The BMC Youth Climbing Series offers fun climbing competitions for young people. The series is extremely popular and attracts hundreds of entrants across the country.

The competition is open for first-time competitors, as well as experienced competition climbers from Youth E to Youth A. See age table below for the eligible age categories.

There are four regional rounds; two roped and two boulder. Each round consists of eight separate events taking place simultaneously across eight different regions in England and Wales. The series will culminate in a two-day Grand Final where the top three in each category from each BMC region, and from Scotland and Ireland, are invited to take part.

To be eligible for the Grand Final it is necessary to take part in a minimum of three regional rounds in the same region throughout the series.

BMC Regions:
Competitors can enter any region of their choice but must remain in the same region throughout the entire series.

2020 Dates:
Round 1 - 25 January
Entry deadline – 12pm noon, Wednesday 15 January
Round 2 - 8 February
Entry deadline – 12pm noon, Wednesday 29 January
Round 3 - 7 March
Entry deadline – 12pm noon, Wednesday 26 February
Round 4 - 21 March
Entry deadline – 12pm noon, Wednesday 11 March

Grand Final – 25 & 26 April               (invite only)

Format
Each region has two roped rounds and two boulder rounds, alternating per round. The roped rounds are made up of four routes per category and the boulder round made up of ten blocs per category. In categories A, B and C routes are led. In categories D and E they are top-roped. 

Scotland
Mountaineering Scotland hold their own Youth Climbing Series with two areas: Scotland North and Scotland South. The top 3 in each category in the Scottish Final go through to the Grand Final.

Ireland
Mountaineering Ireland run their own Youth Climbing Series and the top 3 in each category go through to the Grand Final.

Age table:
These categories are set each year relative to a competitor's year of birth, as shown in the following table:

There are five youth categories, with separate girls and boys categories, that follow the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing) system based on year of birth. The categories are called Youth A, B, C, D and E.

Cancellation policy
If you cancel with less than five business days of the competition - you will not be entitled to a refund.

If you cancel with more than five business days of the competition - you will receive a 100% refund. 

Further information:
- Bookings will open in October, check back for the entry booking link 
- Keep up to date by following our YCS Facebook page here
- For any queries please email - ycs@thebmc.co.uk
- All competitors MUST be a member of the BMC to enter, become a member here
- See here for more competitions for young people
- For an explanation of the difference between leading and top-roping a route, please see A Parent's Guide to Climbing

JOIN THE BMC

If you're under 18 (or a student) you can join us for just £19.35 a year. Or, £16.97 for your first year on Direct Debit. With members discounts in over 600 outdoor shops, you'll start saving money as soon as you start buying gear.

For parents:

• Check out our free guide to Young People: a parent's guide to climbing, hill walking and mountaineering.
• Find out about the BMC Youth Climbing Series.

WATCH: Just for Fun on BMC TV

WATCH: First Steps: Katy Whittaker on BMC TV

Follow the BMC's competition climbing Twitter feed: @BMC_Comps

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