UKC

Hi,

My 10yr old niece and her mum want to try climbing but indoor walls are so expensive. By the time I pay for myself, my wife, her sister and daughter I could buy the little one a harness and shoes for not much more and my wife and her sister could take turns using my wife's gear.

I've not been climbing long myself but have sport gear, could anyone suggest the best crag for a young child to start out? I've been to giggleswick but feel it may be a little hard and smooth.

I see there are some 3s at Kilnsey but I've never been. Any ideas would be cool?
Thanks
Jake

In reply to spacecadetjake: Depends where you live and what transport you have. There are some nice easy climbs at Twistleton Scar to get her started with a rope belayed from the bottom or top, also Lindale Slabs near Grange, very easy but nice to learn some very first basics. Wilton has some reasonably easy routes to progress onto but can be a bit green at times. (Can never remember the number! The one on the right going up the hill).

In reply to Hillwalker:

The OP would need trad gear to set up top-ropes at Twistleton, and a length of static to link stakes at Wilton.

In reply to spacecadetjake:

Take a look at Cadshaw Castle Rocks, between Bolton & Darwen. It's a trad crag, but has plenty of stakes to setup a top-rope. Natural coarse gritstone with a bit of polish. Loads of lines in the VD-S range.

You will probably need about 20m of static line and a handful of screwgates to comfortably rig everything if you want to belay from the ground.

This crag is pretty stable, but have a think about a helmet for at least the little people. They don't understand enough to make the choice themselves

Steve

In reply to spacecadetjake: I live 10 mins from Wilton but I've not got any trad gear just a couple of slings. Transport is no problem, thanks for the ideas folks, that's great I will have a look into these. I may just go to castle inn on the A55, I climbed their the other day and there's no walk in, easy routes and good friction.
Thanks again everyone
Cheers
Jake

In reply to sbc23: cheers Steve, I've got cadshaw in a guidebook . It's not far I think I will have a look

In reply to spacecadetjake:


You don't need trad gear, just a length of rigging rope and some krabs to link the stakes.