To greater heights! - Review and Giveaway of Climb Central
children activities Friday, February 13, 2015
Ch has always been afraid of heights. When she was a toddler, even if she was only 1m off the ground, she would freeze on the spot and asked to be carried down. She is still fairly afraid of heights, but she did herself proud recently by scaling right up this 8 metre wall at Climb Central.
It was her strong determination that pushed herself to persevere, just like what she displayed to complete the 2.5km Jurong Lake Run last year. Seeing how she started off with just 1m up the wall, she tried harder and inched further with each climb. Daddy's words of encouragement catalysed the achievement too.
L and the children's friend, St, also achieved their personal best and left Climb Central, more motivated and confident than before they started.
Thanks to my friends, Pei Li and Kin Loong, we found rock climbing at Climb Central a very comfortable and happy experience for my family. Located at Kallang Wave Mall, Climb Central is also the tallest indoor air-conditioned sport climbing venue in Singapore, and is conveniently located within the Singapore Sports Hub - you can eat, shop and keep fit, all under one roof! Climb Central houses 3 climbing towers with more than 45 climbing lanes - two of which are for 12m and 8m top-rope climbing, and a 16m lead climbing wall (the tallest in Singapore) for veteran climbers.
There are many benefits for children who rock climb - other than the obvious, where core muscle strength and flexibility are challenged, this sport also builds confidence, nurture problem solving skills as they decide on the route to take, and gain body awareness. This I can definitely attest to. I recall that moment where I was halfway up the 12m wall and couldn't proceed any further. The kids tried to help by shouting out instructions.
"There! Mommy! Put your left leg on the green one (grip)! Just that one next to your leg!"
But I continued to stay stationary. I couldn't get my left leg to lift itself no matter how intense the shouting was. Slowly, once I got more familiar with my body, I unlocked my personal achievement too! There! A picture evidence!
The other factor that helped us reach our personal best was that we did this together as a family. Even when we are all beginners at rock climbing, we (the adults) didn't need to depend on certified strangers to belay us. We could do it ourselves as Climb Central uses advanced climbing safety systems like the auto-belay and top-rope anchor systems, which make the climbs very safe. By being involved in the activity together, the adults and kids were more encouraged to try harder.
A little more info about this auto-belay system which the kids adore: the auto-belay lanes are where the 8m wall is, and works by calibrating and tightening the rope as the climber climbs up. When the climber releases his grip, the auto-belay system will adjust the friction and lowers the climber down in a fairly slow descent. I think the children imagined themselves as Mr SpideyMan - L would purposely let go and "fly" down with a broad smile on his face. I was quite scared when I let go though I knew it would be safe. Maybe it's the age factor too.
We also learnt to interpret the lane info tags that are placed for all the climbing lanes. The routes at Climb Central are set by colour, and the difficulty level is indicated on the tags. For example, the yellow grips for Lane P01 are more kids-friendly, and that helps the child focus on the more suitable route when climbing. The bigger the number, the more difficult the lane.
That info is very useful as we could decide on the level of challenge we wanted for the climbs. The kids would go "Nah, this one is too difficult 'cos it is a 'C'! Let's try the 'A' one!"
St and Ch are not new to the bouldering wall as they have the wall in their school. Again, the familiar coloured grips to indicate the difficulty level of the routes. If you have never been on the bouldering wall, don't underestimate the low walls. Google some bouldering videos and you will be amazed by what climbers do on these walls!
What else is unique about the location of Climb Central is that it adopts an open concept (for viewing, haha!). People can while their afternoons away just watching the climbers and admiring their climbing skills. Parents who sign their kids for the Beta Kids Club classes can also watch their kids from outside with ease.
For the price you pay, you get to rock climb at a leisure pace for a whole day! No stress about getting chased out within a specified time frame!
For more information about the classes that Climb Central offers, visit their website at <www.climbcentral.sg> or email them at <info@climbcentral.sg>.
In the Intro to Climbing class, you will be exposed to the various climbing walls with basic introduction to Climb Central's safety systems, as well as some basic knowledge to the climbing routes and techniques.
The Intro to Climbing for Adults and Families will be on Sunday, 1 March 2015, 3pm to 5pm.
will end on Monday 23 February, 2359 hrs and the winner will be selected through a random draw. Results of the draw will be announced here.
**Hop over for other great giveaways that I'm hosting now:
Terms and Conditions
It was her strong determination that pushed herself to persevere, just like what she displayed to complete the 2.5km Jurong Lake Run last year. Seeing how she started off with just 1m up the wall, she tried harder and inched further with each climb. Daddy's words of encouragement catalysed the achievement too.
L and the children's friend, St, also achieved their personal best and left Climb Central, more motivated and confident than before they started.
St at the top of the 8m rock climbing wall, held on by the auto-belay system. |
There are many benefits for children who rock climb - other than the obvious, where core muscle strength and flexibility are challenged, this sport also builds confidence, nurture problem solving skills as they decide on the route to take, and gain body awareness. This I can definitely attest to. I recall that moment where I was halfway up the 12m wall and couldn't proceed any further. The kids tried to help by shouting out instructions.
"There! Mommy! Put your left leg on the green one (grip)! Just that one next to your leg!"
But I continued to stay stationary. I couldn't get my left leg to lift itself no matter how intense the shouting was. Slowly, once I got more familiar with my body, I unlocked my personal achievement too! There! A picture evidence!
Left: Top of the 8m wall; Right: Top of the 12m wall |
A little more info about this auto-belay system which the kids adore: the auto-belay lanes are where the 8m wall is, and works by calibrating and tightening the rope as the climber climbs up. When the climber releases his grip, the auto-belay system will adjust the friction and lowers the climber down in a fairly slow descent. I think the children imagined themselves as Mr SpideyMan - L would purposely let go and "fly" down with a broad smile on his face. I was quite scared when I let go though I knew it would be safe. Maybe it's the age factor too.
Tip from the instructor: Use the tripod pose to stay on the wall when tired |
That info is very useful as we could decide on the level of challenge we wanted for the climbs. The kids would go "Nah, this one is too difficult 'cos it is a 'C'! Let's try the 'A' one!"
St and Ch are not new to the bouldering wall as they have the wall in their school. Again, the familiar coloured grips to indicate the difficulty level of the routes. If you have never been on the bouldering wall, don't underestimate the low walls. Google some bouldering videos and you will be amazed by what climbers do on these walls!
Cool, right? |
For more information about the classes that Climb Central offers, visit their website at <www.climbcentral.sg> or email them at <info@climbcentral.sg>.
Climb Central
#B1-01 Kallang Wave Mall
1 Stadium Place, S (397628)
Tel: +65 6702 7972
Website: http://www.climbcentral.sg
Email: info@climbcentral.sg
Opening hours:
Mon - Fri: 11am - 11pm
Sat, Sun & PH: 9am - 9pm
Special Giveaway!
Climb Central is giving away ONE Intro to Climbing for Adults and Families session (worth $120, for 2 adults and 2 children aged 5 and above) to a Simply Lambchops reader!
In the Intro to Climbing class, you will be exposed to the various climbing walls with basic introduction to Climb Central's safety systems, as well as some basic knowledge to the climbing routes and techniques.
The Intro to Climbing for Adults and Families will be on Sunday, 1 March 2015, 3pm to 5pm.
In order to qualify for the giveaway, please complete the following steps:
1. 'Like' Climb Central's Facebook page,
2. 'Like' this post on Facebook. Then email me at <simplylambchops@gmail.com> with your full name, contact number and FB Username for verification purposes.
Bonus step (for a higher chance of winning): Tag a friend in the comments section on the Facebook post in step (2) to share this giveaway!
Important: You have to complete both steps (1) and (2) in order to be eligible for the draw.This giveaway HAS ENDED
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congrats to Ms Shirley Yong for winning the giveaway!
Please check your email for details soon!
Thanks everyone, for participating!
:: JJ Science Adventure comic book by Harvest Edutainment!
:: Journal Singapore board game by Monsters Under The Bed
Terms and Conditions
This is a local giveaway. Claiming of the Intro to Climbing class will be through the sponsor Climb Central. The winner will be contacted through Facebook Messenger and/or email and has 48 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (e.g. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.Disclaimer: We were invited for the Intro to Climbing class by Climb Central for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was given and all opinions are ours.