Indoor Rock Climbing with Kids
If you are living in the New England area like we are here at Upside Over, you are begging for snow and looking for some indoor passtimes to keep your children active. Well, rock climbing at an indoor gym is a great way to build your children's confidence, balance and strength in the winter. Indoor is a good place to start. There will be a brief period of time where you and your child will need professional instruction and almost every gym can offer that. Plus, your children will be training amongst experienced climbers trying to stay in shape for the winter. There are often interscholastic leagues or perhaps your child would like to get involved in competitive rock climbing doing American Bouldering Series competitions or sport climbing. Perhaps you can plan on a themed birthday party for your child's first introduction to the gym. It can be a scary and intimidating place if it is not made to seem at first fun. Most gyms have a pretty reasonable rate for renting gear, but eventually it may be more expensive to rent! Today's entry will talk about what your kids will need to get started in rock climbing, indoor or outdoor.
Rock Climbing Shoes are probably the most important piece of equipment your child will need for rock climbing. No other type of shoe can compare in performance. When they are starting out, they will want a rock climbing shoe that's fairly stiff. It should be a half size smaller than the shoe they normally wear. When they try on a rock climbing shoe, it should feel tight, but comfortable. It shouldn't feel loose, but it shouldn't be cutting off their circulation either. Remember, you do want them to enjoy themselves! They shouldn't wear socks and lace the rock climbing shoes up tight. Try to slip them off without untying or unstrapping them. If they come off easily, they are not tight enough. The rubber on a rock climbing shoe is extremely sticky and grippy, so beware, they may begin to climb your doorframes......
Harnesses for Rock Climbing It can be a long way down to the ground when you're rock climbing, which is why climbers almost always wear a harness. The harness is attached to a rope to protect you from falling. Consult a professional at your local gym for the right harness for your child. You should make sure it fits comfortably but tightly around your child's waist and thighs. Look for a harness that is going to be small enough to fit tightly on your child's body. Small children may need a full body harness. Sometimes harnesses at gyms for rental are TOO adjustable. They are meant to be accommodating of people of all sizes and shapes and tend to be one size fits all. Children deserve comfort as well as safety, so consider buying your own harness for your child, even if they rent other gear. The padded or cushioned models out there are far more comfy than the styles with just nylon webbing.
Rock Climbing Carbiners and Belay Devices There are many gadgets that you will become familiarized with when you climb and these are life saving devices, not toys. Make sure your children understand that they are to be treated like fragile china and help them to understand exactly how they work. Carabiners are used to hook things onto your harness, like a belaying device which is used to control a climber while they are climbing and while they're rappelling, or a chalk bag. For safety, you should get a locking carbiner. Most indoor rock gyms use a device called a grigri which is a locking belay device that will lock up in the event of a fall without too much user intervention. You may not need to purchase a belay device until your child is ready to climb outdoors. Always consult a professional before attempting to use belay or rappelling equipment.
Rock Climbing Chalk Rock climbers put chalk on their hands to give themselves a better grip on the rock. You can buy chalk and a zippered chalk bag to prevent your child from spilling while in transit. The chalk is held in a bag which clips onto your child's rock climbing harness. They can dip their fingers into it while bouldering or climbing.
Climbing Helmets Your child should always wear a helmet when rock climbing to protect their head from falls or in case they swing and hit the sides of a wall or a rock falls down from above. Most kids won't mind as long as you can provide them with some stickers.....
To check out our full line of kids' climbing gear, click here: http://www.upsideover.com/Climbing-s/7.htm
If you think your child would be interested in climbing competitively, click here: http://usaclimbing.net/home.cfm
We are lucky to live right near the Queensbury gym Rock Sport where 15 year old Marah Bragdon trains. She is currently ranked 5th in the nation in ABS points! Go Marah!
