We took our kids wall-climbing yesterday. All of them, even my diminutive 5-year-old. It was quite the sight.
All three of them had a great time. We knew Maya would, as she’d done it before. We were pretty sure the other two would too, but it was hard to imagine the rock-climbing place let someone as small as Boo try it. They had no problem.
Boo, as I may have mentioned before, climbed to the top of the piano when she was about 8 months old. We have a metal-frame bunk bed in the basement and I put away the ladder to stop toddler Boo from getting to the top bunk, so she climbed the frame, repeatedly. I figured she would like wall-climbing.
I was wrong. She loved wall-climbing. She went up the easy walls like a monkey. The next step up was a set of walls where the holds were sometimes quite a reach for her, but she’d just stop half-way up the wall and consider her options, then keep pulling herself up. She’d get right to the top, rappel down and demand to go right back up. After 2 hours, Maya was worn out and her hands hurt. After 3 hours, Asher was wiped. J had to drag Boo out of the place after about 3.5 hours.
I wish I had my camera with me to take a picture of my kids hanging on to little holds two stories up. But I don’t feel too badly, because I suspect I’ll have a lot of other opportunities to take photos, especially of Boo.
I recently tried rock climbing again with my friend (who weighs about 90 pounds and therefore had a much easier time of it than myself). I do remember it being a lot easier when I was younger. Like Boo, I had to be periodically rescued from my adventerous endeavours. My favorite was always climbing up the wrong side of the stairs. I’m not sure where you’re located but I’m working iwth New YOrk Kids Club which is located throughout the Manhattan area. They offer rock climbing as well as tons of other interesting classes including age specific tumbling, and music courses. Let me know if you are in the New York area because they are organizing a special event for paret bloggers this Friday.
[...] 7, 2008 by justmakingitup Yesterday, we went back to the wall-climbing place I wrote about before, and this time I brought the camera. Here’s a photo of Boo half-way up the wall. I like this [...]