Registration opening 14th August!

Get Ready for YCS 2026! This year we are excited to be visiting Cork, Derry, Belfast and Dublin on our YCS National tour. 

The Irish Youth Climbing Series is a Competition Series for intermediate to experienced level youth climbers from 9 to 19 years old. The series comprises four events which take place in four of Mountaineering Ireland affiliated top level Climbing facilities around the country during the Autumn months of September and October. There are two bouldering format events and two events roped climbing events. This is a fantastic opportunity for our youth climbers, and a great event to be part of.

The overall top three ranked athletes from each age category are awarded the much coveted Great Outdoors Green Champion Hoodies and have the opportunity to go forward to represent Ireland in the Youth Climbing Series Grand Final in UK in November, competing against top Athletes from England, Scotland and Wales for the Grand Final Youth Series Titles. 

Round 1 

Awesome Walls Cork

12th September 2026

Bouldering Format

Round 2

Foyle Arena Derry

19th September 2026

Roped Climbing Format

Round 3 

BoulderWorld Belfast

10th October 2026

Bouldering Format

Round 4 

Dublin Climbing Centre

24th October 2026

Roped Climbing Format

• Intermediate to experienced level climbers aged between 9-19 (please reach out to your local climbing centre where your child climbs if you have any questions regarding suitability ).
• Residents of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
• Male and female climbers. 
• Climbers who are comfortable using the appropriate equipment required for each discipline without assistance, this includes tying in with a figure-of-eight knot and putting on a harness.
• Climbers who are motivated, willing to push themselves, encouraging to those around them and are respectful of the hosting walls and volunteers.

• Entry is only accepted online. Please follow the registration links above for each event ( you must register as an athlete on the Vertical Life system before you can register for the competition. If you competed last year you will already have an account on the system)
• Entry must be completed for each round competing in.
• Entry must be paid online at time of registration.
• Entries close at 8:00pm, on the Thursday before the week leading up to the individual competitions. (See above for dates)
• Late entries will not be accepted.
• No entries are accepted on the day of the competition.
• 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.

Volunteers are pivotal to the running of the Youth Climbing Series. Please volunteer if you can. The more volunteers there are, the smoother the events can run.

• Volunteer requirements (boulder)
• Volunteer requirements (roped)

Any questions please email [email protected] 

Each competitor's Series score shall be the aggregate of their three best ranking results in the Series. The top three competitors in each category at the end of the Series who have competed in at least three rounds will qualify to enter the Grand Final. U11 are not eligible to attend the Grand Final.

The Grand-Final will be held in the UK at end of November . Date and venue TBC. Please see the BMC website for further details.

Contact [email protected] for more details.