What the community is saying
It was our daughter’s first time to boulder during the first YWF competition last year, and she
has improved so much. Now, she is so strong. She’s not yet at the top, but she has improved a
lot because of her own determination, of course with the support of her dad especially, and also
her friends…That’s already one good takeaway from all this — she is making friends not just with people her age but with people who are younger, older.
Portia
parent of Under-15 competitor Rocio
YWF has created a vibrant, welcoming avenue where young athletes can compete, improve, and fall in love with climbing in a supportive environment. By prioritizing safety and community, it offers a secure space that elevated both the level of competition and the spirit of camaraderie among participants. Beyond empowering the climbers, YWF has also expanded the sport's reach by providing valuable opportunities for community members to step up as competition officials.
Jeremy Flores
Climbing Team Coach, International School Manila
Hosting the YWF season opener at bhive was a blast for our team, and we loved being part of the action. It was great to see the kids from different gyms connect and make new friends throughout the day. Our bhive youth team performed incredibly well, which made the whole event even more memorable for us. We’re truly proud to support youth development in the Philippines, and the YWF Series is such an important driver for that growth. Thank you to the organizers for making it all happen, and we’re already looking forward to future events!
Mica & Christoph Bastin
Owners, The Bouldering Hive
I think YWF plays a really important role in growing Philippine climbing, especially in identifying young talent and giving kids and youth from different regions the opportunity to compete and gain experience. I'm actually a product of this competition series myself, so I know firsthand how valuable these opportunities are for young climbers. It's really great that the organizers have continued this initiative year after year and expanded it to different regions.
As for why PCI chose to sanction YWF, I believe collaboration is key to growing Philippine climbing. Rather than building everything from scratch, we should be working with community organizers who have already established meaningful programs. One of the things we really need to strengthen is our pipeline of developmental athletes, and YWF provides a great platform for talent identification.
And yes, I think we've achieved a meaningful first step this year! We've shortlisted 31 athletes across the three legs, with the goal of building a larger development pool where we can continue to monitor and support promising young climbers. For me, it's really about widening the base and giving more athletes the opportunity to develop, train, and compete. The more young athletes we bring into the pathway and support along the way, the better our chances of developing future national team athletes and champions.
Chelle Suarez
Officer, Pilipinas Climbing Inc.
PCI is the National Federation and the official governing body for climbing climbing in the Philippines.
My son joined YWF last year and it was very enriching for him and also for the entire family in
the sense that it developed resilience. It also developed his physical strength through training,
but more importantly, we saw in him the attitude of not easily giving up.
Grace
parent of Under-19 competitor Cyan
YWF is a great initiative to develop the young climbers of the Philippines. It gives many of the kids their first taste of competition in a supportive environment. With the multi-leg system, it also gives climbers an opportunity to explore different parts of the Philippines and helps support the growth of gyms in other regions. Even though it's meant for kids, the adults also have a great opportunity to learn. For many volunteers, YWF is their chance to experience how a competition is done as an organizer. For us. Tsek Collective, it's an opportunity for many first time media team members to shoot an event. One of the most exciting things about covering YWF is seeing the future of PH climbing. I'm very confident that one day, the climbers we've taken photos of will be up on the podium during the biggest climbing competitions in the country and hopefully even in international events. The climbing community continues to develop and YWF will be an important part of that movement as they provide an avenue for all to grow.
Charles Pe
Head, Tsek! Collective
Tsek! Collective is a sports media and photography group that specializes in covering climbing events and competitions.
YWF inspires our local community and exposes them to the standard of climbing in Luzon,
which further lifts the community as a whole.
Jo Ala
Owner, Vertex Bouldering Iloilo
PRs & features
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the competition categories?
There will be 6 categories based on age:
What is the competition format?
For most of the legs, YWF 2026 will follow the Session Format. In this format, climbers have a limited time to climb a set number of routes or problems, of varying difficulties. Each zone and top earns them points. Attempts will also be counted and considered in breaking possible ties.
In a Session Format, there will be:
- No isolation. Routes are free for viewing by all participants, even prior to their round. While their round is on-going, they are also free to observe, learn, strategize with, and cheer fellow climbers.
- Multiple attempts allowed per route. If climbers fall during their attempt, they may queue up and try again, as long as their round is ongoing.
- No time limit on each attempt.
Can family and friends watch the event live?
Seating for audience members will depend on the facilities’ capacity and restrictions, but we will try our best to allocate space for at least 1-2 guardians per participant to watch. Final guidelines on live viewing will be announced at least one week before each event.
Will there be an overall winner?
Yes! Every time you join an event you can earn points that correspond with your ranking. For example, 1st placer gets 1,000 points, 2nd placer gets 805 points, and so on.
At the end of the season, the participants of each category who accumulate the most points will be deemed the Season Champion of their category.
Do I need to sign any waiver before the event?
Upon registration, you are asked to acknowledge the Participant Agreement, Consent, Waiver, Release & Registration Terms. This serves as the waiver or release form for the competition season. You may review the document here.
Facility partners may request participants to sign a separate Waiver/Release Form. Participants will be informed about these additional forms separately, as required by the facility partner.