Top Tips for Families to Go Rock Climbing

I spent most of my life rock climbing. For a very long time my sole focus was where to go climbing and exploring next. I would search for the best crags around the world and was really too busy climbing to have ever entertained the idea of having kids. But, life changes and the time came where I felt ready to have kids. Perhaps I feared that having kids would be an end to my climbing… but over time and maturity I came to the conclusion that this was not the case.

It can be overwhelming as a new parent and I often think parenthood can be akin to alpine climbing. You have to be focused and sharp on not a lot of sleep.

I will not lie.. having kids drastically changes your life. But it is not the end to your climbing or cragging!

Here are some top tips for all you new and soon-to-be parents or even those of you that have that trepidation that I did. You might actually entertain having kids because they really are rad.

Be kind to yourself

It’s easy when you are sleep deprived and tired to hold on to the same expectations of climbing that you had pre-kids. I think you have to cut yourself some slack. First and foremost Moms- you birthed a human! I took my time to come back to climbing and went and saw a pelvic floor PT before I started climbing again. I see climbing as a lifelong pursuit so I wanted to give myself time to fully recover. Many people who get back into exercise too quickly after giving birth can have prolapse or long term injuries from a weak pelvic floor.

Small successes

In the beginning, when you first have your child, Moms and Dads don’t get a whole lot of sleep which will affect performance and motivation. So even if you manage to make a trip to the climbing gym, and do one or two pitches, that is still fantastic!! I think of it like climbing. Maybe you only get past the first bolt of a project- but you’re still doing something and progressing!

Switch things up!

We probably bouldered more in the early days because it was more convenient. But honestly it was great for my rope climbing as I had more power!

Find a 3rd wheel or other families who climb.

For ease of worries, find a 3rd person to share climbing, belaying and child-caring so that at least one of you are free to tend to your child at the crag. Or better yet, find families who climb and you can all spend the day cragging together.

Hiking kids into crags.

Every phase of having children is challenging in its own right. In the beginning you might try to go to crags with smaller approaches. We would bring the car seat to the crag and set up things like a chair rocker in a tree.

Get a good hiking back pack or baby carrier as these are great to have in general. But in the beginning you might be going to closer areas first but later on you could go to areas with longer approaches. As kids get older they become more able bodied and can sometime walk on their own. Or we’ve found another way to tackle long approaches is with a balance bike.

Gypsy life. Bring the right stuff!

When my kid started to nap we would bring all sorts of stuff with us that we looked like a band of gypsies. But it was totally worth it. In the beginning babies nap all the time but as they get older it’s more challenging. We would bring a little pop up tent with his sleep sack, lovey, and a portable sound machine. We would make it as comfortable as possible and be able to go out all day and climb with him doing his naps out at the crag.

A check list!

You might have baby brain - when you’re sleep deprived or even the fact that you are packing for others and there are a lot of moving parts with kiddos. A check list is a great way to make sure you got all your stuff for climbing but also your child’s crucial things to make craggin a success. One time we were climbing in Hueco out on a tour and so sleep deprived we forgot diapers! Luckily my kiddo was mostly potty trained but needed diapers only for his nap and I didn’t have to sacrifice any clothing. (!)

Get Imaginative.

The outdoors is a natural world of exploration for your child. I’m always amazed at what my child will find and collect and what their little minds can imagine and create. One of my favorite things to do is to build a fairy house or a house for whatever critters we see on the hike in! We collect rocks and sticks bring shovels, coloring pens and paper to draw.

Things change all the time with kids. As kids get older they become more independent and you might not need a third anymore. On a recent trip to Rifle my husband and I climbed a few pitches without a 3rd and high-fived each other!

We know climbing with a family can be intimidating. Hopefully this will inspire and help you get out climbing with your kids!

Author: Sterling Athelete Olivia Hsu