The Regina Climbing Centre (RCC) is offering kids a way to get active and gain skills by offering day camps this summer. Owner Katie Gannon said the camp is offered to children as young as five-years old. “We kind of have a mix of all ages. We do tons of climbing, lots of games, we try to take a lot of breaks too, otherwise their hands get really blistered up,” she said. “It’s hard getting them off the wall sometimes, actually.” Getting them on the wall means getting them off the couch, which can also be hard for parents to do. “It is kind of a way to trick yourself into working out, cause it’s all bodyweight training because you’re basically hauling your body weight up the wall,” Gannon explained. CTV News visited the RCC and caught up with some campers between the ages of 10 and 12, with a mix of beginners and experienced climbers. “I think it’s really entertaining, and I really like the challenges of it. I think that I really like to do what I think is the hardest because I really like sitting at the top, and just finish it,” said Lydia Froh, an 11-year-old climber. Caleb Stevens, another 11-year-old climber, shared his experience with the activity. “It’s not just climbing up a wall; you even have to wedge your leg in places. You can even do a bat hang where you hang upside down by your feet, it’s lots of fun,” he said. Twelve-year-old Annabelle Matlock said she also enjoys taking part. “It feels pretty good to be doing something active instead of sitting on the couch and stuff,” she said. Ainsley Bateston, another 12-year-old climber, explained what she finds fun about climbing. “It’s really fun getting to look down at everyone and just seeing how high you’ve gotten and seeing if you are getting higher each time,” she said. Climbing is also a mental exercise, with the children needing to find the best way to get to the top. “It helps with problem solving because if you’re climbing all the way up there, but you can’t quite make it, then you can come back down and take a look where you could grab the next hole, or put your foot somewhere,” said Adelynn Dufour, a 10-year-old climber. When parents pick their kids up, Gannon says they are pleased to see how rewarding this experience has been. “It gives them something to do that’s not just sitting in their rooms on a screen all day, at least we can tire them out in the morning,” she said. “For them, it’s just fun. They don’t see it as a physical workout. And so, they come back the next day and they’re like, ‘Hey, I’m sore.’”
