Contents
The categories, side by side
Categories are counted by year of birth. None corresponds exactly to Paak's bands: the FFME pairs U11 and U13, then U15 and U17, each fall into a single band, and children under 9 have no published category.
| Paak band | World Climbing | FFME |
|---|---|---|
| u9 (under 9) | none | none below U11 |
| u13 | none below U17 | U11 (9 to 10 years), U13 (11 to 12 years) |
| u17 | U17 (15 to 16 years) | U15 (13 to 14 years), U17 (15 to 16 years) |
| sen | U19 (17 to 18 years), U21, seniors | U19 (17 to 18 years), U21 (19 to 20 years), seniors |
Two reference points to know. First, a 17 or 18 year old is U19, a “youth”, and not an adult: the finger rule (see the guide on fingers) applies up to 18. Second, the FFME caps the height of youth competition boulders: 3.5 m in U13, 4 m in U15 and 4.5 m from U17 (categories and formats of official competitions, 10 October 2025).
The FFME passports
The passport says what the climber can do safely, action by action. It is both the door to autonomy and the thread of progression: it serves as the “which level” filter for a session of beginners or experienced climbers.
From white to orange, on the artificial structure
A passport says what the climber can do safely. It is not a licence.
Source: FFME, Passeports escalade (page of 14/08/2026). Purple, red, black not read at the source.
| Passport | What it certifies | Place |
|---|---|---|
| White | belay and top-rope climb under an instructor's supervision; bouldering safety | artificial structure (SAE) |
| Yellow | “lead climb and set up the top rope”; stop a small fall | SAE |
| Orange | manage your own safety independently on the SAE; brake and stop a lead fall dynamically | SAE |
| Green | first passport on a natural site; helmet compulsory on a natural site | natural climbing site (SNE) |
| Blue | assessment on a natural site; belays and abseiling | SNE |
| Purple, red, black | not detailed here: the FFME page was read only as far as blue | not read |
The FFME page also gives two grades per passport, from 3a / 4b for white to 5c / 6b for blue. The source we read does not say what each applies to: they are not used here as a threshold.
According to a training website that is not the FFME (secondary source, to be checked in the federation's training regulations), the white to orange passports are validated by an initiateur, the following ones by an instructeur, and the green passport gives access to the SAE initiateur training.
The German equivalent: the DAV Kletterschein
| Kletterschein (indoor) | What it covers | Minimum age (examples from sections) |
|---|---|---|
| Toprope | “richtiges Anseilen, Einlegen der Sicherung, Partnercheck und Selbstkontrolle, Ablassen, sowie Topropeklettern” (correct tying in, loading the belay device, partner check and self-check, lowering, and top-rope climbing) | about 10 (DAV Düsseldorf), 14 in some sections |
| Vorstieg | “Vorstiegssichern, Sicherungsverhalten, im Vorstieg Klettern und Verhalten an der Umlenkung” (lead belaying, belaying behaviour, lead climbing and behaviour at the lowering anchor) | about 12 (DAV Düsseldorf), 14 in some sections |
The DAV states that these certificates are voluntary, “ohne rechtliche Konsequenzen” (without legal consequences), and “keinesfalls” (in no way) to be understood as a driving licence (Führerschein). Age is not set by the national DAV but section by section; the FFME publishes no minimum age on its passports page.
In Switzerland, J+S Sportklettern exists as a discipline. The reference belaying level is “Sichern gemäss aktuellen Indoor-Standards VSBK” and the brochure “Sicher klettern indoor”; the Swiss partner-check list was not read, so it is not reproduced.
Coach training
Each country has its own route, and the belaying or climbing level required at entry varies.
| Country | Levels | What the texts we read require |
|---|---|---|
| France (FFME and State) | initiateur SAE (federal); CQP AESA, TFP MESA, DEJEPS and DESJEPS escalade (professional) | the detail of the federal certificates above initiateur was not read |
| Switzerland (J+S and SAC) | J+S Leiter/in Sportklettern; J+S Kursleiter; Jugend-Co-Leiter (14 to 19, not recognised by J+S); Swiss Climbing / SAC WB2 | Leiter: 6a (scale not named in the source we read), 18 in the year of the course, entry test. Kursleiter: at least 20, 6b. WB2: 6c for women, 7a for men, on sight. For climbing on natural sites: a “Fels” recognition renewed every 4 years |
| Germany (DAV) | Kletterbetreuer/in; Trainer/in C Breitensport indoor or Leistungssport; Trainer/in B; Trainer/in A | Trainer C indoor: UIAA VIII or Fb 6c, first aid of at least 9 units less than 2 years old, one year of teaching practice. Trainer C Leistungssport: UIAA VIII lead, and mastery of two semi-automatic brakes (an Autotuber and a Hebelgerät) |
| United States (USA Climbing) | Level 1; Level 2 | Level 1: annual SafeSport training, background check, proof of role. Level 2: in addition first aid and CPR; every team has at least one Level 2 coach |
The routes of Belgium, Austria and Luxembourg were not read. On youth protection: SafeSport is compulsory for USA Climbing coaches, and the honorability check applies in France; its precise procedure was not read.
The medical certificate in France
For minors, a health questionnaire replaces the medical certificate; for adults, the certificate is “valid for 3 years” if the health attestation is validated (FFME documents, 2021 and 2024). A contradiction remains in the texts we read: a club page writes that competition requires an annual certificate, while the FFME's 2021 FAQ says the certificate is no longer compulsory for minors who compete. Consult the FFME's current season note.
Frequently asked questions
At what age can a child belay a partner?
Are Paak's u9, u13, u17 and sen bands federation categories?
Is a Kletterschein or a passport a licence?
Sources
FFME: Passeports escalade (page modified 14 August 2026, read from white to blue); categories and formats of official competitions (10 October 2025); documents on the medical certificate (2021 and 2024). DAV: Kletterscheine Indoor; brochure “Sicher Klettern” (2019 copy). J+S Sportklettern (BASPO and SAC). DAV, Trainer C Sportklettern. USA Climbing, Memberships and Coach Certification. World Climbing: Event Regulations, version 3, January 2026, art. 1.1. Secondary source, flagged as such: a training website for the passport validation roles. Not read: the routes of Belgium, Austria and Luxembourg; the honorability procedure; the FFME federal certificates above initiateur.