Adaptive Rock Climbing

Series Summary

Many paraplegic climbers have uncommon upper body strength that allows them to climb very challenging climbing walls. However, attaining the hand strength and upper body strength necessary for rock climbing is not automatic for all paraplegic climbers. Beginner paraplegic climbers often need the help of pulleys to facilitate their climbing challenging walls. As with any sport, rock climbing practice trains paraplegic climbers to scale walls they never dreamed they could. Learn about adaptive rock climbing in this free rock climbing video series featuring Adventure Learning Program facilitator and rock climber Kim Millikan. Millikan gives valuable adaptive rock climbing information such as how to maintain climbing routes for autistic rock climbers, how to rate a climbing wall, how to assist disabled rock climbers, and how to assist young rock climbers.

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Kim Millikan we're at the National Ability Center in Park City Utah. I'm the adventure learning program manager, which means I manage the challenge course, the teen building activities and the climbing wall. Right now I'm standing at our climbing wall, which is the universal climbing wall where we do a lot of adaptive climbing here. And adaptive climbing is just climbing through adaptive methods which could either be using different equipment, a different style of teaching or climbing in a different manner. Here we actually have climbers of all ages and all abilities. As far as different abilities, we have; I have seen just about three year olds to eighty-four year olds on this wall. Climbing successfully and fully able bodied to quadriplegic, to anything we can thing of. People of all ages, all abilities, and unless it's contraindicated we climb. We alter the harnesses if there is a catheter in the way or there is a limb which can't be jarred or have pressure on it. Generally speaking there are very few chances, there are very few reasons that we could not get somebody up. Although sometimes that does means changing the definition of climbing. Sometimes that is not using a hold, that is just climbing into the air. We have a four to one system, where people can ratchet themselves up in the air and get an experience they may not get anywhere else."