Ep. 18 Becoming a Climbing Family with Annika Mang

Do you love rock climbing, but don’t know where to begin with involving your kids? Annika Mang, founder of Born to Be Adventurous, and co-founder of Trail Collectiv has some great tips, from getting certified, to picking locations, to bringing your 2-year-old up to a hold to “hang,” and a whole lot more!

About Annika:
Annika Mang is a content creator, storyteller, writer, and photographer. Her book, Hikes for Families: A Guide to the Canadian Rockies has over 45 family-friendly hikes. In 2014, she created the Born to Explore Adventurous platform founded on the belief that “Adventuring does not end when you have children, it is only the beginning.”

She has lived all over Western Canada with her family, including three months in a van! Although she hiked as a kid herself, her love for hiking really flourished in University.

She has recently started a new initiative called Trail Collectiv, that determines difficulty level of hikes in 5 different categories, making it more clear for families what is accessible to them! She also shares which hikes are friendly for all-terrain strollers.

Annika loves rock climbing, because it allows her and her family to see nature from a new perspective.

Starting Rock Climbing with Your Kids:

• Get certified [Annika took the Outdoor Climbing Course through the Calgary Climbing Gym – they used an ACMG Certified Instructor]
• Be able to climb a 5.10 in the gym
• Learn to create proper anchors and how to set up with proper etiquette
• Pick a location with smooth ground and not a lot of rock fall
• Check in with locals from the area for suggestions
• Always think of safety first!

Make It Happen:

• Bring your kids by 2-years-old up to a hold to “hang”
• Let your kids see you enjoying it!
• Find friends interested in taking turns between watching the kids and climbing

Recommendations for Rock Climbing Spots in Alberta with Kids:

• Wasootch (https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/canada/kananaskis-country/area/11922961)
  -Sunshine Rock (https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/canada/alberta/banff/area/547764147)

Not Recommended for Rock Climbing in Alberta with Kids:

• Grassi Lakes

Links:
Calgary Climbing Gym (to certify) – www.calgaryclimbing.com
Mountain Guides (to certify) – https://yamnuska.com/mountain-guides/

Follow Annika:
IG: @borntobeadventurous
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BorntobeAdventurous/

Follow Trail Collectiv:
IG: @trailcollectiv

Find Annika’s Book:
Her Website – https://www.borntobeadventurous.com
The Great Outdoors Store Calgary – https://www.thegreatoutdoorscalgary.ca
Valhalla Pure Canmore – https://vpo.ca/topic/VPO.StoreLocator.Canmore
All Out Kids Online – https://alloutkids.com

 

Thank you to Sawyer for sponsoring today’s episode! https://besawyer.com

Production: @ kpmediaproductions. Music: @michaelferraro_music.