Climbing with children is a common practice in my house. My children all grew up climbing outdoors and all overcame their own fears along the way to become more confident and capable people. This guide aims to help you learn to climb with children and make it a successful and positive experience for everyone.
Equipment You’ll Need to Climb with Kids
Climbing harness
A climbing harness is mandatory for the safety of your children. You will need to make sure you get one that fits you properly. This is the one I used for my kids when they were younger. Now they’re all a little too big for this one so I use a regular climbing harness, but on difficult routes with overhangs or free-hanging sections I rig them with a chest harness to avoid they don’t turn around.
You can make a quick chest harness by using a double sling around the shoulders attached at chest level with a carabiner, then passing the rope through the carabiner.
Helmet
A helmet is essential if you want to protect your children’s heads. They often don’t have the spatial awareness of an adult and can do crazy things on the wall when scared. Find out why I always wear a helmet when climbing outdoors here: Why I Wear a Climbing Helmet
I do not recommend using bicycle helmets or helmets for other sports, as climbing helmets are certified to handle the likely impacts during a fall from climbing as well as falling rocks from above. high. Some bicycle helmets do not protect the back of the head and may have large ventilation holes that would allow stones to hit the head.
Below is a good, inexpensive helmet to start with if you don’t already have one for the kids.
Climbing shoes
When climbing with kids, you might be tempted to skip the shoes, but don’t. Climbing shoes make a huge difference. Not only will they help your children grip the rock better, but they will give them confidence in their abilities. The mental boost kids get from wearing real climbing shoes will make them feel like they’re unstoppable.
I usually collect a few used pairs in different sizes and then sell or give them away when the kids outgrow them.
I like to have a few spares of all the gear so my friends can join us. My children always seem more confident and capable when they are with friends.
How to manage fear and anxiety
Start small
Climbing is such a mind game that you need to help your children recognize that they are completely safe when attached to the rope and belayed. They can let go of the rock completely and they will just hang there. You can teach them this on the cliff when they’re just a few feet from the bridge, but my favorite training ground is the neighborhood playground.
We have a park with a small, fun climbing wall with a nice platform at the top. You may not have this exact option, but you can probably find something similar. I like to take beginners there to teach them how the harness works and how to get up and back down. When climbing with children, always start where they feel comfortable and work your way up.
On a small wall like this in the playground, children will feel safer and you can be right next to them to accompany them throughout the course.
I also have a small climbing wall in my basement that friends and neighbors can practice on and I use it often to make sure all the kids we take to the outdoor rock are ready to go.
You may also want to do some rock climbing with kids at an indoor climbing gym before going outside. Bouldering areas are often great places for them to feel comfortable moving vertically on the rock and you can train them to use the appropriate body movements and inspire them with confidence.
Taking them to the larger walls of an indoor gym can also help. The controlled environment and clearly visible outlets often help them know they can do the same thing outside.
Make sure to have them practice not only going up but also going down. They need to know what to do once they get to the top of the wall. This is the place where I see most people, children and adults, panicking. I have seen several adults become paralyzed with fear when they reached the top of a wall because they did not know what to do. Be sure to practice this with the kids before sending them on a 40-foot course.
Motivate them with micro-goals
Anywhere you climb with children, an important factor is to motivate them with small, achievable goals. Break down the escalation process into small steps.
The first part is for them to take off. Sometimes with beginners I’ll tie them all up and then just have them climb up to where they feel safe and then have them go lower.
After that, if they still feel good, I’ll have them do the same thing again and then move them up a little higher. Repeat this until you can see their confidence grow enough to send them all the way to the top.
This may take several outings, but be patient and don’t push him beyond what he can do, otherwise he will be traumatized and not want to try again.
Place treasures or treats along the route
A magical tool I’ve found to help kids achieve these micro-goals is to place candy, coins, or small toys along the way. Make sure you get something they like and place the pieces about 5 to 10 feet apart along the way. Naturally, I place treasures on blocks that I think the children can use to progress.
This does several things. First, it helps them stay focused on their progress on the wall and keeps them from looking down and getting scared. Second, it divides the wall into small segments that give children an achievable and visible goal. Third, treasures or candies are their own reward for achievements.
Climb with a friend
If possible, I also like to set up two ropes and have two children climb together. This can be great if you bring friends. Having two kids on the wall at the same time allows them to see that someone else can do it and so can they. They also tend to compete with each other and won’t give up until they reach the top. Climbing together also gives one child the opportunity to help the other if they get stuck and show them what to do if they panic at the top.
Celebrate their victories
No matter how small their victories, celebrate them. Tell them how proud you are of them for their courage and confidence, for facing their fears, and for working hard. Make sure you don’t celebrate one child more than another, otherwise they will recognize that you are happier with the child who completed their journey, but not the one who gave up halfway up the wall.
Both efforts deserve to be celebrated. Sometimes I tell them I’ll take them for ice cream or something if everyone climbs and does their best. The main goal here is to make climbing fun. If they don’t enjoy it and aren’t successful afterward, they won’t want to go back, so make it fun and help them feel victorious at the end.
How to deal with tears and fears
Climbing often triggers strong feelings in people. That’s one of the reasons we love doing it. Children are no different. When climbing with children, make sure you listen to their feelings. Pay attention to how each child feels before you even put it on the wall.
Managing emotions is essential for this outing to be successful for everyone. I like to encourage them to climb up to the rock by showing them the candy or treasures I brought, then telling them about the ice and telling them how brave, confident and awesome they are.
When we are all ready to climb, I will ask for volunteers to see who is ready to go and who is afraid. I prioritize the most enthusiastic children and encourage them with the motivational strategies I listed above.
If someone collapses on the wall and gets scared, starts crying, or maybe even has a panic attack, I usually give them space to rest and then give them options. “Do you want to continue, or take a break, or do you feel ready to come back down now?” »
Respect the choice they make without pushing them too much. If they’re not sure what they want to do, it’s usually because they really want to continue but are afraid. You can encourage them and tell them that you know they can do it and that they can dedicate as much time to it as they need. If they still seem stuck, I often tell them that they can come back down and try again in a minute if they want.
These options allow them to still feel confident and capable of taking on the challenge, but at their own pace and level.
If they can’t overcome their fears, your job is to tell them how amazing and brave they are for going this far. Just getting attached and taking off is a real feat for some children. Develop them and help them feel motivated to try again. And be sure to promise them another opportunity to reach the top when they’re ready.
Life lessons from climbing
I have learned more life lessons from climbing with kids than probably any other activity I have participated in. Be sure to use the trip home from the cliff as an opportunity to teach your children any valuable lessons you think they are ready for. learn. Here are a few that I like to teach my children:
- You can do hard things
- It’s okay to not achieve your goals if you’ve tried your best and keep trying in the future.
- We need everyone’s help to achieve our goals
- Don’t let fear hold you back
There are many more, but adapt the lessons you see to the situation your children find themselves in.
I love climbing with kids and am excited to see how it has helped them in many other areas of their lives. I often draw inspiration from our experiences at the cliff for other situations in their lives, such as encouraging them when they are afraid to do difficult things by telling them, “I know you can do it because I saw you climb to the top of a mountain. a huge wall all by itself.
What additional tips, lessons, or ideas do you have for climbing with kids? I would like to hear from you.