Introduction

It seems a little unfair to pick out bouldering as a weakness for Toby, as he had an excellent first season on the senior circuit, but three top five finishes in the Lead compared to two top five finishes in the Boulder has left us with no alternative! 

In reality, whilst Toby has more experience in lead climbing, his bouldering form this year has been top-tier, with his finest moment being Gold in Brixen, where he won on the final attempt of the final boulder as the final athlete out on the mats. If you want a good example of what ‘trying hard’ looks like, check out Toby’s final attempt on that boulder. Not everyone can stay that composed and dig that deep when it matters, and moments like that are an indication of just how well Toby can handle the pressure, despite it being so early in his senior career.

Toby followed Boulder Gold in Brixen with Lead Gold in Chamonix. During the final route, Toby’s approach was measured and analytical, with perfect pacing and extreme composure. Even when it looked like his forearms were pumped and his fingers were screaming, you could tell that Toby was as focused as he had been from the moment he left the ground, exploring different beta options, finding mini-rests, and even pausing two holds short of the route’s top to psyche up the crowd before the final dynamic move. 

Whilst there are plenty of people out there with more experience than Toby, his ability to dig deep when the pressure is on, and try really, really, really hard, is something you don’t often see. If there was an Olympic Medal for being psyched, trying hard, and loving climbing, Toby would already have the Gold.

Qualification route

IFSC European Qualifier Laval 2023: 1st Place (Boulder & Lead)

After placing fifth in Bern, the pressure was on for Toby to get his ticket to Paris at the second time of asking in Laval. He managed second place in the Boulder after an excellent round from Sam Avezou, before claiming the only top in the Lead portion of the comp, and therefore taking the ticket to Paris.

Trivia

Toby was the youngest British climber to climb 8a, 8b, 9a, and 9a+. He climbed his first 8a at the age of 10.

UKC prediction

3rd place

In terms of recent form Toby is right up there, wins in Boulder and Lead in the 2023 World Cups, a fifth place in Bern - in spite of a low fall - and a comeback win in Laval all show that Toby has what it takes to make it to the podium. He’s only had one full senior season, but Toby is already showing signs that he could well be a ‘big game’ performer, someone who performs at his best when the moment calls for it. Paris could be one of those moments…