Discover climbing

Climbing is all about discovery and challenge – and those are the leading themes in the ClimbScotland Festival.

The all-day event at Edinburgh International Climbing Arena on Saturday, 17^th June, will be an opportunity for young beginners to discover what climbing is all about and for existing climbers to get a taste of performance coaching.

There will be fully equipped come-and-try sessions for Para Climbers, workshops for adults who work with young climbers and a fun range of challenges and activities.

Avril Gall, ClimbScotland director and the leading force behind the ClimbScotland Festival, said: “The Festival will allow people who have never heard of climbing before to discover this amazing sport and those who already climb to discover new off-the-wall activities that complement their current training.”

She added: “With our ‘come-and-try’ sessions for para climbers we hope to boost numbers at our Paraclimb Scotland event in September as well as encouraging more walls to offer para climbers the opportunity to train. Given climbing’s inclusivity, I believe there is increasing demand for these facilities.”

The festival is packed full of events, from taster sessions to workshops to a mini film festival, with all parts of EICA Ratho in use and some events outdoors as well as inside.  EICA is hosting a senior Speed and Lead World Cup in September 2017 so they were happy to play host to our youth festival. 

There’s Beginners’ Bouldering - perfect for those with no previous climbing experience, with instructors and volunteers on hand to help people get started and advise them on how they can get more involved.

Come-and-try top roping is another session for beginners, again with instructors on hand to help newcomers climb some of the EICA top rope routes.

For more experienced climbers there’s a bouldering master class with Suzan Dudink, who will also be running an improvement class for relative novices.

And for those over 14 and interested in developing other people’s climbing, there’s a FUNdamentals of Climbing Taster, which gives a taste of the three levels of workshops available.

Competition is a major element in indoor climbing, and on the day there’ll be a fun competition where it’s not just about who climbs hardest. This competition will have a range of wild and wacky challenges, which ensure that, no matter how you perform, you’ll have lots of fun.

Para climbing occupies an important spot on the programme, and the instructors at Edinburgh International Climbing Arena will be running come-and-try sessions throughout the day, catering for those with additional support needs. Advance booking is required for these sessions, along with details of disabilities so that the correct equipment can be in place. Climbers should also bring along any personal support required. As well as the come-and-try sessions, people will have a chance to listen to para climber Anoushé Husain, who will be talking about her experiences in the sport.

As well as all types of climbing, the festival will have a range of related adventure activities on offer, including abseiling, slack lining and an outdoor obstacle course

More seriously, there’ll be chances to look at aspects of training, with ex-GB team member and EICA instructor Rachel Carr leading a strength and conditioning workshop, a session on improving movement in climbing by Room to Move, and even a Climbing Yoga workshop with instructor Vicky Mayes.

And if all the activity proves too much, sit back for a moment and enjoy some of the films in the Mini Mountain Film Festival. There will be a range of inspiring films from Final Crux Films and Dark Sky Media throughout the day which people can drop in and out of as they please.

There will also be a chance for those involved in running climbing clubs to share in ClimbScotland’s and each other’s knowledge and experience. Whether clubs are just starting out, or long established, this workshop will provide a great opportunity to get together, network and learn from one another’s experiences in running a youth focused climbing club.

Inspired and organised by Mountaineering Scotland’s ClimbScotland team, the ClimbScotland Festival draws on the expertise and efforts of a number of people and organisations, and has been made possible through sponsorship from a number of sources.

Avril Gall said: “Our main sponsor, Geckotech Solutions, is a rope-access company and demonstrates that your passion can develop into your career and take you some amazing places.

“The support from the climbing industry has been fantastic, with many suppliers offering prizes for our various events. Entre-prises and Clip & Climb, who are responsible for some of the fabulous walls and fun section of EICA, and Psychi, a climbing equipment manufacturer, have all offered funding which enables us to keep participation costs down. We still have sponsorship slots available should anyone else like the opportunity to get involved.”

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