Staying safe in the world of youth climbing

Background Climbing is becoming more and more popular in recent years all over the world. Through climbing, we are developing our bodies and motor skills and that is why practicing climbing at an early age can be especially beneficial for children. While we do want to increase the number of children partaking in climbing, it is even more important to dedicate our time and resources to raising good and responsible climbers who know how to be safe in all climbing environments from a young age. Objectives The main objective of the project was to encourage children and youth to participate safely in climbing, regardless of the form of climbing. The focus was on the development of appropriate training for different age groups and on suitable approaches to teaching safety maneuvers, also with the help of modern technologies. Since climbing is an ideal sport for developing both motor and mental skills, we also wanted to find ways to bring it closer to people who normally would not have access to it. Implementation A key project activity was five international meetings, which took place in all partner countries. Two meetings took the form of youth climbing camp, while the other three took the form of shorter meeting with experts from all partner countries. Through the exchange of professional experiences, in-depth discussions of problems, and the search for solutions, we developed methods of bringing safe climbing closer to young people. Achievements We recognized key factors influencing the development of young climbers and specified the age-specific stages of this development. Result of our work is a document called Guidelines for youth climbing, that covers different subjects regarding age-appropriate training. The guidelines can be used as a base for climbing coaches when preparing either technical content or training programs for youth.