How we are helping more women and girls into the world of climbing.

Here at ROKT Foundation our mantra is to improve physical and mental wellbeing through climbing and active urban adventure. We want to give those that would not normally walk through our doors, the opportunity to experience our offer.  Yet not all of the people we support are what you may term ‘vulnerable’ 

One of our successful grant funded projects has been getting more ladies and girls into or back into climbing.  With the sport featuring in Olympics 2020 later this year, there has never been a better time to do it.

With the help of ‘Community Fund’ since October 2019 we have seen more than 50 ladies through our ladies programme.  A staggering 80% of which have never climbed before.

Question – How have we achieved such good uptake over the programme?

Answer – We did our research

Before the programme started we asked potential participants about what they wanted from the programme and what the barriers were to engaging.  Some commented that they were too busy ferrying children to consider themselves, others were slightly intimidated by such a physical sport.  As a result we created female instructed, bespoke activities that eliminated concerns and supported busy lifestyles.

26 ladies came to a one-off taster session with their children in the October half term.  Here they were taught the basics of bouldering so they could come back and boulder without further instruction.  They were also given a taste of rope climbing, whilst a bit nerve wracking for some, this whetted the appetite, all feeling a great sense of achievement in tacking a 21 metre lead wall.  As a result, 3 ladies came back for the 6 week introduction to climbing course.  Many others have come back to enjoy bouldering time with their children.

Throughout winter we have supported 24 ladies through a 6- week climbing course.  The 1.5 hour long sessions teach skills in bouldering, rope climbing and tying knots, belaying and safety checks. With only 6 participants per course, our ladies haven’t just learnt how to climb, they have found new climbing partners and forged good friendships.

In January 2020 we are half way through the programme and look forward to the next few months with targeted ladies and girls sessions to get more interest in climbing.

One of the biggest benefits of climbing, whether it be bouldering or rope climbing is the fact that you learn quickly and become strong, but also that it’s a real stress reliever.  The reason why is that it is an activity that takes your full concentration.  When you are on the wall, that is all you are thinking about, solving the boulder problem, there isn’t room to ‘ruminate’.  As a result the mental health benefits are significant.

We asked course participants what their review of the course would look like and how they benefitted.  Here’s what some of them had to say.

“The course has inspired me to make the time for some physical activity each week – I had let the demands of everyday life get in the way of that”

 

“ We learnt something new each week as well as reinforcing what we’d done in previous weeks building confidence and even a bit more strength. I really enjoyed the final session as we were practicing falling off the big wall which you need to be confident to do in order to push yourself past what you think is possible.  I feel I’ve got the skills to come climbing with a partner and start to improve”

“I mainly wanted to be inspired enough to keep coming as part of a routine and ideally find a climbing partner I feel I have achieved that so I’m happy.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the ladies courses or ROKT Foundation get in touch info@roktfoundation.co.uk