Manos arriba!

My climbing days have been limited over the last couple of years. Consequently, I'm stingy with my climbing time and my kids have suffered. They require SO MUCH attention that it's really impossible to climb yourself when they come along. It's all about them.

It's worth it, though. Once your out the focus becomes making sure they have a memorable experience.

I recently took my four year old on her first climbing day and she ate it up. She was squelched by the physical limitations of being four but insisted there must be a way for me to make her "go higher" and demanded that I make it happen. On the same day my son donned a pair of climbing shoes clearly too big for him but blasted to the anchors without so much as a hick-up.

My eleven year old sent her first lead climb the following week. It was obvious the route was easy for her bit she lacks technical ability and experience, made evident when she took BOTH hands off the wall to pull the rope up and clip the draws.

She named the route Manos Arriba!...spanish for "Hands up"!