Free, inclusive climbing meetups for Charlotte-area youth with disabilities.
“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing”
— Barry Finlay
Our Program
Climbing for All hosts free climbing meetups where children with physical and intellectual disabilities (including, but not limited to, developmental disabilities such as ADHD, OCD, ASD, etc.) ages 6 to 18 have the chance to explore climbing alongside volunteer teen climbers who are members of competitive youth climbing teams. All meetups are one-hour long and take place at one of the indoor climbing gyms in the Charlotte, NC area. Climbing for All will cover gym entry fees and equipment rentals for the meetup. If you are interested in participating or have questions, please contact us using the form below. Based on availability, we will be in touch with scheduling options. If no volunteers are available at that time, we will place your name on our waiting list and will contact you as soon as a spot becomes available.
Please Note: Climbing for All is a purely recreational organization run by teen volunteers, and not a training program. As such each participant’s guardian is responsible for the safety and well-being of their child during the meetup. Both the participant and the teen volunteers are guests of the gym and bound by the gym’s rules and policies. Guardians must complete all gym requirements for entry, such as any waivers and mandatory orientation. Guardians must also be present for the duration of the meetup. For information on gym policies, please consult the relevant gym’s website. Because the climbing gyms in the Charlotte area do not yet have adaptive climbing equipment available, please take a moment to watch the gym’s introductory videos to determine whether climbing is a good fit for your child.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go”
— T.S. Elliot
Rock Climbing and Disabilities
In 2020 a study was done that showed indoor rock climbing had tremendous physiological benefits for people with a wide variety of disabilities. The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) says that indoor rock climbing can increase spatial perception, hand-eye coordination, balance, and increase bone density. On top of all of that climbing encourages problem-solving and goal-setting skills that could be translated to useful life skills.
Climbing also has amazing mental benefits. Physical activity of any kind is beneficial for those with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. The concentration and thought that climbing involves as well as the physical and mental exercise, can help clear your mind of outside worries and also builds your confidence and self-esteem, alleviating some systems of mental health problems.
Paraclimbing is an entire category of climbing just for individuals with disabilities. In 2003 the first-ever Paraclimbing competition was held in France. Since then the sport and community have grown and spread around the world even here in the US. The sport grew so much that it was adopted by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) and in 2006 the first international Paraclimbing event was held in Ekaterinburg, Russia. In 2011, the first Paraclimbing World Championship was held in Arco. Now the USA Climbing Paraclimbing series aims to build community and opportunity through clinics, and workshops. As of 2021, the disability categories in USA climbing are Neurological / Physical Disability, Visual Impairment, Upper Extremity Amputee, Lower Extremity Amputee, Seated (individuals in a wheelchair), and Youth.
“Inclusion elavates all”
— Elaine Hall
Our Founder’s Story
I started Climbing for All to pay forward the incredible impact that climbing has had on my life and the lives of my friends. Climbing has come to my rescue twice. I found climbing in 4th grade when I was going through a rough time after moving to Charlotte from Washington, D.C. I felt lost, and I missed my friends. When I got into climbing, I found a welcoming community, a challenge I was excited about, and a way to clear my head. It really helped me feel like myself again.
Two years later, in early 2020, what started out looking like a common illness somehow made my legs stop working. Overnight I went from climbing competitively to being unable to stand or move my legs. I started using a wheelchair and my doctors couldn’t tell me if I would be able to walk again, much less climb. All I could think about was going back to climbing. The many months of physical therapy were really tough and super painful, but every time I felt like giving up, the idea of getting back on the wall kept me going. The day I went back to climbing was the day I finally felt for sure that I would be ok.
In 2019, one of my closest friends at the time was recovering from a stroke and suffered from partial paralysis in some parts of her limbs. I thought I would introduce her to climbing. I didn’t know if she’d be able to or how she would do but to my surprise, she enjoyed it so much and really benefited from it. In 2021 one of my friends was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome and was really struggling so I introduced him to climbing. When he was climbing he was at peace and many of his ticks subsided while he was climbing because of the amount of focus he could pour into climbing.
After some research, I discovered how many benefits rock climbing can have for individuals with a variety of physical and intellectual disabilities. I wanted to make that known and help make it possible for children with disabilities even if I just impacted them in the slightest way it would be well worth it. That is where the idea for Climbing For All was born. Since then, many of my climbing friends, including some who themselves have disabilities, have joined in the mission. We can’t wait to climb with you!
If you are interested, contact us! We’d love to hear from you!
For the quickest response, fill out the form at the bottom of the page or contact us directly by emailing us at climbingforallnc@gmail.com or texting/calling us at (864) 720-3587.