MCofS REALrock
the next step from indoor climbing
Some Comments and images of the MCofS Youth Climbing Initiative:
From The Volunteers:
It’s always rewarding to help someone achieve their first ever real rock climb. The wide eyed enthusiasm that our children display towards rock climbing is for me always inspiring. Our day at pinnacle crag was perfect for climbing, yes hot and sunny and dry. Ellen MacAskill, Simon Andrews and Dylan Mackenzie were all keen as mustard to climb every thing they could, they managed with ease rock climbs of difficult and severe standard. Much fun was had by all. The session was finished with a swim in a very cold local loch, hardy kids.
Ruairidh MacKenzie (AYC and Volunteer, Inverness)
REALrock has been an inspiring and humbling experience. Inspiring as climbing with Jonathon Field , Jessica McCaskey, Ross Kirkland, Euan Ryan, Daniel Stollard and Frazer Watt has opened my eyes to climbing techniques, ideas and perceptions; humbling as the climbing talent is amazing, and their enthusiasm infectious. Visits to Traprain Law, Aberdour, Polney and Cave Crags at Dunkeld and Benny Beg have given the students a broad experience at a variety of crags, and introduced them to different climbing styles and techniques.
Over the years there has been a lot of comment on various Web forums about the “state of Scottish climbing”. If anyone was worried that the next generation of throwing aside years of tradition, rest assured, from what I’ve witnessed during REALrock, that’s not going to happen! It’s also encouraging that the up and coming young climber’s don’t seem to draw lines or take sides about “trad vs sport”, they just view it all as climbing and good fun – maybe a view some of us that are long in the tooth should re-adopt!
There is no doubt that climbing walls have provided the students participating in REALrock with movement skills and confidence, and with many climbing clubs unable to open their doors to under eighteens, I feel that programmes like REALrock are invaluable in taking this talent and enthusiasm and giving it outlet onto the crags of Scotland. REALrock gives many students the stepping stones they need to begin transferring their indoor skills and talents onto the crags.
Davy Virdee (Session Volunteer, Edinburgh)
Having been involved in the early (set-up) years of REALrock when I lived in Glasgow, it was good to get involved again now I lived in the North East. The first day back was perfect for ducks – perhaps even the ducks would have headed indoors - but we had arranged a fun-filled day at Cummingston for some of the Aberdeen based kids. The rain was horizontal and we headed straight to a cave for shelter and a briefing in how to place modern rock climbing protection. The rain changed angle so we started up Giraffe Corner (E2 6a), trying very hard to slip between the rain drops; unsuccessfully we got very wet. But we had a good day, dancing with the rain.
A following meet was arranged for Loggie Head and the weather was perfect with only the dolphins for company. We managed to climb many routes, ending on Dave’s Dilemma (E1 5b), unfortunately the group being still a little height challenged; found the final route difficult at the overhang.
These sessions were set up to provide experience of outdoor climbing for young climbers, all the young people enjoyed them despite the fickle nature of our weather and even the parent’s were involved.
John Orr & Steve Bate (Session Volunteers, Nairn)
We treated it as a "family day" and had the Dad's up the crags as well. Jim Simpson hadn't climbed in years but has definitely picked up the bug again and I think that we may well see him on the local scene along with Sandy his son who will be old enough to join a club next year. Caitlin (9yrs old) had very little climbing experience at all but was fantastic.Her dad has climbed before but stopped climbing when he got married! He recently started again and is slowly building up their rack.Caitlin climbed quite a hard VD especially in view of her diminutive height.
Fred Belcher (volunteer, Aberdeen)