Expand Your Horizons

NEVER CLIMBED BEFORE? Bouldering is one of the best and easiest ways to start climbing: no ropes, no harnesses, no partner? no problem. All the fun of climbing but easy to access with a supportive community and comprehensive range of training and development programs. Kori Cuthbert at The Hive Climbing and Fitness suggests that new climbers take the Introduction to Bouldering lesson, a two-hour class that covers all the basics of climbing, how to fall in order to reduce risk of injury as much as possible, essential tips and tricks to get you started and primed for success!

Daniel Crump / The Hive. The Hive Honey Dill Bouldering Competition, Winnipeg. April 30, 2022.

THE BENEFITS OF CLIMBING FOR ALL AGES

1. Everyone is a climber! We all started climbing as kids either to get up a tree or sneak a cookie off the counter. Some of us have just forgotten how, but if you can climb stairs or a ladder, you already are a climber!

2. Climbing challenges you physically and mentally. Climbing involves problem solving, how you personally will climb a boulder problem may likely be different from someone else. One person may climb a boulder problem delicately moving precisely and using their flexibility. While the next person may use physical power to skip holds and get to the top.

We also find climbing works great for people of different abilities to climb together. Parents can climb with their kids at the same time (as long as they meet our supervision criteria). With everyone climbing together, they can push themselves as hard as they want. The Hive Climbing and Fitness has upwards of 100 boulder problems in the gym with route setting happening twice a week to change routes through the entire gym over five weeks.

Paul Simpson / The Hive. The Hive Honey Dill Bouldering Competition, Winnipeg. April 30, 2022.

3. Afraid of heights? No problem whatsoever. Climbing helps build skills to become more comfortable and achieve a healthy relationship with a fear of heights. “I personally have a fear of heights and find climbing has worked to build my confidence by knowing what I am capable of. This has allowed me to climb very high exposure routes around the world and have experiences that many people only see in movies and photos”

– Kori Cuthbert, The Hive Climbing and Fitness, www.hiveclimbing.com