Harnesses for Paraplegic Rock Climbing

Video Transcript

"My name is Kim Millikan and we're here at the National Ability Center at our climbing wall. And we're talking about adaptive climbing. Some of the things to consider when you are going to go adaptive climbing is to check and make sure where you're going has worked with people with disabilities before. And that's, if you're on your own and you live somewhere where there is a climbing gym and there is no adaptive program, which would surprise me, I would find resources around you. So for example, a chest harness. Quite a few people know about theses. These are available from your standard retailers. But we use them specifically here for people who are super strong, have large chest muscles, people who are top heavy. People who do not have a waist so a waist harness is a standard piece of equipment. But you don't have a waist and you turn upside down, it's not going to hold you. So then we would use a chest harness as well as this and do a three link. So I won't adjust it to fit me. But the chest harnesses goes over your chest. And that will actually lay people from the chest. That is especially big if somebody doesn't have legs or if, I guess that, they don't have a narrow waist. Or they just have super strong upper body because what will happen if they go sideways, upside down, we want them safe in all directions. And kid's harnesses are great because they are one piece which disperses the weight evenly and makes them more comfortable. And we also, and the same principle applies because children's head are the largest part of their body and that will keep them belayed at that point. For somebody that doesn't want to go through a chest harness, it can be very uncomfortable especially for girls, a parachute harness works well and there are professional companies that make adult full body harnesses as well. Look on Disable Sports USA, they have a great resource link but they would know."