BURSTAge ain’t nothing but a number.
One thing ACMG rock guide Jesse Godlington learned about kids is that they are way more resilient than a lot of us give them credit for.
At a Squamish Climbing Academy camp he organized, an eight-year-old student of his managed to summit a 5.9 multipitch.
“She was scared, and there was a challenge, but she overcame it,” said Godlington, the founder of the academy. “She made it to the top and then when she did, on the way down, it’s so funny how quickly they forget how scared they were. She said that this was her favorite day at camp.”
It can show children a new side of themselves they never knew they had.
“It’s really cool to see kids overcome these kinds of challenges, and then also for them to feel that intrinsic motivation to want to do these things and have fun outdoors,” Godlington said.
Jason D. Martin, executive director with the American Alpine Institute, says rock climbing allows kids to be active and enjoy a sport without necessarily having to perform at an elite level.
“With many sports, they have to be performing at a level that’s quite high in order to make the cut on teams,” said Martin, an AMGA rock and alpine guide.
But climbing on the other hand, can easily be enjoyed either as part of a high-performing team or as just a casual activity either alone or with friends.
“There’s this element where climbing does allow people to continue as a full-life thing. And I think that’s one of the real values to a lot of adventure sports,” Martin said.
Both Godlington and Martin agree that getting kids out on the rock or the plastic is a good thing. It can unlock confidence and be enjoyed either as a competitive activity or a casual adventure with friends.
And with outdoor season now here, they both shared ideas about how to get younger climbers out on the rock.
Godlington said the gym is a good place to start, and that once skills are built up, parents can think about getting kids climbing on rock.
He compared it to skiing. The resort’s a good place to start. You don’t want to jump straight right into backcountry skiing, which requires a whole new set of skills. Not the best place to start when you’re still having trouble making turns.
Once you’re comfortable with letting them go outdoors, take it slow and put a premium on enjoyment.
“Focus on the fun. Bring other experiences, I just bring the boulder pads so they have somewhere warm to sit on and so they feel like they have a nest to play in,” said Godlington.
“Encourage but don’t push. My daughter is three. She’s climbed a very little bit, and I’m okay with that. You know, even though I’m a climber, I have no expectations of her to be the next Lynn Hill.”
For Martin, incentives are one way to get kids excited.
“When it comes to little kids, there’s all these things that you play to get them to climb,” he said. “Put toys or candy or coins on holds, and things to get them to come off the ground, you know, and they get psyched.”
As kids grow up and become teens, there will probably be a point when they don’t want to go out with their parents.
In this case, finding a community of parents can help children find peers to climb with.
“They’re making new friends, and they can have friendly competitions with them,” said Martin. “I think that building community, whether it starts at the gym or out of crag or online, with other parents who want to take their kids climbing, can help, like, motivate the kids to go.”
Of course, there’s always the issue of risk.
“I’m a lot less inclined to let my 16-year-old go out with his friends and climb sport routes without me there, but he can go out and boulder his heart out,” he said.
Martin said he is a little worried about the increasing publicity around free soloing.
There’s a certain type of behaviour that he considers a warning sign.
“It’s kids who want to post about themselves that want to frighten other people with what they’re doing, or frighten their parents or their friends; those kids need an extra eye on them,” he said.
Good mentors from clubs, guides or trusted peers is key in helping children make smart decisions, Martin said.
But, of course, there’s also a benefit exposing kids to a certain amount of controlled risk.
Godlington said it can be a formative life experience.
“We’re giving them real responsibilities,” he said. “Checking their knots and those sorts of things; although we are also checking them always, it’s good for them to kind of practice and learn that they can be trusted with these sorts of things as well.”
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