Four climbing prodigies are set to don the flag as the Philippine national climbing team competes at the week-long World Climbing Youth Championship, set to be held at the Rock Master Climbing Stadium in Arco, Italy from July 18 to 25.

The Youth Championship will feature all three major disciplines in competition climbing – lead, speed, and boulder – each divided into two age categories, under-17 (U17) and under-19 (U20).

Three-time Philippine women’s boulder titleholder and 2026 double champ (boulder and lead) Praj dela Cruz, 15, will compete in all three disciplines under the U17 category. 

Gianna Bliss Quintela, a 14-year-old national athlete in both climbing and obstacle sports, will also compete in both bouldering and lead under the same age category.

In the boys’ division, 15-year-old Ilonggo climber Vans Marco Gasapo will participate in the speed competition’s U17 category.

Though Vans currently resides with his family in New Zealand, his parents Mark and Vanessa are both Iloilo natives with roots in Tigbauan and Mandurriao, according to local reports. 

Another talented speed athlete in Joaquin Torres, a Los Angeles, USA-based Filipino climber, will figure in the competition’s U19 category. 

Bouldering, lead, and speed are the three distinct disciplines of competition climbing. 

The boulder event requires athletes to tackle a sequence of short but powerful ‘boulder’ problems on relatively low walls (commonly 4.5 meters or 15 feet in height) without the use of ropes or harness. Thick crash pads serve as the safety cushion for when climbers fall from an attempt. 

Lead climbing, meanwhile, is more of a test of endurance and mental composure, requiring athletes to scale a high wall reaching up to 15 meters (or higher) within a set time limit, or until a fall. Unlike bouldering, the lead event makes use of rope and harness for safety as climbers ascend by clipping their line into a series of quickdraws. 

Speed climbing is the sport’s most straightforward discipline. It requires athletes to ‘sprint’ on a standardized 15-meter wall that features an identical pattern of holds that is used in every speed competition worldwide. Unlike bouldering and lead, speed climbing is a forthright race with a finish line on top. 

The Philippine Climbing Inc. (PCI) – the country’s national governing body for competition climbing, just recently concluded the 2026 climbing nationals, bringing together more than 400 climbers from all over the country.

The national tournament helped determine the athletes named to the national team and the development pool.