Climbing NZ is establishing a structured pathway for High Performance in Boulder and Lead
Release: December 2025 by CNZ Committee
Climbing New Zealand (CNZ) is pleased to announce to its stakeholders that it is establishing a pilot programme to deliver a structured pathway for High Performance in Boulder and Lead climbing. It is today releasing an expression of interest document to identify coaches for this programme. In early 2026, it will be seeking expressions of interest from target athletes to join the programme.
- CNZ is establishing a pilot programme to deliver a structured pathway for high performance in Boulder and Lead
The introduction of a new governance structure at Climbing NZ earlier in 2025 has provided us with an opportunity to look more closely at how we go about developing our most ambitious and talented athletes so that we can achieve our vision of seeing more New Zealand climbers competitive on the world stage across all our climbing disciplines.
At present, there is no clear and strategic pathway for coaching and developing our aspiring Boulder and Lead athletes through to a point where they can be competitive with the best in the world. Our sport has gained valuable insights into how a structured pathway can be developed via the success of the high-performance programme in Speed. There are lessons we can take from the Speed programme, and we can bring those lessons into a High Performance programme for our other climbing disciplines. As interest in sport climbing continues to grow internationally, more information is also becoming available about how best to structure a High Performance programme like this. Many other national climbing federations are putting significant energy into this part of the sport. New Zealand cannot risk falling behind if we want to see our athletes vying for medals in our sport in the years ahead.
In 2026, we are therefore introducing a pilot programme to deliver a structured pathway for High Performance in Lead and Boulder climbing in New Zealand (the HP Programme). At the end of this document is a Q+A with some initial information about the intended shape and content of the HP Programme and who it will target in its first phase. Our first priority is to seek two coaches – one for each of Lead and Boulder – who will lead the HP programme.
There will be differing views from our community about the ‘right’ way to reach our goals and pursue our vision. But the need for a more structured programme is clear if we are to help our high-performance athletes achieve their ambitions. CNZ’s resources are limited so we need to start small. We also know the formula for success will not be static; it will evolve as we learn, adapt, and discover what it truly takes to produce world-class athletes. By taking a first step now, we are choosing action over hesitation, progress over perfection, and giving ourselves the chance to shape a high-performance future across all our disciplines that will set New Zealand climbers up for success.
- Expressions of interest sought from coaches
A key ingredient in any High Performance programme is to identify and appoint coaches who will help develop and then drive the programme forward and who share the ambition and high hopes that we have for our athletes. We are therefore today issuing an expression of interest document to identify those who may wish to coach our aspiring Boulder and Lead athletes in the HP Programme. At this stage, we are hopeful of appointing two coaches – one for each of Boulder and Lead. Please see the expression of interest materials for further details on what we are seeking.
Once we have our coaches on board, we can further develop elements of our intended HP Programme and publish it to our community.
- Expressions of interest from target athletes to be sought in early 2026
We know there will be a high level of interest from our community as to what this new HP programme will entail. All the details are not yet in place – we need our coaches on board to help with that – but work is progressed and our intentions for many aspects of the programme have already taken shape. In early 2026 we will provide further information and seek expressions of interest from athletes who wish to join the programme. Athletes are likely to come from the existing Development Squad.
- Questions and answers
With some caveats about the potential for change, here are our current answers to questions that we anticipate some of our stakeholders and community may have about the HP Programme.
Q1: Who will this HP Programme be for?
It is our current intention to start the HP Programme with three males and three females in each of Boulder and Lead aged between (about) 13 – 16 at the start of the programme. If the programme is over-subscribed, we will need to run a selection process. We have chosen this age group as they are athletes who will be in their 20s by the time of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
The initial programme will run for 24 months with an annual review process. Clear performance KPIs will be established and will need to be met by athletes to maintain placement in the programme. Other qualitative factors such as dedication, coachability, and a genuine desire to grow as an athlete will also be reviewed. We may see changes of those who are in the programme as we go. If the programme goes well, we can look to have more athletes enter in future years.
Q2: Why will this be a pilot?
The CNZ Committee is committed to putting time and energy into developing the HP Programme and for it to really deliver for our sport. However, our climbing community will be aware of the constraints CNZ faces both in terms of financial resources and the human resources available within our organisation. We are run by a small group of volunteers. Given those constraints, we have decided to start small with a target group, pilot the concept and give ourselves the opportunity to refine it. There will inevitably be an element of building it as we go.
In time, we hope to can have a larger pool of athletes in the HP programme (perhaps also operating within different performance “tiers”) so we can continue to build our pyramid of athletes who have the ambition and drive to be competitive on the world stage. But, we are not yet ready for a large-scale offering.
Q3: What will the HP Programme cover?
The final details of the programme will be further developed between CNZ and the appointed coaches and will be released before we seek athlete expressions of interest. But, at the present time, CNZ expects the HP Programme will include at least three aspects:
- One on one coaching: The appointed coaches will design and oversee each athlete’s tailored training programme to ensure age appropriate, structured guidance, consistent feedback, and appropriate management of training loads. One of the key aspects of having a structured high performance coaching programme is to ensure our top athletes have programmes that are periodized and structured in training phases designed to target specific competitions throughout the season. A learning from the Speed Programme is the importance of monitoring and managing athlete fatigue and stress. For this reason, regular communication between athletes and coaches will be essential to ensure training is effective and sustainable and we expect regular one on one contact. The coaching will also cover education around training cycles, recovery, and performance peaks (and troughs). We want to ensure athletes train intelligently, stay motivated, and maximize their potential during the most important competitions. A strong partnership between the coach and athlete safeguards athlete wellbeing—preventing overtraining, developmentally inappropriate practices, and issues such as RED’S, while providing the professional support necessary for athletes to reach their full potential on the international stage.
- Training/development camps: We anticipate there will be a number of camps (or meet ups) per year (perhaps four or more) where the athletes on the programme come together to train, hold competition simulations, learn from a wider pool of high-performance experts (e.g. to cover nutrition, mental skills, work with physios etc). The coaches will be responsible for organising these camps/meet ups.
- Overseas experience: There is a significant gap between competition standards in New Zealand and the world stage. Our ambitious athletes need more opportunities to experience and learn internationally — from Australian State Championships, through Oceania and Australian Youth Championships, to World Youth Championships, European Cups, Open World Cups and ultimately, representing New Zealand at the Olympic Games. We expect the programme will include encouragement and some level of co-ordination for athletes to attend offshore competitions to test themselves and grow.
Q4: How will this be funded?
The HP Programme will be a user-pays programme. The athletes in the programme will pay to access the services of the lead and boulder coaches, attend training / development camps and to travel (both locally and to any overseas competitions).
Climbing athletes (and their families) do need to understand that participation in the HP Programme will represent a commitment of both time and financial resources, reflecting the realities of high-performance sport. CNZ will endeavour to seek funding opportunities where possible but external funding cannot be guaranteed. Further, where funding can be obtained, it is often allocated (by the funder) to specific elements of a programme and so is unlikely to significantly reduce the overall general programme costs per athlete. Our sport is not alone in user pays being the reality of high-performance sport.
Indicative costs will be released once we have the intended programme further developed and coaches appointed.
Q5: Would an athlete have to live in the same city as the coach/es?
No. But, an athlete will likely be expected to (and wish to) travel for in-person sessions with the coach from time to time and, as noted above, the programme will include development camps/meet ups (which could be located in different parts of the country) and (hopefully) travel to overseas competitions.
Q6: How will this impact selection to represent New Zealand?
Participation in the HP Programme will not impact selection decisions (i.e. the selection policy is not changing).
Q7: Who will the coaches be?
We are seeking expressions of interest and are hopeful of appointing two coaches – one for each of boulder and lead. CNZ will then contract with the coach to provide the required coaching services and to develop the programme (with the coaches charges funded by the athletes in the programme as per the above). We will advise the coaches names when they are appointed.
We are realistic that, alongside our desire to build up athletes who are competitive on the world stage, we also need to make a start on building the coaching resources available in our sport in New Zealand.
Q8: How does the HP Programme interact with existing coaching and training programmes?
For the HP Programme to succeed there will need to be alignment between an athlete’s local coach (should they have one) and the coaches leading the HP Programme. It is our expectation that each athlete’s local coach would need to align with the training framework prescribed by the HP Programme coach. There would be little value in having a national plan for development if it is not being implemented consistently at the local level. This said, our goal is to ultimately build a unified system, where local and national coaches work together toward a shared vision, ensuring every athlete receives consistent, world-class guidance on their journey to success.
Our intention/hope is that the investment in this HP Programme by CNZ and the athletes will, with time, create something of a trickle-down effect as we lift the level of coaching knowledge and skills throughout the country.
Q9: Who is leading this within CNZ?
The initiative is currently being led by members of our Development and Coaching Sub-committee (including Chris Warburton, Rob Moore and Dion Clapperton). It is being overseen by the CNZ Committee. However, in the establishment of the programme – and in addition to the appointment of the HP Programme coaches – we are also hoping to put in place other (voluntary) roles to lead and oversee the whole programme and to assist with administration. These roles are still to be further worked up, and expressions of interest may be sought in time.
Q10: What is CNZ doing to develop athletes outside this new HP Programme?
For many years, CNZ has had a Development Squad concept, but it is fair to say that it has not delivered formal or structured development opportunities (camps, training sessions etc) to squad athletes. This HP Programme does not exclude other potential wider development initiatives taking place. However, we have to be realistic about what CNZ’s capacity is to offer broad ranging programme for everyone in the Development Squad or beyond. Over recent years (and despite the best efforts of a number of volunteers), CNZ has encountered a number of challenges in making regular Development Squad events a reality. Our current hope is that by 2027/2028 we may be able to move toward a more formal programme involving the wider Development Squad. This is partly dependent on building up depth in coaching. In the meantime, however, we will continue to look for opportunities to provide or support some Development Squad events but this is likely to be more ad hoc and only as time and resources allow.
NB: CNZ is considering changing the name of the Development Squad in our selection policy and replacing it with the concept of named “Listed Athletes”. This is terminology commonly used in many other NZ sports. If we proceed, this will be a name change only. We will update the community about this change should it proceed.
Q11: What other development opportunities are available to our athletes?
There are a number of opportunities athletes can access to support their own development. For example:
- There are a lot of participation events offered throughout the country in a variety of formats that aspiring athletes can take part in. Athletes (of all ages and stages) can participate in competitions at local climbing gyms, as part of the NZAC organised NIBs series, by participation in the regional climbing events including those organised by many of our affiliated Clubs etc. These are all great learning opportunities for all our athletes.
- Many of these same climbing gyms and Clubs also offer regular sessions on techniques, mental skills, strength and conditioning, etc.
- CNZ itself has had mixed feedback about the perceived benefits of one-off camps/training sessions as they can only deliver so much. The real development for young athletes will occur at the grassroots, through their Clubs and with local coaches. Ambitious athletes should be looking at local opportunities and coaching, and our member Clubs should be assisting to deliver for these athletes.
- With the growth of the sport there are also more and more online resources becoming available that aspiring athletes can research and access.
As noted above, our hope is that the HP programme will eventually cause something of a “trickle down” to support coaching and development throughout the country. That, in turn, may give us greater capacity to offer a wider range of development opportunities.
Q12: What are the next steps and timeframes?
We are today seeking expressions of interest from coaches. We will then work with the coaches to finalise the HP Programme. We will provide more information about the HP Programme to our community including likely costs in early 2026. CNZ will then seek expressions of interest from athletes in the current Development Squad to join the HP Programme. If over-subscribed, the CNZ Selectors will determine a selection process.
Please follow this link to the expressions of interest form for Coaches, Submission to be completed for CNZ Management Committee 16 January 2026.
Download this PDF Version of the Climbing New Zealand High Performance Programme for your information.
Also see CNZ Strategic Plan for 2026-2030.