We were living in Berlin at the time, and as my son grew eight years old I thought it would be good to put him through some Alpine experience, you know... instead of scouts or something (I went to the cubs back in the day). So we went to the local alpine association youth section which I think was the JDAV Sektion Berlin. He entered a group called the Marmots (Murmel), had a great time there ten years long and learned a lot. I'd say daddy was satisfied (höhö), and I wound up learning a bunch of new stuff as well.

How is it where you live ?

I see for instance there is a JDAV Sektion München (Munich) that looks cool, but I'm sure there are also other ones. I myself attended the Paris CAF section as a kid when we moved back to the city.

Here in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, there are a number of programs for adolescents, some specific for young women that mix science with mountaineering, some that are aimed at ‘underserved’’ populations (read economically disadvantaged), and college preparatory schools include experiential education. There is not much in the way of climbing education for young children, perhaps due to liability concerns through mountaineering clubs, schools, or inner city boys and girls clubs.

I started my daughter climbing when she was five years old, bouldering first, then top-roping. By the time she was eight years old she was following my partners and I up multi-pitch traditional 5.10s. I recall a climb up Deidre, one of the most popular multi-pitch routes at Squamish in B.C. A couple of adults behind us gave us the stink eye, being stuck behind an eight year old, her old man and partner. We had finished the route, descended, and returned to the car and the pair was only on pitch four of the eight pitch route. Children take naturally to climbing; the reaction from adults is often accusatory, as if introducing children to climbing is some type of child abuse.

Thanks for the beautiful input! Yes, childen like to climb. I appreciate the organizations that get young people into experiencing wilderness in a responsible way, in a way where they really learn to be independent and sociable. BTW, in our case, by the time my son was sixteen the two of us were able to climb things like Trikot or Aschenbrenner.

if it helps, I went to a private school that taught me how to work a map and compas as well as basicrock climbing skills. what I picked up has been thee roots of what I do. go for it!

Another nice school of life.