Climbing: Olympically good!

Climbing has been an Olympic sport since the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. This decision was made by the Olympic Committee in 2016. At the last Games, there was only one competition for men and one for women. This year in Paris, however, medals will already be awarded in two competitions - in the Olympic combination of bouldering and lead climbing and in speed climbing. Three athletes are taking part for Germany: Lucia Dörffel, Alexander Megos and Yannick Flohé. The first competitions will start on Monday 5 August and it will be really exciting.

But climbing is not only exciting during competitions, as Ute Arabin knows. She is a member of the management team at Transparency.NRW, a programme partner of the youth hostels in the Rhineland and, together with its team, organises educational school trips, holiday camps for kids and teens and family camps. Climbing is often part of the programme on at least one day. „Anyone can actually climb,“ says Ute Arabin. „It not only promotes physical fitness and coordination, but also strengthens self-confidence, trust in the belayer and social interaction.“

On the wall of a house, in a disused ironworks, on real rocks

To implement the programmes, Transparenz.NRW uses either the existing facilities on the youth hostel grounds or climbing hotspots in the surrounding area. Tree climbing or rather „Tree Climbing XXL“ is possible in the Waldbröl Youth Hostels„ “Panarbora„ nature adventure park, at Neuss-Uedesheim Youth Hostel you can literally climb the walls and in Duisburg's Landschaftspark Nord, the Duisburg section of the German Alpine Club (DAV) has a climbing garden in the disused ironworks that can be used for programmes. Not far from Nideggen Youth Hostel, climbing fans and those who want to become one can even climb on real rocks in the great outdoors. The “Effels" climbing area on the red sandstone cliffs of the Eifel offers more than 150 climbing routes, providing the right challenge for beginners and advanced climbers alike. Safety is always the top priority for Ute Arabin and her team. That's why the responsible teamers have the appropriate qualifications in addition to their pedagogical training.

Where else you can climb:

• At the beginning of the year, a climbing wall was installed in the stairwell of Gemünd Vogelsang Youth Hostel
• Hellenthal Youth Hostel has its own covered high ropes course where you can climb in all weathers
• There is also a high ropes course at Simmerath Youth Hostel. The hostel also has a climbing and bouldering wall

You can find more information and lots of climbing programmes for kids, teens and families at www.jh-klettern.de.

School trip programmes that focus on experiences at lofty heights or are part of the programme can be found at www.jh-klassenfahrt.de in the „Learn to climb“.