Get Climbing

The Get Climbing programme's objective is to promote indoor and outdoor climbing to youths (11 – 17 years old) from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds and from communities profoundly touched by addiction. It aims to look at ways of breaking down barriers that would prevent teenagers from accessing climbing walls and, to give them equal opportunities to take on sport at an early age.

It aims to look at ways of breaking down barriers that would prevent teenagers from accessing climbing walls and, to give them equal opportunities to take on sport at an early age. It also aims to educate them and their immediate communities, teachers and parents about the variety of benefits that climbing offers and to promote new opportunities in their lives. Mountaineering Ireland has been cooperating closely with youth services, DEIS registered schools, rock climbing venues and outdoor providers to make climbing accessible and to inspire a culture of sport, health and friendships.

The Get Climbing Programme was introduced in June 2017 and it has been successfully rolled out to include almost 431 participants, creating around 3500 climbing opportunities in both indoor and outdoor settings and, offering competition experience.

Programme Outline

he participants undertake a 6 – 8 week programme based on the NICAS level 1 syllabus with a certificate of completion at the end of the programme. They learn rope skills: tying knots, belaying, safe lowering down of another climber, catching unexpected falls; correct use of harnesses and different types of belay devices; basic climbing movement techniques; footwork and use of climbing shoes; climbing calls and safety rules; route reading and understanding of sport climbing grades. They also practice problem solving, learning how to work as part of a team or as a solo climber; they develop friendship, trust and supportive relationships and engage in fair competition. Most importantly of all, they can enjoy challenging themselves in a stimulating environment.

Programme Outcome

The outcome is to create independent, safe, well-trained climbers, who are ready to enter the next level in mountaineering. We aim to create lifelong commitment to climbing, allowing new participants to enter the community of climbers and to let them aspire to a professional level, to open new opportunities and to teach them transferable life-skills..