Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter a maximum of 4 competitors, 2 per each gender event.

As hosts, Argentina was given 2 quotas, 1 per each gender event provided that they participate at the Youth World Championships.

[2] To be eligible to participate at the Youth Olympics athletes needed to have been born between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2001.

[1] Although two athletes from the United States, Ashima Shiraishi and Brooke Raboutou, finished second and third at the Youth World Championship and were included on preliminary lists of qualified athletes, the United States Olympic Committee declined to allow them to participate, citing a fixed limit on the total number of athletes that it could send to all events, and a low prioritization of the climbing event based on the fact that USA Climbing had applied for recognition by the USOC but not yet received it.

[4] The qualified athletes were as follows:[5] Filip Schenk (ITA) Petar Ivanov (BUL) Nathan Martin (FRA) Keita Dohi (JPN) Shuta Tanaka (JPN) YuFei Pan (CHN) DiChong Huang (CHN) Mikel Asier Linacisoro Molina (ESP) Peter Kuric (SVK) Seongmin Eom (KOR) Nicolai Uznik (AUT) Mark Chan Chong Kiat (SGP) Lukas Franckaert (BEL) Donghyun Jang (KOR) Sandra Lettner (AUT) Elena Krasovskaia (RUS) Laura Rogora (ITA) Laura Lammer (AUT) Luiza Emeleva (RUS) Aleksandra Kałucka (POL) Lučka Rakovec (SLO) Hannah Meul (GER) Vita Lukan (SLO) Lucile Saurel (FRA) Annalisa Tognon (SUI) Hannah Hermann (SUI) Natalia Kałucka (POL) Narada Disyabut (THA) The competition followed the Olympic format,[14] with each athlete competing in Speed, Bouldering and then Lead.