So, your unit is interested in climbing? This is how to get started!
The best and easiest course of action is to sign up for one of the pre-arranged climbing outings that are scheduled by the climbing committee every year. We host outdoor climbing events at HorseThief Butte in WA in May, June, Sept, and October and indoor events in Nov, Jan, Feb, and March. Registration for these events is available from the Council Climbing Events webpage.
If your unit is looking for more information, please fill out this form. While it is possible to arrange events outside of the pre-scheduled ones, our ability to support such requests depends on instructor availability. The more instructors we have, the more events that we can support! Please consider getting trained as a Climbing Instructor and helping both your unit and others to enjoy climbing.
Check out our Council programs, and get involved with the climbing committee by getting trained:
Want to climb with your unit? We can help you. Just reach out and let us know a little about your unit and what you think that you are looking for. We can help!
Our Programs:
Indoor Climbing
Indoor climbing, especially bouldering, is a great way to introduce youth to climbing in a venue that is close to home and less intimidating. Some selected local climbing gyms are listed below. Each gym will require your leaders and youth to become belay certified at that specific gym before they can belay climbers. This is another good reason to start with bouldering, where belayers are not required. Each climbing bym will have their own set of rules and waivers for liability. As a Scout outing, you still must follow the rules set out by Climb On Safely and age-appropriate guidelines set out in the GTSS.
Outdoor Climbing
While indoor climbing is more readily accessible, outdoor climbing presents a much greater opportunity for growth with the youth and aligns with the outdoor principles of Scouting. Following the guidelines of Climb on Safely, you need:
- An idea of what the youth want to do — an outdoor climbing event for 10 youth? Get a patrol through the MB? a weekend-long climbing outing for 30 adults and youth? First step is to have an idea of what the youth want to do.
- Qualified supervision — a minimum of 2 instructors who meet BSA qualifications as defined in Climb on Safely. Even experienced climbers must be trained to meet the BSA requirements for qualified instructors. If you don’t have qualified instructors in your unit, you can reach out to the Climbing Committee and we will work with you to find instructors for your event.
- Appropriate gear. The minimum gear required will depend on the number of youth and the activity. The Climbing Committee can help with this as well.
- Write to us at cpc.climbing.committee@gmail.com to discuss your plan, get advice on how to have a successful outing, and to get help!