and they’ve never been more enthusiastic. They love to climb and although many start indoors, given the opportunity they soon grow to love outdoor climbing and all that it entails.

If you look at the young climbers currently pushing the grades and boundaries, very few have not been involved with BRYCS or the competition circuit at some point. The youth are the future of the sport and need the support of the organisation and those in a position to give it, and they in turn will bring the organisation into the 21st century.
Instead we have seen support for youth being significantly eroded in recent years; Ian Fenton hasn’t been replaced as Youth Officer, the Youth Advisory Panel has been merged with the Training and Advisory Group, significantly diluting it effectiveness, and Gripped, the youth magazine of the BMC has been shelved completely. What next - will we see BRYCS being cancelled?

The other real threat is this surge towards bouldering and the way the climbing media seem to be hell-bent on pushing this side of the sport. OK I accept it’s great fun and lends itself to being a more sociable pastime but in the meantime great routes are getting neglected and crags are becoming overgrown. I guess we don’t have enough virgin rock around to explore and report on in the UK, but does anyone really give a toss if someone climbed a one move V26 on a piece of choss in the back of beyond?

How can we improve the BMC?
The BMC needs to encourage and recruit younger people into its committees and listen more to their views. Also, I and many other volunteers work closely with and rely on the help of Officers within the BMC but they are spread very thinly and often overworked which results in frustration - the organisation needs more manpower and expertise in many areas.

What’s been your favourite climbing experience?
It’s impossible to answer as I have had so many great experiences. These days I usually climb with Debbie or Jemma, so it’s a family thing which works very well for us. We love to head to the sea cliffs at Anglesey or places like Black Crag and Castle Rock in the Lakes. And although I have climbed many E1’s and 2’s since, strangely one of my most satisfying moments was climbing North Crag Eliminate, I remember whooping with joy when I topped that!

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