We hosted our first Climbing for Autistic Children event on March 17, 2018, opening our gym an hour early for autistic children and their families to enjoy. We are proud to continue hosting these access days in partnership with the Marymead Autism Center, and we have expanded the event to include anyone of any age with sensory issues, including those on the Autism spectrum. Stay tuned to this page and our social media for the latest information on upcoming events. If you would like to find quieter times to climb during our regular hours, please consult our weekly schedule.
Our next access day: Sunday August 27th, 2023
At Canberra Indoor Rock Climbing, we are committed to making our gyms welcoming to a diverse climbing community. Autistic climbers have been a part of our programs for many years. We wanted to create a semi-regular access day to foster a supportive network within the climbing community and provide a comfortable, open environment.
On our access days, we will open our gyms an hour early (from 9am-10am). This will allow autistic climbers and their families to enjoy the peace and quiet before the general public is admitted. The staff on hand will have specialized training and will happily show you the ropes.
We will offer a reduced price of $15 for climbers of any age who would benefit from climbing in a low-sensory environment, including those on the Autism spectrum. This price includes entry and a harness rental. This reduced price will save $1.00 for each participant under 7 years old, $12 for each participant under 18, and $15 for each adult participant. Please note that children younger than 10 years old are not allowed to belay. Parents who are just belaying their kids have free entry. Parents who want to climb will need to pay the $22.00 entry fee and $8 for harness hire if they don’t own a harness. See the complete pricing list for our gym here.
If you have questions, you can call or email us. We do ask for the upcoming event that you RSVP, which you can do via email or on our Facebook event.
We encourage you to follow us on our social media for updates regarding our access days and other gym specials. See Canberra Indoor Rock Climbing on Facebook, @CanberraIndoorRockClimbing on Instagram, and @ClimbCIRC on Twitter.
Please note these events are not open to the general public. They are available to autistic people and their families/climbing partners only. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions.