The Flash Social is a community focused event aimed at those climbing grades 0 to 4. It’s a fun competition for all ages, perfect for people who are relatively new to climbing or those who don’t take it too seriously, but still like a challenge!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The Highball team will set 30 problems around the centre graded from 0 to 4, with possibly a rogue 5 if they are feeling a bit cheeky… You have up to 3 hours to complete as many as you can. Entry is £1 for Members and £3 for Non-Members (plus normal entry) and entry includes a raffle ticket for the 9:30pm raffle.

No matter how little you climb or what you think of your ability, this is the comp for you. It’s for fun, for the experience, and it doesn’t matter what you score. Just come and get involved. 

WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS?

The 9:30pm raffle is a bit of a lucky dip. It could have prizes donated by sponsors, like chalk, chalk bags etc., and Highball normally throws in about £200 worth of prizes, like 1 month unlimited coffee, 1 month free climbing, 1:1 masterclass.

ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO KNOW?

• This year we’ll have pizza brought to you by Lupa’s new truck, there’ll be beers on chill behind the bar, and have a live DJ for you too.
• We won’t have finals for this Friday’s event, but we’re hoping to run a special Flash Social one a year with finals, a showcase version of the Flash Social. It has a normal qualifying round and then a Grand Final for the top 20 male and females.

FAQs

Is it for me?
Age and ability is irrelevant – as long as you’re climbing between 0 and 4 (roughly up to 6b/v4) then this competition is for you. However, if you can fairly consistently flash most 4’s and are attempting 5’s, then you may get ‘TopGunned’ – see below… 

What’s stopping someone from entering, flashing everything and winning?
After setting the 30 problems, the setters grade them all and come up with a secret score which becomes the ‘TopGun Score’. For example, if the TopGun Score is 253 points, anyone who scores higher would be classed as a ‘Top gun’ and therefore deemed too good for the comp; it’s a positive disqualification. Lots of customers enter just to achieve TopGun status! Strange, but true!

I don’t know if I’m too good or not?
If you think you lie in a bit of a grey area at the top end, just enter and see how you get on. The Flash Social is a great way of meeting people who are climbing at around the same level as you, and of course have a good craic at the same time. If you turn out to be better than you thought, then hey, you walk away labelled a Top Gun and a smile on your face. 

Can I bring my children or supervise guests?
Yes you can – normal supervision rules apply – but remember, it’s good practice not to push beginners and novices beyond their capabilities, so we would not recommend it for first time visitors.

What do I need to do?

• You can book online or just turn up on the night and register. Registration will have a small fee and you’ll get a raffle ticket for the prize drawer
• Work your way round all the problems and fill in your online scoresheet as you go
• The comp will run between 6:30pm to 9:00pm, followed by the raffle / prize draw at 9:30, and maybe a game of ‘Play Your Cards Right’. 
• Submit your scores into the online form and wait for the results announcements.
• Enter the next comp and see if you can better your score!