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corpse
Jun 15, 2006, 6:12 PM
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Registered: Jan 17, 2003
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So the other week I was at devils lake to introduce a few younger kids to climbing, along with a couple more seasoned kids - and I've noticed that grades are pretty irrelevant with kids. Just because a route is a 5.3 or 5.4 doesn't mean a short kid will be able to climb it - maybe all those jugs are only accessible if you are 5' tall. I setup a 5.4 and none of the shorter kids were able to complete the route because they just didn't have the reach.
So, lets hear about some route suggestions that are good for the shorter people. I think there are 3 types of kid climbers out there..
The flailer - these are kids that don't get the concept of climbing, but are more into pulling down on easy hold that are in front of their face to grab. They give up easily if a climb isn't straightfoward - these are the kids you can't give advice too. Routes for them need to be super easy to help build up confidence and teach about movement and body position and all that.
The moderate kids are the ones that will try out different things, they won't give up too easily, and they are willing to hear your beta and try it out.
then you have the expert kids.. I don't mean expert in that they can climb 10s and 11s - but just in that you don't have to tell them to match feet, because they already understand body position and different techniques.. But even armed with this knowledge, a short 10yr old might have a hard time doing a simple climb because of the the hold spacing.
Here's my first route contribution...
******
Old Sandstone - Chez's chimney 5.4
Good for moderate kids - although it's a 5.4, it's not a 5.4 with holds every 6 inches... Techniques in smearing and stemming and chimney moves are useful to make it reasonably a 5.4... Not a good route for the flailing kids. The area has mostly moderate and difficult routes for adults, so it's not really a destination to bring kids. The base of the climb is ok for kids, as there's nothing major to fall off and die; climber trails above, so less risk of hikers kicking rocks down. The approach for kids might take 10 or 15 minutes with a good rest half way up - nothing dangerous or difficult, just a steep hike.
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corpse
Jun 19, 2006, 9:29 PM
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c'mon all ya midwest parents... Tell me about the routes your kids have had success on.. Not just routes they were able to climb to the top, but routes they truly had fun on and enjoyed.
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jbkr54
Jun 19, 2006, 9:48 PM
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On the East Bluff Easy Street has big positive holds without too much reaching. On Balance rock, the lower portion of Grandma's Staircase has low angle and an abundance of closely spaced holds, not so at the top, but it can easily be skipped. On the west bluff there are a few short climbs on Stetner rocks that worked for my 7 y.o. daughter.
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curtis_g
Jul 9, 2006, 5:38 PM
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East Bluff, may be crowded, but over by Upper D about the CCC trail there are some nice 5.4s for kids including Climney's End and Darkness at Noon (5.2 chimney). If you want to go out to the west bluff and get the kids excited by some awesome exposure, you can lead (solo?) the 5.4 face of Cleopatra's Needle in Cleo's Amphitheatre and use the fixed ring atop to belay kids up the 5.4 face full of short but fun mantels. No hard route finding, no big reaches, lots of exposure up top...just please don't lower them through the ring...please.
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corpse
Jul 9, 2006, 11:12 PM
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Are those chimneys you mentioning truly kid friendly? For of the kids I've taken climbing, most have a hard time with chimneys, because they haven't figured out how to use their body position and other chimney techniques.
Keep any other suggestions coming please - more details the better.
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curtis_g
Jul 9, 2006, 11:21 PM
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I'm sorry but I can't remember exactly, they were always fun for the worst of the young teenagers I've taken climbing or seen climbing, and I see a lot of 10-14 yr old boyscouts playing on them.
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tnwagener
Jul 23, 2006, 4:16 AM
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Registered: Feb 7, 2006
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There are alot on the east bluff that are great for that age range. some popular ones are Boy Scout (5.4), Anemia (5.2), Ignominy (5.4), Double Overhang (5.4), and Cerebration (5.4). I am at the lake every friday climbing if you would like to meet up some time and bring the kids and I could show you around a bit and i have two ropes and gear we could set up. let me know, Friday are also a good day because it is usualy fairly quiet at the crag.
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curtis_g
Jul 23, 2006, 6:53 PM
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In reply to: There are alot on the east bluff that are great for that age range. some popular ones are Boy Scout (5.4), Anemia (5.2), Ignominy (5.4), Double Overhang (5.4), and Cerebration (5.4). I am at the lake every friday climbing if you would like to meet up some time and bring the kids and I could show you around a bit and i have two ropes and gear we could set up. let me know, Friday are also a good day because it is usualy fairly quiet at the crag.
Boy Scout (5.3 actually) is a very popular kids climb. Right around the classic Chicago (5.8) that you can have fun on yourself. Both are in Gill's Buttress on the East Rampart. Pgs 113 and 115 respectively in the second edition guidebook by Sven.
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tnwagener
Jul 24, 2006, 3:51 AM
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yea the D.L. book says 5.3 and the Falcon guide gives it a 5.4 they both are great books but they do differ on some routes.
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tnwagener
Aug 20, 2006, 5:15 PM
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I'll be at the lake friday afternoon and all day saturday if you are interested in joining me let me know. 715-299-0299
Tony
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ronldoc
Aug 28, 2006, 12:54 AM
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Registered: Mar 18, 2004
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The fat man's pillow area was great ... i took my kids there on our first try at outdoor climbing. They had an awesome time! Fat man's pillow and fat man's chimney are harder, but they're fun routes.
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