cragging with a baby

we are about to have a baby (just a few more days) and definitely want to get out climbing together this summer. who has experience cragging with a baby? any tips? what do you put the baby in/on while climbing? do you make sure to have a group of three so someone is always not involved in the climb and can watch the baby? any tips would be helpful.

biscuits wrote:we are about to have a baby (just a few more days) and definitely want to get out climbing together this summer. who has experience cragging with a baby? any tips? what do you put the baby in/on while climbing? do you make sure to have a group of three so someone is always not involved in the climb and can watch the baby? any tips would be helpful.

Well, I'm assuming you're the dad or the significant male figure involved here, right? My wife was peeking over my shoulder as I read your post, and her input is that the mom will most likely have her super-momma protecting hormones cranking after the birth of your child (congratulations!) and the idea of taking that newborn to the crag, while sounding good now, will not sound so good when that babe is here.

That being said, I can't imagine being able to focus on a climb knowing my wee one is at the bottom of the rock screaming her head off. You'd definitely want a third there just for watching that sweet bundle.

Best case. Keep momma and baby at home (or dad and baby) and enjoy some you-time!

db

Make sure you have at least 3, unless your baby sleeps a lot. My little girl is as hyper as me. I could only get out sport climbing with my little one in the beginning. I'd carry a porta crib and set that up. Make sure to have an umbrella or be in the shade.

Have fun and best wishes. Parenthood is wonderfully tiring!!!!!!LOL!

We used to take the smallest BD crashpad along as a play area when our son was little, like not able to crawl. Definitely stay away from the base of routes as mentioned above. A rock, dropped quickdraw or cam, could really mess things up. Start them early so the kid gets used to it, especially if you wont have a third person with you often. And yes the third person makes things much easier. Good luck and have fun.

I too have recently had a child...
I think that you will find that your dreams of climbing with the baby
will appear rather illustrious for the first 6 months. I took my baby out for a hike just recently - 8 months old - and foudn that they tire rather quickly of the whole outdoors thing in favor of things they enjoy like well, shitting and eating.

I think that the fact that your supposed to be an attentive belay seems to contradict the fact that a baby needs to be watched constantly... What if she starts choking while your partner is on belay?

Im not the nervous nellie type but my feelings in this regard have changed now that Im in the boat...

Cheers and Good Luck with the Birth -

Sorry biscuits, but I think from what you've probably read already, climbing with a really young infant is kind of a pipe dream. They require so much attention, they're very needy and your wife's attitude about climbing in general may change.

I make the mistake of marrying my climbing partner and since having kids climbing has rated far, far behind what she feels best for the kids. She's never expressed any interest in trying to take them cragging.

OK, so to be more positive. If your wife is game, I've seen couples tote a Pack n' Play (foldable crib) to the crags. Mom will typically have the baby in a baby bjorn or something like that while dad has a monster pack stuff with gear and baby stuff with a 20 lb. pack strapped to the back. It's nice because the kid can roll around inside, won't be tempted to stick bugs or rocks in his or her mouth and will have a nice buffer zone from everything else. You would definitely need three people. If the baby starts fussing, do you really think your wife is just going to ignore it until you send?

I have a baby due in September and have been thinking about this too. My Baby-Mama is also my favorite climbing partner and our idea is to spend more time bouldering. There's less commitment and the baby could be tended to much quicker.

First trip to Joshua tree was when I was 6 months old. My dad wanted to go and my mom said that he had to take me. Packed me up and went climbing and camping with a whole bunch of people. The women flocked together and took care of me. Still alive today :)

Nice topic. I have 3 kids and my days of climbing are far from over (dedication and priority makes all the difference). It might help (or not) that my wife doesn’t climb at all. Here are a couple tips I've observed.

- Keep perspective in check. Don't disappointment yourself and get your climbing expectations too high. You'll ruin the experience for both you and your kid.
-3 people are good until about the age of 3 (depending on how well behaved your child is), then two generally works but more is always better (my daughter peed her paints when I couldn't get of belay fast enough).
-Have them wear helmets as soon as their big enough.
-Bring lots of snacks (fruit and veggies if you’re that type). I (me without my wife knowing) generally save the sweet stuff for climbing days, it keeps them more occupied if that's the only time they get it.
-Bring lots of toys.
-Bring enough/appropriate clothes, nothing ruins a climbing day like a freezing or over heated kido. (hand warmers are wonderful)
-With younger kids, having the backpacks that stands on its own can double as a high chair/"kid keeper" (Kelty makes a couple types).
-I always thank my kids for going and accommodating MY obsession.
-Tell them how much fun you are having and did have with them. It will make them want to go again.
-We always celebrate afterwards by getting ice cream or hot chocolate.

I just guided a family at the crag today and they had a 4 year old and a less that 1 year old... they brought a bug tent for the little one to play in while we were climbing... she seemed to be having a blast!

NOT A PIPE DREAM!

My wife and I had out first baby in January. We live in Boston and have already gotten out climbing five times this season, baby in tow on each trip. We are still in the learning process but have started to figure this out.

1) You need a third. There will always be a time when the baby needs someone and an extra set of hands is a must.

2) No pack-n-play! How often will you really have a flat spot for something that big where it is not in the way or under a hazard? We bring a crash pad, ground pad, or crazy creek and just lay him on that out of the way. You can even prop your pack along side of him to keep him from rolling away.

3) Bring extra...everything. Just wait until the day the baby has a diaper blow out, you will be thankful for every extra article of clothing you brought.

4) At first, keep your expectations low. I don't think you can easily project a route and take care of the kid. But there is still plenty of opportunity to get out.

There are my two sense.
Th

Saw a couple once at DL with a newborn in a cozy swing, hanging from the belay tree as they did one pitch routes. Slept all through the day. Looked just great.

A long time ago (mid eighty's) I was climbing/scrambling in
the Colorado Collegiate range, and this couple was going to
take their very young child up a gully climb. Craziness. . .

Just my .02

My husband and I had grand dreams of cragging with our baby. It's happened exactly once. She wasn't a low maintenance baby and wasn't content to just lie there in a bug tent. We're taking turns for now and have hired someone to watch her for the times (limited) when we go together. I'm hopeful that when she's a bit older we'll be able to bring her with a third. I think it depends on your baby, the terrain at your local crag and a whole host of things you won't know about until the baby gets here. Good luck!

Hell, those early days are the easiest. Once that young'un starts moving around, things get a bit tricky. Hire the neighborhood preteen to watch your kid while you head out for a few hours at a time.

When they get a bit older and start wanting to play chase or hide and seek near the rocks, then you're in business! Frosty's afterwards or whatever positive association will help their early memories of climbing be positive.

db

When his kids were about 5 or 6, I remember Pete Cleveland giving the kids some marshmallows and apples to keep them busy on the rocks below the routes while we all climbed. Now days kids that age are leading one pitch 5.10 or bouldering highballs I guess. Start them early.

Babies are easy, after they start to crawl and walk forget it. Depends on the kid, I guess. Be extra aware of hazards if the child is mobile. In CO, that means that most of the crags around here are a bad idea until the age of 6 or 7. If you are talking serious climbing where you are actually trying hard, you are dreaming unless you are very lucky.

my wife and I wear this backpack while belaying eachother. works great
while there young. she uses a belay anchor.

My experience was you can take an infant that is not crawling and sleeps a lot along for cragging. We took my daughter to Vedauwoo, Elevenmile, and Red Rock Open Space here in Colorado Springs. But once she was able to crawl, of course she didn't want to sit anymore and wasn't sleeping as often. We got a little over six months out of the "car seat cragging" as I called it.

Keeping baby out of the sun is the thing you'll want to make sure to be able to do. A small tarp with grommets works great. We also found places with protected boulder caves that doubled as rockfall shelters. Other crags had nice maple groves at the base of the routes like Pinecone Dome in Elevenmile or some of the walls in RROS.

Now that my daughter is two, she hasn't been back to most of the crags as they are just too dangerous to play around in without constant supervision. I would take her to visit climbing friends now locally, but not climb or belay.