The B Nationals are Climbing New Zealand’s national championships for U11, U13 and U15. Two days of climbing in Auckland: boulder on the Saturday at Northern Rocks, ropes on the Sunday at Birkenhead Pool & Leisure Centre. Athletes can enter both disciplines or just one.
Registration is open now and closes on Friday 23 October 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 23 October 2026, 8:00 pm
Final timetable published: by Wednesday 28 October 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 & Rope B Nationals. Click through, choose Boulder, Lead or both, and follow the prompts.
Registrations won’t be possible on the day. Stuck on either step? Email secretary@climbing.nz and we’ll sort it out.
Entry fees
- $150 — one discipline, for members of CNZ affiliated clubs as at 23 October 2026
- $250 — both disciplines, for members of CNZ affiliated clubs
- $250 — one discipline, for everyone else
- $350 — both disciplines, for everyone else
Fees are in New Zealand dollars. The second discipline adds $100 whichever rate you’re on.
Refunds. 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. If CNZ has to cancel the event we’ll let you know as soon as we can and refund the entry fee, though we can’t cover other costs you’ve already incurred. Refund questions: secretary@climbing.nz.
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 titles and podiums.
CNZ checks every entry before the event: that the athlete is a CNZ member and so holds the domestic licence, that they’re a current member of a CNZ affiliated club where that has been claimed, and that the entry is paid. An entry that isn’t paid in full before the event is removed, and the athlete can’t climb.
What to wear
- Club athletes wear their club uniform.
- Athletes who aren’t in a club wear plain, unbranded clothing.
- International athletes may wear their national, regional or club uniform from home.
Not meeting the clothing requirements can mean removal from the competition without a refund.
Age categories
Age bands are for the 2026/27 season.
| Category | Born | Disciplines |
|---|---|---|
| U11 | 2017 or later | Boulder, top-rope |
| U13 | 2015 or 2016 | Boulder, top-rope |
| U15 | 2013 or 2014 | Boulder, lead |
When you enter, Sunday’s rope day is listed as Lead for every category. U11 and U13 still climb top-rope on the day — there’s one entry for the Sunday and it covers both.
More on age groups is on the Competitions page.
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
There are no finals. Off the back of feedback from past events, we’ve dropped the qualification-and-final format. Climbers get more problems and routes instead, and every one of them counts towards the final ranking.
Each day is run as an independent one-day event. Competition hours may run from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm depending on athlete numbers, so plan to be available for the full day unless we tell you otherwise. Sunday finishes before 4:00 pm.
Boulder, Saturday 31 October
- Each category climbs its own session.
- Seven to nine boulder problems per category.
- No time limit per problem — climbers try each one as often as they like during their session.
- Closer to a boulder bash than a standard comp round.
- We’re setting the problems in the style of the Australian Youth Nationals, so the weekend also works as preparation for international competition and for squad selection.
Lead and top-rope, Sunday 1 November
- U15 climb lead. U11 and U13 climb top-rope.
- Four climbs per athlete, six minutes on each, one attempt per route.
- No isolation — climbers can watch each other climb.
- Forerunner videos go out before 8:00 pm the night before.
- An aggregate score across the four climbs decides the national champion in each category.
The Event Information document has the full detail on format and eligibility, and it’s the reference for anything on this page. If we update it before the event, the updated version is the one that counts.
Programme and venues
- Saturday 31 October — boulder at Northern Rocks, Unit 17/101-111 Diana Drive, Glenfield.
- Sunday 1 November — top-rope and lead at Birkenhead Pool & Leisure Centre, 46 Mahara Avenue, Birkenhead.
Session times come with the final timetable, which goes up on ClimbAlong by 8:00 pm on Wednesday 28 October. We’ll email it to every registered athlete.
Getting there on the Sunday. The Auckland Marathon is on the same day. The harbour bridge will be open in both directions, but allow more travel time than usual.
Following the comp on ClimbAlong
We use ClimbAlong to run the competition, so it’s worth bookmarking even though you register here. The two days run as separate competitions, with a page each:
- Boulder B Nationals — Saturday 31 October, Northern Rocks
- Top Rope & Lead B Nationals — Sunday 1 November, Birkenhead
Entries you complete on the CNZ website are transferred across to ClimbAlong, but not instantly. Give it a few days before you go looking for your name. If it still hasn’t appeared, 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.
Why it matters
This is an official CNZ National Championship and a selection event. Results feed into selection for the CNZ Development Squad, and New Zealand’s international teams are picked from that squad.
For U11, U13 and U15 climbers, this is the event those selections are based on.
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 weekend, and a comp this size doesn’t run without people stepping up.
Thanks for your support.
Get in touch
Questions about registration or refunds: secretary@climbing.nz
Anything else about the event: info@climbing.nz
Looking forward to seeing you in Auckland.