Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) is committed to supporting positive environments for participation in sport climbing at all levels of abilities. With the help of the Para-Climbing Committee, CEC will develop Para-Climbing programs and education over the next few years.
Classification System for Para-Climbing
Para-Climbing is a new sport and a variety of different impairments can result in reduced power; classification is an attempt to optimize placement of all athletes in order to ensure competition is between individuals of similar performance capabilities.
Categories and standards will be adopted by CEC and reviewed on a regular basis by the Para-Climbing Committee. A complete Classification Document will be available by the fall of 2021.
International Standard for Eligible Impairments (International Paralympic Committee)
Classification System for Para-Climbing: Paraplegic (AL1)
AL1 (Paraplegic):
- 2 legs: no usable muscle function below waist
- Climbing method utilizes arms only
Classification System for Para-Climbing: Amputee (AU1, AU AL2)
AU1 (Upper Limb Amputee *not allowed to use prosthetic)
- 2 arms: full or combination of any arm amputation/deficiency per AU2 requirements
- 1 arm: full (shoulder disarticulation)
AU2 (Upper Limb Amputee *not allowed to use prosthetic)
- At least 1 arm
- Above and below elbow amputation
- No hand (wrist joint may exist, no functionally usable finger joints)
- Minimum disability: All fingers (disarticulated phalanges of one or both hands)
AL2 (Lower Limb Amputee *prosthetics allowed)
- 1 or 2 legs: Limb deficiency: Total or partial absence of bones or joints as a consequence of trauma (e.g. car accident), illness (e.g. cancer) or congenital limb deficiency (e.g. dysmelia).
- Minimum disability
- no ankle joint present (unless used as a knee via Rotationplasty)
- leg limb discrepancy resulting in using a prosthetic to walk
Classification System for Para-Climbing: Visually Impaired (B1, B2, B3)
B1 (Visually Impaired: Completely or almost completely blind *must wear blindfold during competition regardless of sight)
- No light perception in either eye up to light perception, and an inability to recognize the shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction.
- Visual acuity lower than LogMAR 2.6.
B2 (Visually Impaired: Moderately blind)
- From ability to recognize the shape of a hand up to visual acuity of 20/600 and/or a visual field of less than 5 degrees in the best eye with the best practical eye correction.
- Visual acuity ranging from LogMAR 1.5 to 2.6 (inclusive) and/or visual field constricted to a diameter of less than 10 degrees.
B3 (Visually Impaired: Legally blind with corrective measures)
- From visual acuity above 20/600 and up to visual acuity of 20/200 and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees and more than 5 degrees in the best eye with the best practical eye correction.
- Visual acuity ranging from LogMAR 1.4 to 1.0 (inclusive) and/or visual field constricted to a diameter of less than 40 degrees.
Classification System for Para-Climbing: Range of Power (RP1, RP2, RP3)
RP1 (Range of Power: Severe impact)
- disability affects all body parts severely (hypertonia, impaired muscle power, ataxia)
RP2 (Range of Power: Moderate impact)
- disability affects all body parts moderately (hypertonia, impaired muscle power, ataxia)
- impairment of lower limbs creating walking difficulties or one limb severely affected
RP3 (Range of Power: Noticeable impact)
- Impaired passive range of movement: elbow, junction between elbow & wrist, wrist, waist, junction between waist and knee, knee, junction between knee and ankle
- noticeable hypertonia
- noticeable impaired muscle power
- athetosis creating an asymmetry
Para-Climbing Resources
Contact the chair of the CEC Para-Climbing committee at paraclimbing@canadianclimbing.ca
Climbing-Specific:
- Canadian Adaptive Climbing Society
- Accès Grimpe (QC)
- Paradox Sports – Climbing For All (USA)
- On The Rocks Climbing (ON)
- IFSC Paraclimbing program
- Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC)
- International Paralympic Committee
Other Organizations
(National, Provincial and Local chapters may be available)
- Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
- Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association
- Spinal Cord Injury Canada
- Brain Injury Canada
- Amputee Coalition of Canada
- March of Dimes Canada
- Walk it off Spinal Cord Recovery
Para-Sport Associations
- Ontario Para Network
- Para New Brunswick
- Parasport New Brunswick
- Parasport Nova Scotia
- Paralympic Sports Association (AB)
Parks and Recreation Associations
- Recreation Manitoba
- Nova Scotia Therapeutic Recreation Association
- Canadian Parks and Recreation Association
- British Columbia parks and Recreation Association
- Alberta Parks and Recreation Association
- Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association
- Parks and Recreation Ontario
- Newfoundland and Labrador Therapeutic Recreation Association
- Fédération québécoise du loisir
- Association québécoise du loisir municipal
- Recreation New Brunswick
- Recreation Nova Scotia
- Recreation PEI
- Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories Parks and Recreation Association
- Parks and Recreation Association of Yukon
- Parks and Recreation association of Nunavut
