Bangkok Clutch 2026: What to Know

Bangkok Clutch 2026 runs on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November across Balance Climbing's two Bangkok gyms. Qualification is on Saturday at Balance Prime in Sathorn, on a set of 50 boulders. On Sunday the Open semi-final and the Intermediate and Open finals move to Balance Climbing Rama 9, where spectators get in free. Registration has closed, so this guide covers what competitors need on the day and how everyone else can watch.

Everything here comes from Balance Climbing's own Bangkok Clutch 2026 page, checked on 1 November 2026. The full timetable is on our Bangkok Clutch 2026 event page, and we'll update it if Balance changes anything.

At a glance

Dates	Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 November 2026
Qualification	7 Nov, Balance Prime (Sathorn), competitors and ticket holders only
Semi-final and finals	8 Nov, Balance Climbing (Rama 9), free for spectators
Categories	Youth (under 14), Origins, Intermediate, Open
Entry	1,390 THB (Youth, Origins) or 1,590 THB (Intermediate, Open). Registration closed
Field	Capped at 450 climbers
Setters	Six, from Germany, the UK, Spain, Poland, Singapore and Malaysia

What Bangkok Clutch is

Bangkok Clutch is Balance Climbing's annual bouldering competition, presented with Balance Prime. The 2025 edition, held at Balance Prime, drew more than 300 competitors from nine countries. Auswin Aueareechit and Isis Rothfork won the Open finals, and Addison Ali and Natthakan Jitchuen won Intermediate. The 2025 results are on Climb SEA.

The competitor briefing at Balance Prime, Bangkok Clutch 2025. Photo: Climb SEA

The 2026 edition lowers the entry age with a Youth category for under-14s and splits the weekend across both Balance gyms. The setting team is Niki Weichmann (Germany), Jake Mason (UK), Jamie Jacques (UK/Spain), Adam Pracownik (Poland), Shihui (Singapore) and Taqi (Malaysia).

The four categories

• Youth: under 14. Each entry includes one spectator ticket for qualification day.
• Origins: 14 and over, with little or no competition experience. National team athletes can't enter.
• Intermediate: 14 and over. National team athletes can't enter.
• Open: 15 and over, for experienced competitors.

Balance can check ages and experience and move or disqualify entries that don't fit their category.

How qualification works

All four categories climb the same 50 boulders at Balance Prime on 7 November. Your score is your best 8 boulders in Youth and Origins, your best 10 in Intermediate and your best 12 in Open. Flashes earn bonus points, and ties go to whoever has the higher next-best boulder.

The day runs in heats:

• Youth heat: 09:00–11:00
• Heat 1: 12:00–14:30 (Origins, Intermediate, Open)
• Heat 2: 15:30–18:00 (Origins, Intermediate, Open)
• Heat 3: 19:00–21:30 (Origins, Intermediate, Open)

Each adult heat lasts two and a half hours with roughly 100 to 150 climbers on the walls. Heats were assigned by registration time, so check which one you're in before you plan the day. Category and heat changes were allowed up to a cut-off, subject to space.

Youth and Origins finish at qualification. The top five men and top five women in each get a Bangkok Clutch certificate. The top 8 in Intermediate go straight to Sunday's final, and the top 20 in Open go to the semi-final.

Finals day at Rama 9

Sunday is the part to watch. The Open semi-final takes the top 20 qualifiers through an IFSC-format round scored on Zones and Tops, judged and live-streamed. The top 8 from that round join the top 8 Intermediate qualifiers in the finals, run in the same format.

Balance hasn't published Sunday's start times yet. For reference, in 2025 the semi-final ran 10:00–13:10 with four boulders at five minutes each, and the finals used four boulders at four minutes each. This year's format may differ, so check Balance's channels for the 2026 times.

Prize money for the podiums:

Place	Open	Intermediate
1st	15,000 THB	5,000 THB
2nd	7,000 THB	2,500 THB
3rd	3,500 THB	1,000 THB

Balance quotes more than 68,000 THB in total cash prizes, and podium finishers also get certificates and trophies.

How to watch

• Sunday 8 November at Rama 9: free entry for spectators.
• Saturday 7 November at Balance Prime: closed except to registered competitors, staff and holders of a spectator ticket. Youth competitors get one spectator ticket with their entry.
• Live stream: the semi-final and finals are live-streamed. Balance hasn't said on which channel, so follow @balance.climbing on Instagram or Balance's LINE account (@balanceclimbing) for the link.

Competitor checklist

• Check in at Balance Prime on 7 November. That's also where you collect your merch pack, which Balance values at 2,200 THB: an event T-shirt by Maison Keeps, a tote bag, a sticker sheet, finger tape, a Balance Prime café voucher, a lucky draw ticket and a QR invitation to the event photo album. The first 200 early-bird entrants also get a tumbler.
• Wear the official T-shirt. It's compulsory on qualification day, and Balance says competitors without it will be withdrawn.
• Sign the waiver at check-in.
• Expect cameras. Registering counts as consent to being filmed and streamed.
• Fees aren't refundable. If Balance cancels or postpones the event, registrants get a credit or another resolution.
• Schedules can move. Balance can adjust heats, boulder counts or format for safety or operational reasons, so check its channels the night before.

Getting to the two gyms

Balance Prime (Sathorn) is on the 9th floor of the Sathorn Prime Building, 26 Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road, near BTS Chong Nonsi and BRT Arkhan Songkhro. Its normal hours are 12:00–22:00 on weekdays and 10:00–22:00 at weekends, and a day pass costs 495 THB.

Balance Climbing (Rama 9) is on the 1st floor of The Shoppes at Belle, 131 Rama 9 Road, a short walk from MRT Rama 9, with indoor parking. It's open daily from 10:00 to 22:00, and a day pass costs 450 THB (350 THB for students on weekdays).

Both gyms are hosting the comp that weekend, so ask Balance on LINE before planning a normal session there on 7 or 8 November. Bangkok has plenty of other walls: see every climbing gym in Bangkok.

Bangkok Clutch 2026: questions and answers

When and where is Bangkok Clutch 2026?

Qualification is on Saturday 7 November 2026 at Balance Prime in Sathorn. The Open semi-final and the Intermediate and Open finals are on Sunday 8 November at Balance Climbing Rama 9.

Can I still register for Bangkok Clutch 2026?

No. Registration has closed. Early-bird tickets sold out, and the field was capped at 450 climbers.

Is it free to watch Bangkok Clutch?

Finals day on 8 November at Balance Climbing Rama 9 is free for spectators. Qualification day on 7 November is open only to competitors, staff and spectator-ticket holders.

What are the categories at Bangkok Clutch 2026?

Youth (under 14), Origins (14 and over, little or no comp experience), Intermediate (14 and over) and Open (15 and over, experienced competitors). National team athletes can't enter Origins or Intermediate.

How is qualification scored?

Everyone climbs the same 50 boulders. Youth and Origins count their best 8, Intermediate their best 10 and Open their best 12, with bonus points for flashes.

More comps coming up

Bangkok's next comp is Spider Kids 2026 at BEAT Active Climbing on 14–15 November, a kids' competition with registration open until 10 November (990 THB). In January, the Khon Kaen International Bouldering Festival takes climbers outdoors to Nam Phong National Park on 16–17 January 2027. See every upcoming competition on the events page.