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In mainland Europe, climbing is gaining ground as an alternative form of therapy for both physical and psychological injuries and illness. The health benefits of our sport are often touted within our small climbing community in the UK, and the NHS recognises its positive impact on mental health and physical well-being, but compared to our continental neighbours, climbing therapy within clinical practice is in its infancy.

In Austria and Germany in particular, climbing as therapy is well-established, with educational courses on the topic, books and even hospitals boasting climbing facilities. I spoke to psychotherapist Alexis Zajetz, based in Thalgau, Austria, to find out more about his work.

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Very interesting, thankyou!

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Pete McEwen , Ian MacDonald , Brinley Mitchell founded an organisation called "Compass" now called, "Adventure Out" way back in i987. The aim was to provide-not for profit-adventure thrapy for people with
HIV disease. The object being a therapeutic alternative to "HIV =Aids=Death. They organised walking and Winter climbing trips to Scotland , Wales, and the Lake District. In addition, they organised sailing trips -cruising round Pembrokeshire and Southern Ireland.In many instances, the three of them financed the activities with their own money. The whole operation was low key and not for money.
The three of them are still around and organising skiing trips to Lofer in Austria. They preceded "Outdoor Lads and the Gay Outdoors Group by many years.
Their exploits are a little bit "Hidden From History ". If I say so myself. They deserve some credit for pioneering adventure therapy .

In reply to petemcewen:

Sounds like that could be a fantastic subject for an article. Anyone want to get on it and chase them up for interviews? UKC editors, you listening?

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thanks for the writing

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Brilliant article.

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What a brilliant idea. I have gone through 10yrs of hell with my knees (Snapped Patella tendon, 4 x arthroscopys, lateral release, arthritis plus a recent Distal femoral osteotomy op) and only due to my discovery of climbing has my head & body finally started to recover.

I have the utmost respect for our NHS service, however their physio and recovery facilities only ever seemed geared towards one thing, getting you out as quickly as possible. To achieve this you only had to resemble someone who could get up and down a set of stairs. That was it. In doing so they cost the NHS soooooo much more in resultant injuries, wear on other joints and depression from fighting alone that its counterproductive.

My first injury was an ambulance job after the rupture of the patella tendon. It took months and months of intense physio to get me walking again and further ops when they found the kneecap wasnt tracking properly. I was doing more than pre op ACL patients were who were there to build up muscles. I road my bike 5000mls that year alone. I was never allowed to run in the physio and tbh once i got semi mobile (I could bike but couldnt walk properly) they signed me out. I then proceeded to limp and put on weight for the next few years, unable to play football again, play with my kids without the trade off 3 days swelling and pain or do anything other than cycle which became more and more painfull on the other knee. I was really riding one legged but didnt realise it.

So i go to the doctors every few months. Have a few clean up ops. I started drinking more than normal, i get angry at the slightest thing, i get grumpy with my family but there aint nothing to help me. Finally i get to the point where i cut out the middle man and contact the consultant who rebuilt my snapped knee. He gets me in, i get an MRI and loads of xrays and he tells me simply its either a new knee (The other one, not the snapped one) or the osteotomy. 75% chance i get back to being active with a 25% chance i end up not much better than i am now. I snap his hands off.

So back to climbing as therapy. I am 7months down the line from the op and I am currently about 1.5-2st overweight. Back when it all started I had to find something that i could get my daughter involved with over that decade which didnt involve me running about too much. We noticed a new wall called Eden Rock opened and we gave it a try. For the first 12mths it was great. She was only 6 so we played in the kids room and it didnt hurt too much. But then she got good so i ended up the guy who walked around for hours spotting his daughter on some crazy climbs. But now i have had this latest op the arthritis pain is gone. I can actually run a little (1/2 mile 3 x per week) and i can now in my own way climb. I am rubbish but i can join in. My son has also realised i am not the ogre i was and is willing to spend time with me at the wall and we are climbing together while my daughter does climbs we will never dream of.

Guess what, i am losing weight too. My heads a bit clearer and i am happier. The knee joints are never going to be good but they seem to be getting better as i climb more. I have poor stretching but i am getting there and definately better than its been for 10yrs. I fell off the top of the wall at eden rock last week and i was petrified in that moment i knew i was coming off. However landing and rolling about with no pain was one of the biggest buzzes i have had in years.

Its like someone has lifted a big cloud from my head.

Apologies for babbling on

In reply to UKC Articles:
Interesting article, the mental health benefits can also be great. The modern bouldering wall seems a perfect playground for adults, giving a really engrossing and varied physical workout with the additional benefit of the rewards of achievement.
Can be used alone or with supportive others.
Personally I find my winter sessions to be crucial in alleviating mild winter depression as it's an arena where a positive attitude brings huge benefits in fun. Plus chats with my buddy over earl grey and choc brownies.

Edit to add another thing that I think helps - visualisation; I do it a lot on problems I like the look of but fail on. Constant visualisation feels almost like climbing the thing and often results in a flash next visit. A pretty good metaphor for dealing with anxiety, stress and depression.

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Fascinating article. Thank you!

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I am pleased that this has become more mainstream. Some years ago I read a paper (by a Japanese professor of psychiatry if I remember correctly) that posited climbing is the best sport for improving positive mental health - something to do with utilising the same physical movements that are hardwired into us as a slowly developing species, harking back to our monkey and cave dwelling ancestry. I have been using climbing therapeutically with children and young people for some years now with some very good results. Not as a default therapy, mainly as a tool to work through an impasse.

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Wonderful article. Climbing has helped me stay afloat through several difficult times in my life. So uplifting to hear the medical profession recognise its benefits.

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Are there any links to English journal articles on the benefits climbing therapy? The link at the bottom of the article contains only German titled articles. It would be interesting to understand whether it has been tested relative to talking therapies or other forms of exercise.

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I showed this to a Psychology colleague who thought it might have some therapeutic validity once it had been tested for effectiveness against the likes of CBT or DBT etc. Rather than people who already climb thinking its great.

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Thank you, great read!