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Climbing Safety

At Cliffhanger, safety is our primary concern. As part of our commitment to safety, we have developed our own industry leading "Safety Induction" that all new customers must complete, plus use Petzl Grigri® Belay devices with adjustable floor straps to minimise belayer error. We also have a 60mm thick impact attenuating floor, that is designed to eliminate Head Injuries for falls from 1.8 metres (as per the Australian Standard) and absorb the vast majority of impact for falls from up to 5mts.

There are an array of other considerations or medical conditions that should be taken into account before climbing or belaying. If you have any doubts or concerns, talk to your GP.

The following is a basic list of conditions that definitely prevent you from participating:

• Broken Bones
• Experienced a fit/seizure/pass-out or fainting episode in the past 6 months (and do not hold a drivers licence for this reason)
• A blood-alcohol reading above 0.00%

The following is a basic list of conditions that may impact your participation, or may be exacerbated by participation and we strongly suggest you talk to your GP before participating:

• Pregnancy (up to the first trimester/3 months)
• Having undergone recent surgery
• All heart conditions (including high blood pressure)
• Previous back/limb or joint injuries
• Visual impairment*
• Hearing impairment*
• Learning difficulties*

*some of these conditions may require a tailored pre-booked group session to facilitate safe participation.

Climbing during and after Pregnancy:

We receive a lot of questions around climbing and pregnancy, but given we are climbers and not doctors, we can't provide a definitive answer for you, only your GP or Obstetrician can do that. We do have plenty of mums that climb while pregnant and with their toddlers after pregnancy.

Note: One of the biggest concerns about climbing while pregnant is the loosening of the ligaments, which can cause injuries particularly in the shoulders. Pregnant climbers should be very careful not to hang on their shoulders from early on!

We have however complied a list of relevant (yet by no means Inexhaustible) resources from the web.

Body Results - Outdoor Sports Conditioning and Strength

Pregnancy Info.net

Fitness-Nutrition-Weightloss.com

Personal Climbers Blog on Blogger

Babyfit.com

Climbing while pregnant - considerations: 

Information for expectant mothers with normal pregnancies:

Pregnant women [after seeking specific medical advice]…

• are NOT permitted to lead climb or lead belay at Cliffhanger Climbing Gym;
• may top rope climb or boulder, giving consideration to possible falls. This should be minimised by a tight belay when top roping or traversing when Bouldering;
• usually experience a loosening of cartilage and tendons and this does make you susceptible to these types of injuries when climbing;
• should avoid big falls, as your harness does apply pressure around your waist and above your hips and may result in maternal injury;
• should have previously climbed and preferably been a regular climber before undertaking climbing while pregnant;
• should use a full-body harness or sit and chest harness combination to minimise force placed on the sit harness;
• should not climb after the second trimester/~6-7 months.

Cliffhanger Climbing Gym requires a Medical Clearance Certificate to allow you to climb here whilst pregnant.

The Medical Considerations to be discussed with your doctor are:

Height:  Participants will be climbing to a height of up to 20 vertical meters

Heat:   During summer months the temperature within the facility may reach up to 36º Celsius

Falls:   Participants will be wearing a “sit style” climbing harness that fits around the waist (and above the participant’s hips) and supports their weight in the event of a fall.  Fully body harnesses can also be rented or purchased.