Technique/Safety

Techniques
Belaying
Injuries
Knots
Yoga
Training & Games

All these links open a new window. Close the window to return to this page. Please read our disclaimer before you visit any site.

WARNING! None of these links are a substitute for proper training by climbing instructors.
Please locate your nearest climbing wall for information on courses.

PLEASE NOTE: children are not like small adults. They recover from fatigue in very different ways to adults. There could be long term consequences to overtraining for kids under the age of puberty. Please be sensible about how much climbing training you provide for your child, and look up relevant information about this before going ahead.

Try some of these overtraining links (not climbing-specific):
http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/sports_training_howmuchistoomuch.htm
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/fitness/sports_safety.html

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Techniques

Skills Articles from the BMC
Skills and advice articles from BMC information sheets and Summit magazine. Please note that the opinions expressed in Summit articles are those of the writer, and not always the BMC.
Download The Basics: indoors by Steve Long for a starter.

Simple roped climbing techniques
Very basic overview of what roped climbing is about.
Move onto the Climbing Outside booklet below for more detailed information.

Climbing Outside
The BMC's new thirty-page booklet has been written for climbers who have experience of indoor climbing, and want to make the transition to climbing outdoors safely. The booklet covers bouldering and sport climbing, but concentrates on traditional climbing and the necessary skills, such as placing protection, building belays, and abseiling. Also covered are ethics, grades, conservation, and history. Climbing Outside is available free from selected walls and the BMC office.
Or download it now as a .pdf from the BMC

The Archive of Rock Climbing Moves & Tips
This is an excellent, well-written, easy to read and comprehensive guide to all aspects of climbing from simple beginners stuff to more technical.

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Belaying

Belay devices
  Self-arresting (locking) devices
  Devices which don't self-arrest

Belaying - Get it right! (from the BMC again)
With the choice of ropes and belaying devices expanding, and more climbers getting into the sport through indoor walls, this vital skill needs more focus.
Download the .pdf BMC Belaying leaflet.

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Injuries

Injury Prevention
Useful info from BMC Youth

Recognising & treating climbing injuries
Important! This site is not a substitute for going to your doctor. It is very useful for recognising the type of climbing injury and gives useful climbing-specific ways to recuperate.

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Knots

Fantastic Animated Knot tying site!
What an amazing site. Shows just how to tie all kinds of knots in an animated sequence, so you can follow it easily. This is the link to the climbing knots section.

Great knots guide
Another great knots guide
from Planet Fear.com
More knotty stuff from Chockstone.org.

Types of climbing from Doctor Danger.

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Yoga

Yoga and climbing from Spadout.com

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Training

PLEASE NOTE: These are not child specific articles. Children are not like small adults. They recover from fatigue in very different ways to adults. There could be long term consequences to overtraining for kids under the age of puberty. Please be sensible about how much climbing training you provide for your child, and look up relevant information about this before going ahead.

Training also from Spadout.com
Another training link from Indoorclimbing.com

Climbing games also from Indoorclimbing.com

 

Noticeboard

Kids Rock 2008 news.

Check out the Fox Cubs kids climbing gear page.
More...

American climbing t shirt site with some kids sizes. (Warning - some are rude!).
More...

Mark the Mountain Guide book image
Get the Mark the Mountain Guide kids book for 25% off from this site!
More...

Kids climbing shoes for sale (posted 24/09/08):
Boreal | Size 4 | Unisex
Colour: Blue/Red | Laces
Cost: £20
Quechua | Size 2½ | Unisex
Colour Blue | Laces
Cost: £5
Contact me for more details

Any other parents⁄carers who have second hand⁄outgrown climbing shoes or boots please contact me and I'll post it up on the noticeboard.

Great new kid-centric adventure gear shop online!
More...

DMM comes up with new childrens harnesses -
The Tom Cat sit harness and the Tom Kitten full body harness.
More...

Parents Guide to climbing
A great little booklet from the BMC packed with useful info for parents with children who climb. Latest version!
More...

Young climber with Down's Syndrome claims first Munro
More...

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Thanks to the many climbers who have helped to swell the links in the Climbing Stuff section! I've now split it up into separate pages under a new Kid-Friendly... header.

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