UKC

I'm sure there have been numerous similar discussions over the years but i'd love to hear some parents' experiences.

I have a 7 week old little boy. He's already had a weekend in north wales, although he didn't get taken to the crags. Both my husband and I climb and have friends who are baby friendly who we tend to climb with but also have lots of opportunities to get out on our own. I really want to get back to climbing or at least get back to the crag and am happy taking baby along but at the same time don't want to make a miserable baby by having him outdoors all day. He's been happy as larry on 2 or 3 hour walks and is a very chilled out little man.

I'd love to hear other parents experiences of crag action with a very little one. I know every baby is different but any positive or negative thoughts appreciated.

Before the ukc social services lynch me - I want to make sure that whilst getting on with my own life I still put my baby's safety and happiness first. Extreme heat or cold proclude any outdoor jaunts and leaving baby unattended for even a minute is not an option - so I'm not planning any long multi-pitch routes whilst Baby sleeps in his car seat!

Thanks for the thoughts and apologies for poor typing (the future of Hritish climbing is currently latched on!)

A

In reply to alj: Hi alj, congrats on your little one. We had both our kids out from an early age. We had a macpac possum later when they were able to hold their head up and we sometimes would let them sleep in it. We would rig it with slings to hold it at the correct angle and they are ina harness in it so can't fall out.
We lived in Oz at the time, so getting cold was not usually a problem, but you need to be aware of sun and also cold/wet etc.
Choose safe venue, use your common sense there.
Was particularly impressed with another couple when climbing at Arapiles. They rigged up a little hammock and they had a 70metre single rope, so they could do longer routes and abseils (making multi pitch into single pitch). I will email you a shot of their set up. have a good time enjoying the outdoors with your kid. Crofty

Congratulations on the birth of your baby.

We took both our babies to the crags when they were very little, and are still taking them 15 years later, though now they're often at the sharp end of the rope! Family trips have included numerous sports climbing trips to Europe, a three-month European cragging trip when eldest was 16-18 months old, and a nine-month world cragging trip when they were 8 and 10 yrs.

I would second the Macpac Possum as an investment, but sometimes a buggy can be good too. You'll probably spend rather more time at easily accessible sports crags than you want to, and rather less on high mountain crags!

If you're near enough the crags to get out on summer evenings, arrange yourself a regular babysitter once your baby is on the bottle. These baby-free evenings were a lifeline for me when they were both small and demanding...

Good luck. It's worth it.

In reply to alj:

Mills hasn't been to a crag yet, but I can't wait to get climbing again. If you stay for longer at one point, it might make sense to put up a travel cot as a play pen. We've got the Little Life Arc2 which weighs only 2kg or so, works like a tent (including pegs for outdoor use), and packs really small. You can even buy an extra UV cover for it.

Its bigger brother, the Arc3 is 4ft by 4 ft (and psd made me return it on the basis that it was too big to be used anywhere where you'd need a travel cot. I hate it when he's right) and probably would be a brilliant outdoors baby cage.

I'm by the way not suggesting that caging babies is the way to go, but it'd give them a place to kip which is relatively sheltered and make it easier to contain them.

But then I'm not talking from experience yet, as all outdoors experience we've been having so far is walking to Cwm Idwal, and such like things.

In reply to all:

Thanks for the positive responses. Evening cragging would be amazing but no really local babysitters unfortunately - Might have to start sweet talking the sister-in-law. And having just got him into a bedtime routine that works (and gives us our evenings back ) I'm wary to interfere with it.

Sports routes and bouldering are definitely the way forward I think as even if Bambi is safe as houses I'm rubbish at leaving him even grizzling, meaning trad routes are out.

VV - your advice on another thread on the travel cot meant we got one very similar - it's not the Arc (can't remember the make) but very similar and I bought it with that in mind as it works as a play pen / tent / cot and weights next to nothing.

If any baby parents are ever around the peak do drop me an email as I'd be happy to either do some mid-week mummy (daddy?) bouldering or some general shared baby-watching climbing.

Crofty - you have mail thanks

A

In reply to alj:
I've not found it to be any problem, with a bit of common sense and a group of at least 3 adults (2 if you're happy soloing).
I would make sure there is always someone watching the baby and doing nothing else, though (ideally in rotation with the other climbers!). You can't really belay and watch a baby at the same time - what if both the baby and the leader urgently require attention at the same time?
Also, make sure the baby isn't anywhere that something could fall on them, and that you keep them shaded from the sun.
Ours is never made miserable by being outdoors all day (as long as she's kept warm enough), though make sure you're somewhere that's safe for them to play a bit when they're old enough to want to.
We've had some lovely days at Reiff and at Ardnamurchan, for example:
http://www.dreamsofmountains.co.uk/freyaca/20080505Freya2.jpg

In reply to alj:

I found - on the very limited number of actual times I took them - I didn't concentrate when the kids were around so preferred to climb when they weren't. I've taken them if they've wanted to go but they've never seemed that keen so I haven't pushed it - it's the thing I do, not a family event.

In reply to alj:
I see babies at the crag a bit and it's fine..They don't crawl away to somewhere dangerous a that age so get out while it's easy. Go in a group of 3 or 5 so that there is someone to attend to it if it cries, or a dog comes up for a sniff or something. Most people have something for shade like a cloth over the carseat/bed thing or a small tent thing depending on the space.
Just be prepared as it gets older for books and balls, some kind of barrier or leash, and The guys teaching it sloper, jug, crimp!

In reply to alj:

Get out and make the most of it whilst he is a baby. Once they can crawl/walk its another ball game.

In reply to alj:Take it from one who knows, just knowing your parents love you is far more important. Whatever you do you, I presume that you know yur kids better than anyone so just do what you think is appropriate. Once saw a couple at Tryfan Fach with a baby in a crate. Everyone was happy. Just don't force them to be outdoorsy, they'll always rebel.

I went to Yarncliffe last February with a couple and their 2-month-old baby Eleanor. It was cold. Eleanor was snugly wrapped in a blanket, mostly snoozing in a covered pushchair, with one parent in attendance whilst the other parent climbed with me. Eleanor didn't make any "fuss" until an hour into the journey home.

In reply to alj: Don't forget to wind the window down slightly in hot weather.

In reply to alj: I first took one of my children to a crag when they were only a few months old. By the time I carried him there in a backpack child carrier he’d fallen asleep so I popped a nut into a crack and hung him up in a safe place, carrier and all. He snoozed while I did a route, with someone watching him of course. He seems to have grown up with it in his blood and now he’s the one who would leave me dangling below him on a rope.

In reply to alj:

i have no problem at all with babies at the crag as long as they are adequately protected from objective danger. I just hate seeing either toddlers in prams/baskets or kids roaming the base of climbs. Aside from the danger of rockfall, people do drop things.....a crab lobbed from 20 meters can damage a young skull.

In reply to Morgan Woods: In The Peak you can easily get a pram to the foot of Aldery Cliff, Hobson Moor Quarry and The Torrs at New Mills, there must be others, Also see here
http://www.kidsclimbing.co.uk/kidrock.asp

In reply to alj:

i have a 4 month old and hes been to the crags a few times, my wife carries him down in a sling, and we take turns in babysitting him whilst the other climbs. Obviously we have to go with friends.

it works out great, he usually spnds most of the time asleep, we go to lawerncefield with him mainly, as its nice and sheltered, helps that the climbs are great too!

In reply to alj:

And don't forget Font as the ultimate family & bouldering friendly holiday venue....

Our experience is that babies/toddlers at crags works fine as long as you have spare adults, and a crag with a "safe" play area (ie flatish, far enough away from crag base to avoid falling objects).

Our 3 year old loves hanging from a piece of gear/tree in his harness, but not for long enough to lead a route, unfortunately

In reply to Carolyn:

Oh, and as someone said, make the most of the early months/years when they have decent naps! Once they about 2 or 3, they'll both be awake all day, and want to do loads of climbing - loads of fun, but harder for the adults to do nearly as much climbing at their normal grade.

And I do wish the older of our horrors wouldn't insist on showing me up by climbing everything in his Tevas.....

In reply to All:

Well we made it out this weekend with no tears (on either side).

Admittedly Alderman is NOT the best crag for taking babies too - the walk in is brutal with a Baby Bjorn on and the base isn't the best. But we had a fab time. Bambi was pretty chilled out in his tent / travel cot, I managed a route, found a nice rock to feed on, and got back down without falling over!

Next time I'll find somewhere with a more level walk in and not on a huge slope when you get there (and maybe less wind!) but I'm inspired that it is possible.

However still disappointed that Bambi didn't even get on a Diff - he's 8 weeks old, surely he should be at least making an effort!