Get ready for the high life
Climbing can be a great way for children to burn off energy and stay fit at the same time, finds Neil Reid
Get down off there!” “Come down or you’ll get hurt!” “Watch you don’t fall!” Kids, as any parent will tell you, need very little encouragement to climb – it just seems to come naturally. So instead of trying to stop them, why not go with the flow and harness that boundless enthusiasm to start them on the road to a healthy lifestyle that will see them grow fit and strong?
Climbing is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in Scotland and, with sport climbing becoming an Olympic sport in 2020, opportunities have never been better for kids to get involved, whether as a way to burn off excess energy or as first steps on the climb to rockstardom.
Climbing is great for growing confidence, coordination, tactical awareness, strength and fitness. And with the growth of para-climbing, disability needn’t be a barrier.
Get started with a festival
As with any sport, the first steps can be the hardest. That’s where the Climbscotland Festival 2017 comes in. It’s the UK’S biggest youth climbing festival and a great opportunity for people new to climbing – parents and children – to get a great welcome to the sport.
Staged next Saturday at the massive Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho, near Edinburgh, the festival is organised by Climbscotland, the youth climbing initiative of sport governing body Mountaineering Scotland. There will be activities and come-and-try opportunities for the kids, and experts on hand to make the experience constructive as well as fun.
What’s on offer
Bouldering is the simplest form of climbing, needing no technical gear and done at no great height, with padded mats to cushion any falls. All you need is your hands, your feet and lots of enthusiasm, and at the festival there will be instructors on hand to help get people started.
If ambition is high, then the climbs can match. Come-and-try top-roping is another beginners’ session, again with instructors to get newcomers tied on safely and help them reach the heights, scaling vertical walls on tiny holds and impressing themselves with what they can achieve.
For many, indoor climbing is all about competition, seeing who can climb the trickiest routes. Climbscotland Festival 2017 will have a great competition where it won’t just be about who climbs the hardest, and participants will encounter some wild and wacky challenges so that no matter how they perform they’ll have lots of fun.
Para climbing occupies an important spot on the programme, and the instructors will be running come-and-try sessions throughout the day, catering for those with additional support needs. Advance booking is required so that the correct equipment can be in place.
As well as all types of climbing, the festival will have a range of related adventure activities on offer, including abseiling, slack lining and an outdoor obstacle course.
How to follow it up
Climbscotland Festival 2017 isn’t just a one-off event. The aim is to give more young people the opportunity to take up climbing as a sport, so there will be plenty of information available on how to make climbing a regular part of your child’s life.
Membership of Climbscotland gives young climbers access to training and coaching opportunities, lots of discounts at outdoor shops, places to stay and activities, and makes them eligible for youth climbing competitions. And with the Olympic Games on the horizon, who knows what the limits may be?
Find out more
Read more about the Climbscotland Festival 2017 on the Climbscotland website at www.climbscotland.net. The website also has a wealth of information on climbing, competitions and interviews with young climbers. n