Irish Lead Championships

U13, U15 and U17 compete on Saturday 27th June.
U19 and Senior compete on Sunday 28th June.
Each category will have 2 qualifying routes and a final.
U13 are top roped only. All other categories will be lead climbing.
Qualification is flash format. There is no isolation for this round. Starting order for the first qualifying route is random. Starting order for the second qualifier is the same but staggered halfway. E.g. If there are 20 competitors in the category, number 11 will climb first on the second qualifier.
Finals will be climbed on-sight. There will be an isolation zone. There will be a six minute observation of the final route before the competition starts.
This provisional schedule will be confirmed after registration has closed, and will depend on the number of registered athletes.

Who can enter?

Youth Championship U13 | U15 | U17 | U19 : Intermediate to experienced level climbers who are aged between 11-19 in year of 2026. Please reach out to your local climbing centre where your child climbs if you have any questions regarding suitability.
Senior Elite Championship : Advanced level climbers who have extensive competition experience.
There will be separate male and female categories at each age group.
Climbers must be a member of Mountaineering Ireland, British Mountaineering Council or Climb Scotland in order to participate in this event. We will require your membership number during the registration process.

*Elite Level athletes aged 17 & 18 are eligible to compete in the Elite Senior or the U19 category. Please follow coaches advice in choosing the most suitable category and reach out if you have any questions.

How to enter

Entry fee is €45 for all categories.
Entry is only accepted online. Please follow the registration link ( you must register as an athlete on the Vertical Life system before you can register for the competition. If you competed in the 2025 Irish lead Championship you will already have an account on the system)
Applicants must be a Member of Mountaineering Ireland, British Mountaineering Council or Climb Scotland.
Entry must be paid online at time of registration.
All competitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by one parent/guardian but loco parentis can be used where required. If a parent/guardian or coach volunteers to assist in the running of the competition on the day, this will be in addition to the accompanying adult.
Cancellations less than five business days before the competition will not be entitled to a refund.
If the competition is cancelled due to an unforeseen circumstance competitors will be entitled to a full refund.

Entry opens on June 4th at 8pm.

Entries closes on June 14th at midnight.

(Late entries (until June 20th will be subject to a €30 late registration fee. No registrations will be accepted after this date).

Rules and Regulations

When entering online, all competitors must read, understand and accept the Rules of the Competition. (Rules to be uploaded here on 4th June 2026 ) Please take note of Eligibilities and Anti-Doping policies.
Further Anti-Doping information can be found at: https://www.mountaineering.ie/content/AntiDoping/180

Volunteers

Are you interested in joining our volunteer team as a judge or belayer ? Or in developing the skills to become a local, National or International Judge or official? Volunteers are pivotal to the running of the Irish Lead Championships. Please reach out to let us know if you are available to volunteer or are keen to find out more information about the volunteering roles. Belayers and judges will receive a briefing from our Chief Judge prior to the start of each round.