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After more than a year of wall climbing in their school gym and several tournaments, my son has now decided to do the real adventure, actual mountain climbing. I am hesitant at first considering the many dangers I felt a 14-year old may not be ready for yet. But with a lot of coercion from his coach and team mates, I had to give in.

Here goes the hard part again, shopping for Mountain Climbing Gear for my son. I had to read up and search the internet on all the necessities my son would bring. Of course, the first advise was to travel light. I don’t want my son lagging behind during their hikes and getting left behind because I almost threw in the kitchen sink inside his packs.

I already got him the Petzl harness months ago and it proved to be really durable. I’m certain it will still hold well — a really worthwhile purchase considering the price. His coach told him, it was essential to get him a pack that was big enough but sturdy enough to hold the essentials. I didn’t have to search long because I knew I had to get the best and bought him a North Face pack bigger than the one he uses for school. After getting him decent clothes to protect him from the weather, his coach told me he would take care of the heavier things.

My son is set to go on his first adventure in a few weeks, this nagging fear in my stomach keeps increasing daily. He tells me stories about experiences of his friends who have made the climb, but I still don’t feel reassured. Well, they say a mother has to learn to let go at a certain point. I am learning.

My eldest son was only 10 when he discovered wall climbing. His body was perfect for it and his coach said he was a natural. He went on to become part of the school’s wall climbing team and even qualified as part of the Philippine team. I didn’t know much about climbing and found it necessary to acquaint myself with the sport.

The first thing I had to do was find him the best climbing accessories to support his training and competition. I surfed the net to learn more about the Climbing Gear he would need. There were several online stores offering various gears and brands that I was unfamiliar with. I was able to get him good climbing shoes and a nice chalk bag. I got stuck on getting him harness and decided to choose Petzl after I received good feedback from his coach.

Wall climbing did help my son a lot in terms of fitness. Though he was a bit lanky for his age, I noticed how much stronger his limbs had become. He could open jars without even flinching and his resistance has absolutely improved. According to his coach, it is a good exercise for those trying to lose weight. Climbing up one wall is equivalent to running the treadmill for 30 minutes. Most of his trainees have lost considerable weight while gaining strength and flexibility. I am actually consider climbing with my son soon.

When he qualified for the national team, my son asked if I could get him a Suunto Vector as his reward. Apparently it’s a great watch used by most climbers. It was a cool watch and I was really proud of his accomplishment. I did give in despite the price. It was definitely worth every cent.