The rock wall at the Mt Eden quarry is popular with climbers. Photo / Kellie Blizard
As long as you can stand to watch them do it, climbing is excellent for their development, encouraging strength, flexibility, agility, co-ordination and balance, as well as problem-solving skills and confidence.
Indoor or outdoor rock climbing can become a satisfying hobby or a serious competitive sport. There's recreational and competitive indoor climbing ("sport climbing") , outdoor rock climbing, bouldering and mountaineering.
Children as young as two or three can start to climb indoors using automatic belay systems (meaning their weight is constantly being held without someone having to hold the other end of the rope, and they are lowered gently to the ground if they slip or let go). After honing their skills on indoor walls, many teens and adults then take on climbing in the great outdoors.
Sport climbing (indoors)
David Sanders, secretary of the national sport-climbing association Climbing New Zealand, says this international sport utilises all the skills and movements of outdoor rock climbing, but in a controlled environment - usually an indoor wall. In competition, climbers take on set routes which are designed to test their skills and techniques. Sanders says the sport attracts a lot of young climbers in their teens, with most competitors aged between 12 and 18.
Sanders says for those starting out there is a "fear factor" to be overcome, "but once you know you're safe and can overcome that - you're tied on the whole time, and you not going to fall and hit the ground - you can start doing really dynamic moves. You can become tremendously confident, being in a situation which you thought was really scary, but now becomes really comfortable."
Sanders says this confidence boost is a real plus for young climbers. "It's not all about brute strength and pulling yourself up with your arms - most of the power comes from your leg muscles. There are a lot of girls who are into the sport."
It's also relatively cheap to get involved in, compared to other sports, requiring very little gear.
For those who have been bitten by the climbing bug, the Auckland Sport Climbing Club runs development squads for young climbers, at Extreme Edge in Panmure and the Auckland Council's indoor rock climbing wall at the Birkenhead Pool and Leisure Centre.
Chris Gatland of the Auckland Sport Climbing Club says while sport climbing is an adrenaline sport to a certain extent, in the same category as surfing, BMXing and skateboarding, "People do it because they get a buzz doing it, but also because they can do it with friends as a social thing. There is a strong social bond between climbers that holds them together."
Outdoor rock climbing
Many climbers get a taste of the sport indoors then want to use their skills in the great outdoors. "As they get older, we see young people getting more interested in outdoor climbing and spending less time in the gym," Gatland says.
The New Zealand Alpine Club focuses on outdoor rock climbing, mountaineering and back-country adventures, with up to 500 members in Auckland alone. NZAC general manager Sam Newton says indoor climbing is a good base before starting outdoors, as it is convenient, weather-proof and relatively inexpensive for urban families, "plus the improvement is really quick. Within one or two weeks a child or teen will make really rapid progress."
NZAC runs an annual youth camp (next year's event is in January, at Takaka in Golden Bay), plus coaching and social events. The Auckland section runs rock climbing courses for adults at the Mt Eden Quarry, on the grounds of Auckland Grammar School, for beginners and those who have climbed before and want to improve their skills. The club meets on the second Monday of each month in Mt Eden, and organises events and outings for adult climbers and families.
Extreme Edge
The main indoor climbing venue in Auckland is Extreme Edge, with centres in Panmure and Glen Eden (there is also a branch in Hamilton). Younger kids can get free-climbing, serious can join the Rockhoppers programme, run at each of the three Extreme Edge locations. Extreme Edge Panmure duty manager Paul Ware says children six or over who can successfully complete a top-roped climb at grade 10 ("very easy") or higher can join the beginners' group.
Children are naturally adventurous and enjoy physical activity.
"Once they have mastered basic climbing technique and safety procedures, they can then learn to lead climb, and once basic lead climbing competency is attained then they can move up to the Super Hoppers class," Ware says.
Courses are run each term, and spots fill up fast.
"Children are naturally adventurous and enjoy physical activity. Climbing is both a great outlet for an adventurous spirit and a tool for children to come to understand the extent of their physical and mental capacity," Ware says. "After becoming used to the adventure and the physicality, the ability to measure progress and development with precision via the difficulty-grading system we have keeps people challenged and focused throughout childhood and into adulthood."
Indoors
• There are indoor climbing walls at the Birkenhead Pool and Leisure Centre on the North Shore, as well as the large Extreme Edge gyms at Panmure and Glen Eden (there is also an Extreme Edge centre in Hamilton). Clip'N'Climb on Dominion Rd also has a range of automatic belay climbing walls.
• In Rotorua you can get climbing at The Wall in Hinemoa St, or in Tauranga at The Rock House in Mt Maunganui.
Outdoors
• The main venue for outdoor rock climbing in Auckland is the Mt Eden quarry. Access is managed by the Auckland section of the New Zealand Alpine Club (see aucklandclimber.org.nz/quarry).
• In the Waikato, the most popular climbing areas are at Wharepapa South, east of Otorohanga (CastleRock and Froggatt Edge), with bouldering opportunities at Waitomo.
• Whanganui Bay on the shores of Lake Taupo is another popular spot.
• Mangaokewa, south of Te Kuiti, also offers good climbing on a limestone outcrop.
• Auckland Sport Climbing Club: aucklandclimbing.co.nz. Open day: Sunday, December 13, Extreme Edge Panmure; squad trials Sunday, December 6.
• Climbing New Zealand (national sport climbing association): climbing.org.nz
• Extreme Edge: centres at Panmure (40c Morrin Rd, climbing walls, automatic belay ClimbZone and Adventureland children's playground), Glen Eden (5 Waikaukau Rd, climbing walls and ClimbZone) and Hamilton (90 Greenwood St, Frankton, climbing walls and ClimbZone). extremeedge.co.nz
• Clip 'n' Climb, 610 Dominion Rd, Balmoral, clipnclimb-auckland.co.nz
• Birkenhead Pool and Leisure Centre, 46 Mahara Ave, Birkenhead. Indoor climbing wall and sport climbing classes for 11-17-year-olds. aucklandleisure.co.nz
• New Zealand Alpine Club, Auckland section: aucklandclimber.org.nz
• New Zealand Alpine Club: outdoor rock climbing, mountaineering and back-country adventures. alpineclub.org.nz
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