The best British climbers right now

British climbers have long been a force to reckon with in the world of outdoor and indoor climbing, showcasing grit, determination, and a unique approach to the sport. From conquering iconic trad routes to mastering cutting-edge boulder problems, these athletes have consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible.

In this article, we explore some of the most talented British climbers making waves today, from trailblazers like Hazel Findlay and Will Bosi to competition stars such as Shauna Coxsey and Toby Roberts. Their stories and achievements highlight the vibrant, ever-evolving climbing scene in Britain.

So who are the best outdoor British climbers right now?

Hazel Findlay

Best in: Trad/crack climbing and big wall

The first time I met Hazel I was climbing in Gorges du Tarn, France. While heading to the climbing sector, I noticed a woman climbing a route exquisitely.

I couldn’t see who she was, but the way she moved on the rock reminded me so much of Hazel. And, as wild as it might sound, when I arrived at the crag, I realised it was her!

That’s how original she is – you could easily spot her climbing from a distance because she is just so natural at it. Hazel started climbing around 6 years old and is quite the climber!

She is mostly known for trad and big wall climbing and trad but she is exceptional as well when it comes to sport routes.

She was the first woman to climb a British trad route at E9, the first British woman to sport climb 8c, and free El Capitan in Yosemite, and the second British woman to climb 9a – which she has now done four times.

In the past years, Hazel has focused on her coaching business Strong Mind Climbing where she teaches climbers to manage their biggest fears in climbing.

Definitely one of the world’s best rock and all-around climbers, she’s excellent in all. Here’s a representative of her and indoor climbing on overcoming the fear of falling.

Highlights in sport climbing: Esclatamasters (9a) Perles, Mind Control (8c) Oliana

Highlights in trad climbing: Magic Line (1996) 5.14c R in Yosemite Valley, a 35m crack equivalent to ‘E10, Once Upon A Time In The Southwest E9 trad, El Capitan in Yosemite, which she has now done four times.

Big wall achievements: Golden Gate, El Capitan, Freerider, FA in Greenland.

Will Bosi

Best in: Bouldering and sport climbing

It looks like climbing in Britain is done in the “never give up mindset and even more for Scots. With so many strong boulderers out there is hard to say who’s the best one but Will Bosi is for sure one of the most accomplished ones in the world for establishing numerous confirmed V17s.

Will started climbing at 6 years old which looks to be like the magic number for high-level pro climbers. He was the second Brit to climb 9b and the first male competitor in 30 years who inspired GB climbing by making it to a World Cup final.

Sadly, Bosi missed out by little his place at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 being unable to perfect himself enough in speed climbing, an imposed climbing discipline at the OG (Olympics Games) at the time.

Watch Will Bosi’s climbing journey presented by Adidas Terrex:

Achievements in sport climbing: La Furia de Jabali 9a+ (5.15a) FA, King Capella 9b (5.15b) FA, Mutation 9a+ (5.15a) second ascent, Brandenburg Gate 9a+ (5.15a) FA

Achievements in bouldering: Burden of Dreams 9A/V17 (benchmark), Daniel Woods’ FA Return of the Sleepwalker 9A/V17, V15 flash

And here’s another good and fun watch with the 3 lords of trad:

Shauna Coxsey

Best in: Climbing competition and outdoor bouldering

Shauna is a well-known figure in the British climbing scene, particularly in the world of competitions. She started climbing at the age of four and throughout her climbing career, has successfully completed and won numerous competitions for and in the UK.

She did not stop until she became the first-ever sport climber from Team GB to secure a place at the first Olympic Games.

In both 2016 and 2017, she won the IFSC Bouldering World Cup Season. For personal reasons, she decided to retire from the competition world after competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and focus solely on family and rock climbing.

In 2014 Shauna became the 3ed woman ever to climb 8B+ (V14) by crushing New Baseline in Magic Wood and she is known for securing or winning podiums in numerous Bouldering WC. Also, Coxsey was the first British woman to climb the V12, V13, and V14 grades.

Here’s a video with Shauna teaching us how to structure your climbing session:

Achievements in competition: 2nd place overall in the IFSC Bouldering World Cup in 2014

Achievements in bouldering: in 2014 became the 3ed woman ever to climb 8B+ (V14) New Baseline in Magic Wood

Tom Randall

Best in: Crack and trad climbing

This list wouldn’t be the same without Tom Randall in it. Undoubtedly one of the best crack climbers in the world this crack climbing wizard pushed trad and crack climbing limits above and beyond sometimes along with partner, Pete Whittaker.

He started climbing around the age of 16/17 and became famous for sending Century Crack (watch the film below), a 5.14b (8c) 120 ft (40m) long off-width roof crack climb in the White Rim Sandstone, Randall did not stop there.

He is now also quite the businessman, a podcaster, and a climbing coach.

Known for: Century Crack 5.14b (8c), Cobra Crack (5.14b), The Kraken (V13), Brown & Whillans 24hr challenge along with Tom Randall (all the Brown and Whillans routes in East and Western Grit in a day), co-founder of Lattice Training, ClimbersCrag and Wide Boyz.

Pete Whittaker

Best in: Big wall solo climber, trad, and crack climbing

Ok, this is mostly a bouldering community but I feel that same as in Randall’s case, this guide would not be complete without the world knowing about his partner in crime – Pete Whittaker.

One of the best trad and big wall climbers in the world, with exceptional climbing records and ethics, Pete is known to be a Wide Boyz co-founder. He also claimed the very first free solo ascent (in 2016) of Yosemite’s notorious 3000ft El Capitan in less than 24 hours.

He accomplished the first solo-free ascent of Mt Watkins (2000ft) in 15 hours and, in 2016, along with Tom Randall, he did the FA of The Millennium Arch, a 5.14 100m crack.

Known for: the first solo-free ascent of El Capitan in under 24 hours, the first solo-free ascent of Mt Watkins in 15 hours, Stranger than Fiction E10, Crown Royale 9a (5.14d) in Norway, Recovery Drink 5.14c, Cobra Crack 5.14b, Eigerdosis 5.14b, and Century Crack 5.14b

Here’s a cool video featuring Pete making the first ascent of Crown Royale – a huge 9a trad route and here is him talking about it in the Lattice podcast:

Dave McLeod

Best in: Traditional climbing, solo, bouldering, and mixed climbing

Dave McLeod is a Scottish rock climber, ice and mixed climber, and published author.

More precisely he is the second-ever person to free solo an 8b+ (5.14a), and the one who sent one of the hardest traditional climbing routes at the time in the world – Rhapsody, graded E11 7a, in 2006.

Macleod is not only a very accomplished and seasoned climber but also known for publishing two climbing books – how could he not with such a background?

The books are called Make or Break: Don’t Let Climbing Injuries Dictate Your Success and 9 Out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes.

Known for: Good Training for Something with Canadian climber Will Gadd at a grade of M12, the FA of one of Scotland’s hardest winter routes, Don’t Die of Ignorance XI, M11 on Ben Nevis

Achievements: free solo send of Darwin Dixit in Margalef, in 2008, 8b+ (5.14a), sending bouldering problems up to the grade of 8B+ (V14) such as Natural Method on the Skeleton Boulder, Hunger 9a

Watch Dave McLeod talking about how he went from 8b+ to 9a in 18 months:

Who are the best indoor British climbers right now?

The indoor scene definitely deserves a section of its own. Today, sport climbing evolved in terms of achievement, difficulty, and training. Indoor bouldering on the other hand combines so many new moves it has almost evolved into a sport of its own. Folks, the future is now here!

Toby Roberts

Best at: Competition climbing, bouldering and lead 

Toby Roberts first made history by winning the IFSC European Qualifiers in Laval in 2023, thus becoming the first British male climber to secure a place for Paris 2024 and get Team GB an Olympic spot!

And he did not stop here but he actually won the Men’s combined climbing Olympics in Paris 2024 at only 19 years old!

Apart from the great achievement of winning the Olympic gold, I believe competing (and winning) against legends of the sport such as Ondra, Schubert or Megos makes this medal even more valuable. Such a great achievement, Toby!

Outdoors, Toby climbed his first 8a (Raindogs) at just 10 years old and 8b the coming year.

At only 18 years old, Toby Roberts won a title at Chamonix WC in July 2023 against some of the world’s best competitors and is surely set out to make history!

We could have just kept it simple and said Toby Roberts is already such an accomplished climber at only 19 years old. But there’s nothing simple about Roberts – keep an eye on him as we feel there is so much more coming from this youngster who represents the new generation of climbers.

Known for: Being an Olympic medalist, the first Brit to win a lead World Cup medal in 28 years during the 2022 Ratho World Cup, and the first British male who secured his place at the Climbing Olympic Games.

Want to know more about who is Toby Roberts? Check this out:

Hamish McArthur

Best at: Competition climbing, bouldering and lead, sport climbing

Britain’s Got Talent, climbing edition! Hamish McArthur is 23 years old and joined the GB senior climbing team at only 16 years old!

Supported by Arc’teryx, Hamish McArthur has won many international IFSC titles and this year came out 5th at his first Olympics (Paris 2024).

Amongst his best achievements in outdoor climbing are redpointing Jungle Speed 9a (5.14d), A Muerte 8c+ (5.14c), and flashing one of the UK’s hardest bouldering routes, Bulbhaul 8B+ (V14).

If you want to know him better and how he trains, watch Epic TV’s video featuring Hamish McArthur:

Famous for: Jungle Speed 9a (5.14d) redpoint, A Muerte 8c+ (5.14c), both in Siurana, he flashed Bulbhaul 8B+ (V14), one of the UK’s hardest bouldering routes.

Erin McNeice

Britain has talent – I double that! Erin started climbing at the magic age of five and her initial motivation for becoming good was beating her brother at something! She became a full-time climber in 2022 and that’s when she also joined the GB Climbing Team. She came 5th in the Women’s combined at the Climbing Olympics 2024 in Paris.

Best at: Sport climbing, lead and bouldering 

Her secret? Joy. Besides beating her brother. 😂

She says enjoying what you do and doing more of it is what matters most. And we agree!

Watch Hannah Morris’s bouldering session together with GB athlete and Olympic hope Erin McNeice to better understand how indoor bouldering is evolving into the next generation and modern climbing:

Molly Thompson Smith

Best at: Bouldering and lead climbing

Making your dreams come true is special and definitely not something that is easily achieved. Regardless, Molly Thompson-Smith is one of those athletes who broke down barriers and stereotypes and made her debut at Paris 2024 thanks to her great results in the Qualifier Series.

Her secret is: Owning who she is so she can make her experience even nicer and learning from being injured and coming back stronger from it.

Unfortunately, we could not see her in the Finals in Paris. However, she did have a great performance that got her to the semis.

I don’t know about you but I am definitely psyched to watch her climb in the future!

If you want to know more about Molly Thompson Smith, here’s The Game Changers Podcast – fearless women in sport:

Max Milne

Best at: Bouldering and lead climbing

Max, 23 started climbing around 10 years old and found in it a way to get off mind off things. He is an 8b Font boulder climber and part of the Lattice training team. He joined team GB quite early, by “accident” – but nothing is by accident, isn’t it?! By joining the Olympic 2024 squad he basically accomplished his childhood dream – let’s see what happens next!

Famous for: Flashing The Ace, Peak District, first climbed by Jerry Moffatt

His secret is: Meditation and passion for whatever he does in life. More about Max as a climber?

Watch the UKClimbing video where Milne joins Exclusive Club with Adam Ondra:

Jack MacDougall

Best at: Bouldering and lead climbing

Jack MacDougall is one of the best British indoor climbers at the moment and is in love with everything about bouldering: from the moves to the boulder problems, people, and places he gets to know thanks to his passion.

He’s been in the senior GB team for two years and took part in the Olympic qualifiers.

Famous for: 3rd place at Chambéry European Cup 2023, Youth World Championships 2022- 5th boulder, 6th lead, 4th combined

Jim Pope

Best at: Lead and bouldering

Jim Pope is also amongst the best British climbers, part of the Scarpa team and the GB team.

Although he is focused on competitions and indoor climbing, we must say he is quite a complex climber since he enjoys his “free time” climbing outdoors.

Therefore, he is quite a fan of doing FA’s or climbing onsight trad and alpine multi-pitches.

Famous for: The Fish on the Marmolada in the Dolomites, a 900m classic historical multi-pitch

Achievements in climbing: World Cups semi-finals in both lead and boulder, 3-time national champion, finished 6th at the European Championships, and top 10 in a lead World Cup. 8B+ boulder, 8c+ sport climb and E10 trad climb.

On an ending note…

With its harsh weather, committing trad routes, and definitely not perfect climbing conditions, Britain proves you don’t need perfection to go big.

In fact, it seems that good humour, making fun of the unspoken, determination, and a lot of hard work training at the gym are enough.

The living proof? The above-mentioned British climbers.

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