A Proper Good Night at the Winter League Finals

Opening the Night: Intermediate Climbers Take the Stage

The Winter League final was as grand as ever, with scores from the qualifiers so close we knew separating the competitors would be a tough job. But, true to form, everyone brought their A-game. The intermediate male and female categories were up first, and it was brilliant seeing all the competitors turn up to try and take the crown. Some were new to the game, so the nerves were high, but the energy was electric and the atmosphere buzzing. The competition was fierce with 10 men and 5 women battling it out. They were so closely matched we had to up the difficulty of the blocs a bit. We didn’t see many flashes, but there were plenty of close calls. Both finals went down to the last climb, with several contenders close to winning. In the end, Becky S took the victory for the women’s, and Andrew S claimed the win in the men’s category.

Open Category Highlights

The 8pm kickoff was even more fun, featuring three categories on the mats. The Open category was dominated by the brilliant Leeds Queer Climbing Club, with 5 competitors all battling it out for the win. Luka S had a clear lead from the qualifiers and continued their impressive form throughout their 4 blocs, securing the win. But the other competitors weren’t far behind, each very close to clinching 2nd place.

Fierce Competition in the Advanced Finals

In the female advanced final, we experienced another rollercoaster. Julia G burst out of the starting blocks with a bang, quickly completing the first few climbs and was the only competitor to conquer the demanding corner dyno. Elle P was hot on her heels and managed to clinch victory with a last-minute success on the final climb. The male advanced category was equally intense, with 10 competitors all vying for the win. We gave them a tough set of blocs, and it was clear from the get-go that this was going to be a super close event. Kit W, the only junior competitor that night, dazzled everyone by flawlessly completing all 4 climbs to take the win. The battle for second place was fierce, with 3 competitors completing 3 climbs each—one in 3 attempts, one in 4, and one in 5.

Nowt Better Than a Night with Climbing Mates and Music

It was a fantastic night, with amazing cheerleaders who brought a lot of energy and made the night feel even more special. A massive thanks goes out to House of Loft @houseofloft for setting the mood with tunes, Lee @trekeye for taking the photos, and Zoe @peetermanss, Willow @willow_climbs, and Holly @hollytoothill_ for helping Ben with the judging. Follow the link below to check out some of Lee’s pics. You’re welcome to use the photos; just give us @cityblocleeds and @trekeye a tag.

Winter League 24 photo gallery