This winter, 3 Wise Monkeys Climbing ran a six‑round indoor climbing competition series, bringing together climbers of all ages and abilities from across our local community. The series built on the success of previous years while introducing meaningful improvements in inclusivity, route quality, and event promotion.
Thanks to funding support from BID Fort William, they were able to deliver a more ambitious, higher‑quality series that reached more climbers and created a stronger sense of community throughout the winter months. Below is a summary of the Impact Report that the completed as part of the Event Grant process.
Across the six competition days:
These figures do not include friends, family members, or spectators who attended to support competitors, meaning the overall community impact was even broader.
A key aim of the funding was to improve accessibility for younger climbers (Under 15s). Investment was directed toward new footholds, updated start and finish tags, and additional routesetting time to make climbs more suitable for shorter reaches.
The impact was clear:
These improvements allowed younger climbers to engage with more of the competition climbs and encouraged greater repeat participation.
Additional funding allowed them to invest more time and resources into routesetting and equipment maintenance. Routesetting time increased from 130.5 hours last year to 168.25 hours this year, enabling more testing, refinement, and quality control.
As a result:
They also rented a selection of new and interesting holds for the final round, helping to generate additional interest and variety.
The largest portion of the funding supported professional event marketing, including social media management. This work significantly increased awareness of the competition series, particularly among climbers taking part in their first competitions, as well as those visiting to try the competition routes outside of event days.
This activity has also left a lasting benefit in the form of a strong content library of competition images and improved engagement across our social media channels.
A successful winter competition series is a huge boost for the local climbing community, supporting participation, progression, and social connection through the colder months.
3 Wise Monkeys have kindly wanted to extend our sincere thanks to BID Fort William for supporting this series. The funding enabled improvements that would likely not have been possible otherwise and had a tangible, positive impact on both our climbers and our wider community.
