The Tenzing Brawl on the Wall 2024: The Font Wandsworth - Full Write-Up

‘The Brawl’ is our largest annual event attracting competitors from all over the UK and even some from Europe.

This year’s Tenzing Brawl on the Wall delivered all the drama and world-class climbing fans could hope for. With sold-out finals, the latest holds, and even light-up, no-texture holds, the event was a spectacle from start to finish.

Saturday 16th

Qualifiers Set the Stage: Held on Saturday, 16th November, the qualifiers saw over 200 climbers battling it out for a spot in the semis. Familiar faces like Louis Parkinson, Eugenie Lee, Aiden Dunne, Jack MacDougall, Elias Bignold, Luca Martins, and Emma Edwards added to the hype.

Competitors chose between two time slots (early or late), navigating some of the most creative problems we’ve seen at the Brawl. The gym was buzzing with energy, made even better by:

• Pirate Burgers, serving up delicious eats from our food trader.
• The shutters open with a pop-up bar, and beer tent, creating a vibrant atmosphere spilling onto the side street.
• Independent traders, such as Beekind.
  

There were 4 categories, male and female open and male and female amateur (climbing up to v5). The amateur categories allowed newer climbers who were keen to get involved an opportunity to win prizes. For many this was their first ever climbing competition.

Unlike the Open category, the Amateur category climbers did not progress to the semis, but the top 3 in each category earned well-deserved recognition and prizes.

Women’s Amateur Podium:

1. Ulyana Klimova
2. Sam W
3. Su Herbst

Men’s Amateur Podium:

1. Ming Tong
2. Rhed Shi
3. Rupert Osicki

Here’s the top 20 who made it through to the semi-finals:

With a tough set of blocs, even seasoned competitors like Louis Parkinson didn’t make it into the semis, showing just how demanding the level was this year.

Sunday 17th

The semis brought a mix of world-class talent, Team GB athletes, and strong London-based climbers, battling it out on meticulously crafted blocs. The intensity of the competition ramped up as the field began to narrow. By the time the finals lineup was set, the difference between the strong amateurs and the truly world-class climbers was evident.

One of the most dramatic moments came when Aiden Dunne, who initially made the finals, was pushed out following an appeal by Luca Martins regarding a zone hold. The appeal was successful, and Luca secured the final spot in 6th place, leaving Aiden narrowly missing out on a place in the finals. It was a heart-wrenching moment for Aiden, but like the other seasoned comp climbers knows these things can happen.

World-Class Talent

The finals featured an elite lineup of climbers who left it all on the wall.

The atmosphere was electric, with spectator tickets selling out almost two weeks in advance. With a live DJ blasting tunes, the lights off, cheering spectators, illuminated bars, and spotlit comp wall it was as if you were walking into a berlin nightclub. 

Toby Roberts, fresh off his Paris 2024 Olympic gold, reclaimed his crown in style. Toby’s winning performance capped an extraordinary season, which included projecting and making strong links on the legendary Perfecto Mundo (9b+). His calculated approach and explosive execution in finals set him apart. Probably also the fact that he death-crimped on a no-texture foothold to break the beta on M4, where no other competitor even considered this!

Max Milne pushed hard, coming agonizingly close to flashing M3, but falling just short of the top hold. This miss made it difficult for Max to catch Toby, despite a brilliant overall effort that secured him second place.

In the Women’s Open, Erin McNeice, an Olympic finalist, proved her mettle once again, claiming her third consecutive Brawl win. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for Erin—she failed to top the slab bloc early on, a problem several others managed to complete. This left spectators wondering if she could pull off another victory. Erin answered with a commanding performance on later blocs, cementing her status as one of the best in the game.

Michaela Tracy, a former British Champion, dominated in the semis, qualifying in first place. Although the finals proved challenging, Michaela’s powerful ascent of F3 highlighted her calmness under pressure and determination, earning her fourth place.

Livestream: A Game-Changer for the Brawl

This year marked a significant step forward for the Tenzing Brawl on the Wall—the introduction of a livestream. It’s something we had missed in previous years, but its addition was a huge leap in bringing the event to a wider audience.

Streaming live on the Bouldering Bobats YouTube channel, the finals captivated over 20,000 viewers worldwide, with climbers tuning in from as far as New Zealand, the US, and Canada. It showcased not only the talent of the competitors but also the world-class routes, production, and atmosphere we’ve created at The Font.

By opening up the Brawl to a global stage, we’ve made a bold statement: this is not just another climbing competition. This is a must-attend event for climbers and spectators alike. We hope the livestream will inspire even more competitors from further afield to join next year, cementing the Tenzing Brawl on the Wall as a bookmarked competition in every pro climber’s calendar.

The Champions

After a fierce battle, here are your top finishers:

Men’s Open

• Toby Roberts
• Max Milne
• Jack MacDougall
• Dayan Akhtar
• Ishay Halfon
• Luca Martins

Women’s Open

• Erin McNeice
• Rafael Kazbekova
• Emma Edwards
• Michaela Tracy
• Eugenie Lee
• Connie Bridgens

The Route Setters

The brilliance of the competition lay in the problems, crafted by a team of world-class setters:

• Matt VC: Ex-Team GB climber and The Font’s head route setter.
• Yann Genoux: Olympic qualifier and IFSC route setter.
• Imi Bagnall-Smith: Apprentice national setter and Font route setter.
• Jake Mason: Nationals setter and head setter at Hang and Yonder.
• Alex Prescott: British Team Trials setter and Font route setter.

From technical slabs to dynamic power moves, the blocs tested every angle of skill. The light-up, no-texture holds were a standout feature.

What's next?

• Finals blocs: Are staying up! Test yourself against the very problems tackled by the pros at the Font Wandsworth
• Qualifying blocs: Now part of a free projecting comp, so come down and see how you stack up.
• Fill-in: Fresh blocs being added to the finals set this week.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

This unforgettable event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our sponsors:

• Tenzing
• Tenaya
• Serious Climbing Distribution
• Impact
• Climb3er
• Clava
• TNL Sports

Photography

Photos of the event were taken by Charlotte Bull

Prizes

... for the top six competitors in both the Men's and Women's Open Categories:

• 1st Place: £1,500.00
• 2nd Place: £600.00
• 3rd Place: £400.00
• 4th Place: £200.00
• 5th Place: £100.00
• 6th Place: £50.00

Thank You to Everyone

To all the climbers who competed—whether you made semis, finals, or just came to push your limits—you’re what makes the Brawl special. And to our spectators, both in-person and online, your energy brought the event to life.

Relive the action—the full semis and finals are available now on Bouldering Bobats’ YouTube channel. Watch the world’s best take on some of the most exciting problems of the year.

What the Finals here

Watch the Semi-finals here
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Want to see how you did in qualifiers?

Full qualifier round results HERE.

Here’s to another epic Brawl—see you back on the walls soon!