Monkeying around at Mile End Climbing Wall

We didn’t used to feel lucky that Jonah was a natural climber. When he was younger, he used to climb everything and anything with little heed for his own safety, the suitability of the object he was climbing, or whether or not anyone minded him climbing said object. But all things make sense in the end – or at least as parents, you work around what you are thrown. So it was part luck, part judgement, that we moved into a street near the Mile End Climbing Wall. And now, with an energetic ten-year-old who spends too much time playing computer games on our hands, we feel particularly lucky that Jonah –  and if his sister’s ability to shinny up street light poles is anything to go by, Ava too – just happen to be naturals.

Asperger’s and an affinity for climbing go hand in hand (according to Jonah’s specialist). And, at the centre (according to me) there’s a lot of it about, so he’s in good company, and gives him a break from some of the politics at school. Climbing is a good way for aspie kids and teens to develop their social skills and keep fit without the stress of taking part in team games – they get to challenge themselves mentally and physically, develop their empathy and safety skills through working in pairs supporting each other on roped climbs) and get to burn off steam in a convivial atmosphere where they can just be themselves.

Living so close to the centre makes drop-offs for Jonah’s thrice weekly sessions – now he’s in training for the elite squad – that little bit less hassle. And come the spring, when it’s lighter in the evenings, he will hopefully be able to get there under his own steam. Little by little, as parents, Tom and I are getting our freedom back. And with Ava hot on Jonah’s heels, and keen to follow in his footsteps when, with luck, she begins NICAS training this March, I will soon have more time on my hands in the evenings and the weekends than I know what to do with.

With our family starting to branch out on their own, it feels like a good time to try and find things we all enjoy doing together. In the meantime, I’ve felt for  while that it would be nice to be able to take Ava to the centre to help her learn the ropes. But with the rules recently changing at Mile End so that adults now have to have basic training to supervise young climbers, and to become members as adult novices, we needed to find a spare weekend (and £55 quid each) to take a beginner’s course.

But with the kids are getting older, and the fact we’re based just moments away from the centre, it’s getting a bit easier for us to find the time, which we finally did this weekend. The six-hour session, which took place over two days, taught us the basics of belaying (climbing with ropes and a partner), safety, rope skills and bouldering – which was my particular favourite as I find the high roped walls bring on a touch of vertigo, and despite the safety harness, I found myself freaking out a bit at the top.

But, like all the courses at the centre, it was run by an enthusiastic professional who took care that we all knew what we were doing – after all, climbing is a high-risk sport. And the rewards are great indeed. Climbing might not be a super cheap sport, especially in London – Jonah’s academy fees, at around £50 a month, plus his continued NICAS training –  are not for the faint-hearted – with additional charges for log books, the odd weekend excursion and bits of equipment, although helmets, shoes and harnesses are available for hire or come at no extra charge when you book on a course. But improvers’ sessions, once you become a member, are free. And with Jonah on the squad, he gets unlimited climbing for the cost – and as a bonus, we are able to use the centre at no charge while he trains, so for us, there is very little cost after the initial outlay.

This means we can now take Ava to the centre ahead of her joining the once weekly NICAS sessions (which are all extremely oversubscribed, so you need to be well organised and apply the moment you get the email that sessions are being released – and make sure you’re on the mailing list in advance.) But with a little determination, these hurdles are easily overcome, and so far, for us, it’s been well worth the effort. The centre at Mile End has a great atmosphere; it’s a good way to exercise and meet new people, with a nice social scene too – Jonah’s squad Christmas party this year saw the centre transformed into laser quest, with hired guns for the kids and instructors and the run of the place to play in – and even the parents got to have a go too.

So in all, our training session this weekend felt more than worthwhile – we both passed and now have a membership to the centre, which is starting to feel a bit like a second home. So it’s just as well it’s on our doorstep. While the kids came with us for the first session, they were able to walk themselves home while we completed the course. It’s the first time we’ve left them on their own for any length of time, but they were fine – with instructions to find us if they needed us, as well as phone numbers and snacks to keep them going. So it gave us a taste of what’s to come as both of them get older – so for this reason, it’s all the sweeter that we have found a pastime we can all do together and learn from each other as the kids begin to find their own path in life – and we, bit by bit, start to rediscover ours.