GO! SEE! EXPLORE! : High Point Climbing and Fitness, Tween Edition

High Point Climbing and Fitness, located just off Walnut Grove between Christian Brothers High School and Shelby Farms in East Memphis, is a stalwart in the climbing community. It is also a great place to take your tweens and teens when they inevitably whine about not having anything to do.

High Point is a traditional climbing gym with a twist. Yes, there are rock walls galore, but there are also fitness and weight rooms, a kid zone, and even a ping pong table. One glance at their events calendar shows that they are committed to fostering community in many different ways. There are tons of options for even the tweeniest of tweens, and none of them are cringy.

I recently took my tween and several friends for an afternoon of climbing. Even though the group ran the gamut of climbing ability, everyone found something to do and was engaged the entire time. A huge bonus was that the only significant phone use was by me as I ran around snapping pictures and videos.

My daughter has participated in High Point’s climbing camps for years, and this summer, she became top rope certified. This means that she is allowed to belay other climbers, or hold the rope for them on the ground. Another girl in our group participates on a climbing team at a different facility and is also top rope certified. Both girls did a quick refresher climb with the extremely accommodating manager and were all set to belay their friends. It was awesome to watch them get to be so confident and independent.

When they weren’t belaying each other in the main climbing room, the group–especially the less experienced climbers–spent a lot of time in the kid zone. This space definitely caters to the younger crowd, but it was nice to see the tweens embracing their inner child by scurrying up dinosaur bones, a giant beanstalk, and the ever-popular skyscrapers. All of the walls in this room can be climbed via auto-belay, meaning that there is an automatic harness and pulley system–no top rope certification needed.

On this visit, I spent the majority of my time bouncing between the different rooms, but there is also a nice lounge area for guests to hang out while others climb. The comfy couches provide an excellent view of the main climbing room and would be the perfect spot for catching up on work, reading a book, or even sneaking in a power nap. Parents can be present in the facility yet still allow tweens to enjoy some independence as they engage in a physically active, sometimes risky activity. What more could you ask for at this age?

Upcoming events and happenings at High Point Climbing (click image for more info):

High Point Climbing and Fitness

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