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Help getting my son started |
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10-Sep-2017 11:57:09 AM
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I'd like to take my nine year old son away rock climbing for a weekend, is there anywhere in Victoria that would be a good place to visit? Within Melbourne is there a rock climbing center that is good with children? We live in Brighton.
Many thanks.
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10-Sep-2017 12:07:33 PM
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Nearly every rock climbing centre is a good place to start for kids. You're sort of equi-distant between Hardrock CBD, Cliffhanger in Altona and Bayside in Carrum Downs. There are also Clip n' Climb locations a little closer to you but frankly, they are not as great imho, even for kids.
In terms of outdoors you are spoiled for choice: I took my 11 year old son to Arapiles for 3 days and we did some great multi pitch routes with one of the guides there. Nothing technically difficult but a great experience. There are a number of guiding services running out of Natimuk - and all are good.
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10-Sep-2017 1:46:34 PM
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I take my 10 year old son to Arapiles for 4 days once a month. We've been doing it since he was 8, I can highly recommend buying the book 17 down under by Steve and John morris, they have a tick list in there, start at the bottom and work your way up, as you progress through the list you should find your son is improving along with it.
As for climbing gym's I'm near you in Hampton.. We live in a climbing gym black hole! My favorite gym is gravity worx in pasco vale. It has lots of auto belays so you can go with your son and have a climb as well without him having to belay you.. Which he will be too young to do.
Climbing with your kid is the best!
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10-Sep-2017 8:01:18 PM
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Arapiles would be the best if time permits. Otherwise..
Some of the easier slabs at the You Yangs such as Urinal and/or Royalty walls?
Sugarloaf boulder at the Cathedrals?
Summerday Valley at the Grampians?
We take our kids these places sometimes, they love it or at least pretend they do.
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11-Sep-2017 6:18:44 AM
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Bayside Rock, Carrum Downs, has a first class program for kids from novice to elite. The facilities there are second to none. Hard Rock, Nunawading would be your closest wall and has a junior program and great beginner walls.
For an easy trip at the weekend that is a shortish drive from Brighton, and a great place to introduce someone to climbing with great camping and a summit too, Sugarloaf Peak, Cathedral Ranges. My boy has been climbing there since he was 3 and we still love the place 7 years later.
I'm guessing from your post that you might not be a climber yourself. Most of the walls have junior clubs and will be able to advise you.
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11-Sep-2017 6:58:20 AM
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Do you know much about climbing. If not you should be the one taking a course. Then you can safely toprope the kid. The Cathedrals sound like a good choice. Climb indoors once strength gains are needed.
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11-Sep-2017 7:39:52 PM
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School holidays in a few weeks, there'll be plenty of families at Mt Arapiles.
Start him outdoors - plastic is for rainy days only!
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12-Sep-2017 5:40:14 AM
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On 11-Sep-2017 Martym wrote:
>School holidays in a few weeks, there'll be plenty of families at Mt Arapiles.
>Start him outdoors - plastic is for rainy days only!
I couldn't agree more with your last statement but I'm not sure I'd roll up, even at Arapiles, with no kit and no idea and just expect to tag along with some kind individuals.
I grew into climbing the traditional way, in the UK, in a world before widespread gyms and still think it was the best way in, but for people with no connection with the game gyms can provide an alternative route in.
Plus Melbourne has a paucity of rock and it rains quite a lot (certainly at the moment).
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16-Sep-2017 7:20:44 AM
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As you rightly guessed I'm not a climber, but I'd love to get into it too. I'm hoping this is something we can enjoy doing together. Can anyone recommend a good course I could take?
Thank you for all your suggestions.
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17-Sep-2017 5:57:43 PM
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On 12-Sep-2017 Karl Bromelow wrote:
>On 11-Sep-2017 Martym wrote:
>>School holidays in a few weeks, there'll be plenty of families at Mt
>Arapiles.
>>Start him outdoors - plastic is for rainy days only!
>
>I couldn't agree more with your last statement but I'm not sure I'd roll
>up, even at Arapiles, with no kit and no idea and just expect to tag along
>with some kind individuals.
We'll be at Araps with a 5 & 3 year old - would be happy to meet with other families & play on the rock.
Around holiday time there's usually a few kind individuals I've found, and if it's your first time - anything would be something.
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17-Sep-2017 6:06:11 PM
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On 16-Sep-2017 CMH03 wrote:
>As you rightly guessed I'm not a climber, but I'd love to get into it too.
> I'm hoping this is something we can enjoy doing together. Can anyone
>recommend a good course I could take?
>
There are probably a lot of courses you could start with, but first - I would suggest going to a gym or join a club, see if you actually enjoy climbing first!
Heights can be paralysing for some, exhilarating for others.
Going outdoors is always a magical experience, while climbing gyms can sometimes feel more like video game parlours. Either way - once you are 10m off the ground, you'll know if this is for you.
One option is meetup.com - I haven't tried it myself but I have met loads of climbers who use it as a way to connect. Otherwise there are adventure parent forums & groups.
As I said above - I'll be at Mt Arapiles with my kids over the second week of the holidays, though my kids are half your son's age, but they both love climbing.
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26-Oct-2017 7:03:35 PM
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On 11-Sep-2017 Karl Bromelow wrote:
>Bayside Rock, Carrum Downs, has a first class program for kids from novice
>to elite. The facilities there are second to none. Hard Rock, Nunawading
>would be your closest wall and has a junior program and great beginner
>walls.
>
>For an easy trip at the weekend that is a shortish drive from Brighton,
>and a great place to introduce someone to climbing with great camping and
>a summit too, Sugarloaf Peak, Cathedral Ranges. My boy has been climbing
>there since he was 3 and we still love the place 7 years later.
>
>I'm guessing from your post that you might not be a climber yourself.
>Most of the walls have junior clubs and will be able to advise you.
KBman iz on tha money re tha kidz enthuzim an climbin ability.
Herez an exo pic of tha lil tacka givin it heaps . .
http://www.chockstone.org/BlackHill/Members/KRobertson/Deceit1l.jpg
Go with tha KBman reccomends an U won't B far wrogn.
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27-Oct-2017 4:10:21 AM
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>Go with tha KBman reccomends an U won't B far wrogn.
Hi prayz indeed!
Herez a vid of sed tacka climbin at Bayside:
http://www.facebook.com/karl.bromelow/posts/10155028279631332
Sox n'all!
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