Perth Climbing Team Wins National Championship at Crag and Co

When the Australian Sport Climbing Federation announced its team championship results last month, few outside Western Australia's tight-knit climbing community paid attention. But for the athletes and coaches at Crag & Co—a hybrid gym and outdoor collective based in a converted warehouse on James Street in Northbridge—the victory represented something far more significant than another trophy for the shelf.

The team's win marks a watershed moment for climbing in Perth, traditionally overshadowed by the solitary image of individual athletes tackling boulder problems or rope routes. This crew of eight climbers, ranging in age from 19 to 34, has fundamentally reimagined how the sport functions locally, building genuine camaraderie and shared training methodologies that mirror traditional team sports rather than the often-isolationist culture of climbing.

"We wanted to prove that climbing thrives when climbers push each other," says the collective's operations coordinator, who declined to be named pending formal media protocol approval from the team. "The competition format rewards technical skill, but our model rewards mentorship and collective knowledge-sharing."

Crag & Co occupies three levels of what was once a textile manufacturing plant, featuring 420 square metres of climbing walls—both artificial and a dedicated outdoor training area with natural rock faces trucked in from locations near Margaret River. Monthly membership sits at $89, with day passes available at $22, positioning the facility competitively against Melbourne and Sydney climbing gyms while remaining accessible to Perth's climbing community.

The team's championship campaign included competitions across sport climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering disciplines held at venues in Brisbane and Adelaide over a gruelling six-week period. Beyond the athletic achievement, Crag & Co's approach has attracted attention from governing bodies exploring team-based models for grassroots development.

What makes this moment particularly significant for Perth's adventure sports landscape is the collective's integration with outdoor climbing destinations. Regular expeditions to Grampians National Park in Victoria and lesser-known crags in the Darling Range have become informal team rituals, blending competitive training with the exploratory spirit that defines climbing culture.

As extreme sports increasingly establish themselves within Perth's mainstream athletic consciousness—following the city's investment in skateparks and BMX facilities across the metropolitan area—Crag & Co's championship represents validation that even niche pursuits can build compelling team narratives. The collective now trains five nights weekly and hosts community climbing sessions every Saturday, with plans to expand to a second location in South Perth by 2027.

For Perth climbers, the message is clear: the era of going it alone is over.

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