Indoor Climbing Awards Scheme

It is now possible to do badge awards for climbing just like it is for other popular sports such as gymnastics, canoeing, swimming, marshal arts and so on

The Indoor Climbing Awards Scheme Ltd administers the awards. ICAS is a BMC affiliated organisation. As the name suggests awards are done on artificial climbing walls not outdoors on natural rock. They are suitable for people of all ages.

For beginner climbers there are awards under the aptly named Enthusiasts Format. The table below details the five levels of increasing difficulty that can be worked for in the format. On successfully completing each level a climber is awarded an attractive sew-on cloth badge and certificate.

Click here to direct to the ICAS web site

Level and Colour	Top Roped Route	Traverse	Boulder Problem
1. Pearl	Difficult	10ft Difficult *	3a
2. Topaz	Very Difficult	20ft Difficult *	3c
3. Emerald	Severe	20ft Severe	4a
4. Sapphire	Very Severe	30ft Severe	4b
5. Ruby	Hard Very Severe	30ft Very Severe	4c

* At these two levels the emphasis is on fun and participation. So, if, for whatever reason, the traverses are inappropriate then a second, but different, top roped route at the same grade as the one required for the top roped element at the level may be substituted for the traverse.

For those that have been climbing some time there is the High Achiever Format which includes a climb to be led as one of its challenges. Once again there are five levels. On successfully completing a level the climber is awarded a superb metal pin-on badge and certificate. The table below sets out the challenges in this format.

Level and Colour	Top Roped Route	Lead Route	Boulder Problem
1 White	F6a	F5	5a
2 Yellow	F6b	F6a	5b
3 Green	F6c	F6a+	5c
4 Blue	F7a	F6b+	6a
5 Red	F7b	F6c+	6b

There are two ways that awards can be done. The first, known as route one, is at climbing walls that offer the ICAS service to their customers. Climbers wishing to do an award this way pay an assessment fee to register with the wall who will inform them which routes are at the appropriate grade for the level they are interested in. Climbers are able to practice the routes until they are satisfied they can do them. They then arrange with the wall for an assessment. Climbs can be done in any order and once registered a climber can be assessed as many times as necessary until all three challenges are completed. When all three challenges at a level have been successfully completed the climber receives the award

The second way of doing ICAS awards is on a climbing course. This is known as route two.

Climbers wishing to do an ICAS award via route one should, in the first instance, contact their local climbing wall or walls and enquire whether they are providing the ICAS service to climbers. If they are not then contact ICAS – see below for details.

Climbing walls and climbing course providers wishing to provide the ICAS service for their customers should contact

ICAS

Click here to direct to the ICAS web site

ICAS Ltd.

31 Norris Ave, Stockport, SK4 2JQ, UK.

Telephone/Fax 0161 610 6769