Rock Climbing Builds Character and Is Great for Kids!

What was once a dangerous sport only for the most adventurous of adults has evolved into so much more. Rock climbing has become a great way to get kids out from in front of the television for their summer breaks and into the gyms for a truly character-building experience. The Inclimb Rock Gym in central Oregon, for example, has taken it upon itself to provide children as young as eight with an opportunity to develop themselves intrinsically and extrinsically.

Inclimb Rock Gym offers two summer camps to the youth of Oregon, one beginning program and one advanced program. The five-hour, five-day sessions are for beginners, with six sessions scheduled for this summer. The advanced sessions last for three days and currently there are only four sessions scheduled, however there is flexibility for more depending on demand. The sessions are limited to ten campers, with a minimum of five to keep the session scheduled. The sessions are kept small so that the two instructors won’t be overloaded, and will be able to provide more focused guidance for their campers.

The program, now in its 11th year, has seen many kids come through with no experience whatsoever and go on to become some of the most talented youth climbers in America. The counselors get to see the children grow up year by year, and still get news every now and then on how their former pupils are doing now that they’re advanced climbers. Kids entered into the program gain a knowledge and understanding of not only the techniques of rock climbing, but also of their own capabilities and self-worth.