The Boulder A Nationals decide New Zealand’s national bouldering champions for the 2026/27 season. One day of climbing at Boulder Co in Hamilton, with qualification and finals both held on Saturday 26 September 2026.
Registration is open now and closes on Friday 18 September 2026 at 8:00 pm. Late entries won’t be accepted, and you can’t enter on the day.
Already registered an athlete for the 2026/27 season? Go straight to the Athlete portal to enter the comp.
Registrations close: Friday 18 September 2026, 8:00 pm
Final timetable published: by Wednesday 23 September 2026, 8:00 pm
How to register
Registration happens here on the CNZ website, not on ClimbAlong. There are two steps, and your entry isn’t complete until you’ve done both. You’ll need a credit or debit card for each.
Step 1 — Become a CNZ member. Every athlete needs a current CNZ membership, which carries the domestic licence you need to compete. Create an account, then add your athlete or athletes. You’ll be asked for your club and your nationality along the way, so sort out your club membership first if it has lapsed.
Step 2 — Enter the competition. Once your membership is paid, open the Athlete portal. You’ll see your athletes listed, with an invitation to enter the Boulder A Nationals. Click through and follow the prompts.
Stuck on either step? Email info@climbing.nz and we’ll sort it out.
Entry fees
- $150 — single category, for members of CNZ affiliated clubs as at 18 September 2026
- $250 — single category, for everyone else
- $100 — additional, for U19 athletes entering both U19 and Open
Fees are in New Zealand dollars. Full refund if you withdraw more than two weeks out, 50% between one and two weeks, and at CNZ’s discretion inside a week. Injury, illness and travel disruption are considered case by case.
Who can enter
This is a CNZ National Championship, open to current members of CNZ affiliated clubs. We also welcome NZ-based athletes who aren’t in a CNZ club, along with international athletes.
If you’re not in a CNZ affiliated club, read Appendix A of the Event Information document before you enter. Separate rules apply to you for finals places and podiums.
Age categories
Age bands for the 2026/27 season:
- Open — born 2010 or earlier
- U19 — born 2009 or 2010
- U17 — born 2011 or 2012
U19 athletes can enter both U19 and Open for an extra $100. You climb one qualification round and one final either way, and your results are counted separately in each category. Athletes take this option when they’re chasing New Zealand selection at both levels, because it keeps them eligible in either or both.
A U19 athlete can also enter Open on its own. They just won’t be eligible for U19 selection, whatever the result.
Entry caps
CNZ may cap total entries, or entries in a single category, if we reach the limits of the venue or of what we can run well on the day. Affected categories will close and a notice will go up on ClimbAlong. Places go first come, first served, so get in early.
Competition format
The comp runs under World Climbing rules (formerly IFSC), as adopted by CNZ. Both rounds are on Saturday 26 September. Competition hours may run from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm depending on athlete numbers, so plan to be available for the full day unless we tell you otherwise.
Qualification
- All climbers go into isolation before their category starts
- No viewing period
- 5 boulder problems, 5 minutes climbing and 5 minutes rest
- Start lists published at least 24 hours before the event
Finals
- Top 8 from qualification advance, plus anyone tied for 8th
- All climbers go into isolation before finals start
- 2-minute observation period per problem
- 4 boulder problems, 4 minutes each
There’s no semi-final round. U19 and Open climb a combined final, capped at 16 athletes.
Depending on how many athletes enter, U17 isolation may start after the U19/Open round. If that happens, U17 climbers can watch U19/Open before going into isolation, and it will be marked clearly on the final timetable.
This format is provisional. The final version of the Event Information document will be published at least one week before the event, and that document is the reference for anything on this page.
Following the comp on ClimbAlong
We use ClimbAlong to run the competition, so it’s worth bookmarking even though you register here.
Entries you complete on the CNZ website are transferred across to ClimbAlong, but not instantly. Give it a bit of time before you go looking for your name. If it still hasn’t appeared after a couple of days, email us and we’ll check.
On competition day, ClimbAlong carries live scoring, so athletes, whānau and anyone following from home can watch the standings update round by round.
The final timetable goes up on ClimbAlong by 8:00 pm on Wednesday 23 September, and we’ll email it to every registered athlete.
Why it matters
This is a selection event. Results feed into selection for the CNZ Development Squad, and New Zealand’s international teams are formed from that squad.
For athletes named to the squad, this is the start of a longer pathway. Squad selection opens up the chance to compete at World Climbing Series events in 2027 and at other international selection events, which in turn offer a route towards Olympic selection for Los Angeles 2028.
Programme
Session times will be confirmed closer to the event and published on ClimbAlong.
Volunteers
Coming along to support or accompany a registered athlete? Please fill in the volunteer registration form as well. It helps us plan numbers and assign roles ahead of the day, and a comp this size doesn’t run without people stepping up.
Thanks for your support.
Get in touch
Questions about the comp or your registration: info@climbing.nz
Looking forward to seeing you at Boulder Co in Hamilton!