Post-Child Climbing, City of Rocks

We embarked on our first post-child climbing trip last weekend to City of Rocks in Southern Idaho. The following is a list of helpful tips and adjustments.

1. Didn’t Go It Alone: Once again we joined forces with our favorite post-child recreation buddies Claud, Brian, and Myelle.

2. New Use for Old Bouldering Pad: This is essential! Once used for bouldering this pad is now most effective when used to put your child, along with your child’s accessories on at the bottom of a route (photo of children wallowing in cheerios, toys and gear below).

3. Fewer Climbs: In one day we climbed three routes on two walls. Not exactly ideal, but we felt fairly lucky to get in that many.

4. Heavier Load: Gone are the days of splitting the gear in two separate packs. Now one person carries ALL the gear and the other carries the child and his/her associated gear (note from the photos below two important child entertainers, extra carabiners and a chicken finger puppet).

5. The Need for Naps: Towards the late afternoon a nap may be necessary as dealing with two kids who keep each other from taking their naps tends to be more tiring than the actual climbing.

6. Baby formula cans make great pillows; at least this is what Brian tells me…there has to be at least one perk to climbing post-child (photo visual below).

No matter how much of a pain this can be, it’s all worth it when you notice that a few routes down there is a Dad teaching this 12 year old son how to lead. It’s a beautiful thing.

Here are a few photos. The first one is my favorite (click to enlarge); notice Brain up at the top as Joe belays, and at the bottom sits Claud and the kids. This climb was my favorite; a popular pleasant little ditty called wheat thin.