Mt Erie with children

[needtoclimb]

I am getting back into climbing now that my kids, ages 2 and 4, are old enough to play outside all day, require no diaper changes and enjoy getting dirty. I haven't climbed at Mr. Erie in ages and forget if it is kid friendly. By kid friendly, I mean there are no scrambles to get to the crag, the base of the crag is flat and not on a cliff, and a fairly reasonable approach.

 

Exit 38 far side-Kid friendly

Exit 38 trestles--not so much

Vantage feathers-kid friendly (except for snakes)

Vantage Sunshine wall-nope. Its all cliff

Index Lower Town Wall-kid friendly.

Exit 32--Yes, but a bit of hike in to get to the climbs

Smith Rocks-Yes

 

Any advice on kid-friendly crags at Mt. Erie?

[earthnsurf]

I would be wary of all of the ledges out there. There are easily accessed routes at the top with a slight scramble. You could always plug them into the wall with a #2

[montypiton]

not familiar with Mt. Erie, but when my kids were that age, the wife and I just put them in swiss-seats and hung them from a nut. they were safe, couldn't escape, thought it was a swing so they loved it, and we could climb (always within sight) without worrying about them. that said, we also had them climbing easy climbs with us at that age. (our oldest climbed Orchard Rock at Peshastin Pinnacles at age 2)

[Jason4]

I'd be concerned about letting kids that young loose at Erie. Most of the climbs require scrambles to get too, especially for someone that would have to mantle to get over a 3 foot rock.

 

I'd recommend the Smoke Bluffs in Squamish. It doesn't get any easier than sitting the kids at the picnic bench at the bottom of Burger and Fries or going to the daycare/lunchbreak area that has kid friendly climbing and lots of flat space near a composting toilet.

[Jaredvg]

New Millenium Wall would be perfect for kids. No cliffs in sight for them to run off. Easy trail all the way. Nice flat base area. Quite a few short but fun climbs.

 

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/new-millennium-wall/106529597

 

One word of warning, though, there are lots of ticks all over Mt. Erie in the early summer.

 

Edited June 5, 2015 by Jaredvg

[curtveld]

New Millenium Wall would be perfect for kids.

 

Good call. Though most of Erie is quite non-kid friendly, especially little ones.

 

If you're into hard sport (12s), Rosario Wall would be good, with a beach a short walk away.

[needtoclimb]

If you're into hard sport (12s), Rosario Wall would be good, with a beach a short walk away.

 

Bwahahaha! Hard sport, 12's. You must have missed the part about the small children. I'm happy to lead a .9 anymore.

 

Thanks for all the advise. We ended up going to exit 38 Grit Stone. It was fun, though easy and very short routes. Squamish is on the list for end of summer, need to get our passports.

 

New Millenium looks decent. I think we'll give that a go on the next outing.

 

Oh, and if anyone else also has small kids and want to do some family climbing, drop me a PM. Both my wife and I climb. The adults don't get a lot of climbing in, but its as much about the climbing as it is getting the kids outside and exposed to the rock. If I can get my kids into a harness and on a rope once during the day, I consider it a successful day.

[genepires]

kids love swings. use that to help kids (the really young ones like your 2 and 4 yo) get used to being in a harness. In a rock gym, my son's favorite thing was to go up some overhanging route 5 feet and let go resulting in a nice swing. He got very comfy with being in a harness and associated it with fun.

 

then at squamish, the idea of being in a harness on some low angle slab was also associated with fun even though the swings are not as great.

 

there are plenty of small not guidebook climbs that are great for kids. big enough for kids to get a appropriate thrill and not hogging up some popular climb that is prolly too tall for a young one anyways. Something even 45 degree steep is a great place to not over excite kids. just keep your eyes open (what ever that means) as you walk from adult crag to adult crag. always little kids crags stuffed in between.

[Jason4]

Look into an enhanced driver's license for getting into Canada. It might work as a good stop gap that's quicker and cheaper to get than a passport. Not sure if that helps with the kids or whether they need passports at their age to get into Canada.