Climbing has a well-earned reputation for community. Whether you're sending a tricky boulder problem or taking on a towering peak, climbers often talk of the connections they make along the way and the friends they find in the wilderness.
Accessible sport organization Anyone Can aims to take that inclusive spirit one step further by helping people living with disabilities achieve their climbing dreams, whether they're indoors or exploring their first mountains.
What is Anyone Can?
Anyone Can, which was started in 2019, runs indoor and outdoor accessible climbing sessions across the United Kingdom. Founders Chris and Vicky Binks use specialized equipment, often of their own invention, to help eager climbers achieve feats they may have once thought impossible.
How does it work?
To find out more, I caught up with Chris at Keswick Mountain Festival in the Lake District, where Anyone Can ran accessible climbing and canoeing sessions for adventurers living with disabilities.
"We’ve borrowed a climbing wall so we can run an accessible climbing session for whoever wants to come along and try climbing, that might have adaptive needs, or is living with disabilities or an impairment," explains Chris, at the foot of a large climbing wall with accessible equipment fixed to it.
Next to him is an adaptive climbing seat, designed for wheelchair users and other climbers with limited lower body function.
“We’ve got a supportive rig up so we can reduce a person's relative weight, we can make a person weigh half of what they weigh, so they can climb at whatever power they’re able to muster."
I don't live with a disability, but during a quiet moment, Chris kindly let me try the seat for myself to see how it works. I was strapped in, and several safety checks later, began scaling the wall.
The seat uses a pulley system to provide extra power and help climbers get to the top with less strength than would otherwise be required.
“We can get anybody to the top because we can take all the power out of it, and they can ride to the top, or they can moderate so they’re doing as much climbing as they want," says Chris.
With his help, I was able to climb easily and comfortably, without the use of my legs.
Along with the adaptive seat, Anyone Can has loads of equipment to help people living with disabilities hit the wall. Visually impaired climbers, for example, can wear an earpiece to receive instructions about their climbing route and upcoming holds.
There's also support for autistic climbers and those with additional sensory or cognitive needs.
Outdoor adventures
The help on offer at Anyone Can isn't just limited to climbing walls. Chris and Vicky run outdoor climbing, caving, sailing, and canoeing expeditions across the UK and abroad.
“We run days where you can try out something and see if it's for you, and weekends where you can do it for a bit longer, and check that works, and whatever the accommodation is that works for you," explains Chris.
“And then we try for week-long adventures. Where people can progress and embrace the sport, and become heavily involved in it.
"We run climbing trips to Spain most years. So we’ve got an extended thing where you can really go out and take part in that sport like anybody else would.”
Anybody Can hopes to create an inclusive sporting community where everyone feels welcome, and anybody can achieve their climbing goals.
"For us, it's about trying to get people to use whatever abilities they have and climb," concludes Chris.
Eager to try it out for yourself? Check out the Anybody Can website for a full list of upcoming taster days and longer adventures. Single day excursions typically cost around £100 per person or £330 for a group of five, while weekend trips, including accommodation are usually about £200 per person or £600 for a group of five.
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