Climbing with kids: A life between rocks, campervan, and homeschooling

Guest author: Melanie Gath

They’ve been on the road for almost two years now – Kirsty, her husband Hardin, their two children Arlo and Eia, and their Golden Retriever, Marley. They travel through Europe in a campervan they converted themselves, moving from one climbing spot to the next – because that’s their greatest passion.

Together, Hardin and Kirsty have nearly 40 years of climbing experience. “I started climbing when I was 17,” Kirsty explains in the interview. Hardin began in his early twenties.

They first brought their children along when they were living in Indonesia – Arlo was about 4 and Eia around 2 years old. “But that was just one day,” she says. Their real start came when the kids were around 5 and 3. “I think it started gradually. I remember this first day when we already started traveling and climbing. We were in the Alps and we took that selfie like ‘this is our first official day climbing as a family’.

Kirsty compares it to the moment when children start walking: “You don’t really remember the actual day. It kind of happens.”

“It is really nice to share that love with your kids”

I ask Kirsty if she can recall a moment when she truly felt that her children shared their love for climbing. “Certainly when we were in Romania last year”, she says. Arlo was picking up the guide book and was trying to figure out – where are my routes? What can I plan? “That’s when I really felt they’re doing this because they love it. It’s so nice to share that love with your kids.”

Of course, there are days – though rare – when the kids would rather do something else. Kirsty notes that Arlo and Eia are still only 7 and 5 years old. “But so far,” she says, “we never brought them back from a day climbing being miserable.”

The balloon on the climbing wall

Their strategy for low-motivation days? Playful encouragement. “Both kids are pretty stubborn and quite competitive – not so much with each other, but with themselves,” says Kirsty. Challenges work better than pressure. Rewards help too. “When they were younger, we sometimes put a little toy or a balloon on a higher hold,” she says. That worked especially well when climbing indoors. Outside, they just picked a feature on the rock like a crack, a plant, a hole to aim for. Something to reach for, something to spark curiosity and turn the climb into a game.

Most important to Kirsty and Hardin is teaching the kids: you have to try. That’s the core of climbing. “I think it’s good for kids,” she reflects. Far too often, she says, the focus is on clearing the path for kids, making things as easy as possible. But as parents, she and Hardin have a different approach. “What we always say is: You have to try.” That, she believes, is the very essence of climbing. “You can go through the world and do just easy stuff in your comfortzone. Or you can try something. She’s convinced that the skills they learn on the wall – persistence, problem-solving, courage – translate far beyond climbing. They’re lessons for life.

Emotions are okay – and completely normal

“What has climbing done for your children?” I ask Kirsty. “It has definitely made them brave,” she says. “It also helps them recognize when and if they’re afraid.” Talking about fear has become part of their everyday conversations, and the kids have learned to express emotions openly. “Climbing has a lot to do with that.”

Kirsty admits that even now, she sometimes finds herself in tears at the crag – out of frustration, fear of falling, or tough conditions. “But that shows the kids: emotions are okay. Adults struggle sometimes too.”

That’s part of it, too – being there for the kids, helping them through those moments. “Putting them in the situation where they have to do it themselves and not take it from them. We support them so they can learn it for themselves. Because I know they can do it. And when they do – that sense of pride they feel is huge. For climbing. For life. For everything.”

“Climbing is our life”

To me, the life this family leads can be a great inspiration. They show what family life can look like when everyone shares a passion – when you move together, grow together, and build your everyday around what you love. To make this lifestyle possible, Kirsty and Hardin decided to homeschool their kids.

But of course, living outside the conventional system brings its own challenges. Kirsty knows their lifestyle isn’t the norm. But over time, she says, it has become easier: “I think the older I get, the less I feel I have to justify it.”

Still, she acknowledges that living out a strong passion while raising children can be misunderstood – especially by people who don’t share it. “Many people raise their children vegan, vegetarian, or religious – because it reflects their own values. Naturally, they view life through that lens. For us, it’s a life centered around climbing, adventure, simplicity, and a close connection to nature. Climbing is our life.”

As Arlo and Eia grow and show how much they truly enjoy it, Kirsty and Hardin feel even more assured in their decision. But there’s still a quiet insecurity: “We want to be good parents – and we also want the world to see us as good parents.”

“I probably sound like a terrible mum, but …”

For a family that’s spent so much time climbing walls and cliffs across Europe, I imagine fear must play a special role in their lives. When I ask Kirsty about it, she smiles slightly. “I probably sound like a terrible mum. But I don’t think I’ve ever felt afraid for them on the wall.”

She remembers other situations that triggered fear more clearly. “When we returned to the West in 2023 after living in Indonesia, we strapped our kids into their seats and sped down the highway at 120 km/h. That normalized kind of danger scares me way more than climbing with the kids.” Another was a tense encounter with a livestock guardian dog – known to act aggressively, especially when you’re walking your own dog.

“I feel safe on the wall. Climbing is pretty safe – as long as you’re not pushing the extremes.” Kirsty adds, “That’s also because we each have over 20 years of experience across various disciplines and situations.” But she acknowledges that this background isn’t visible on social media: “You mostly see the fun and light parts. I guess that makes me part of the problem.”

“But it really is dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.” The gear, the ropes, the routes – it all takes knowledge, care, and responsibility.

Where to start: Family-friendly climbing destinations

For anyone looking for places to ignite a love for climbing in their kids, Kirsty recommends starting with bouldering – it’s the most accessible way in. Climbing outdoors takes a lot more experience. Her favorite family-friendly regions include:

• Fontainebleau, France
• Albarracín, Spain
• Margalef, Spain
• Orpierre, France
• Kalymnos, Greece
• Leonidio, Greece

And one last piece of advice: “Honestly – if you’re completely new, start indoors or go outside with someone really experienced.”

The climbing family’s favorite pieces

Before we wrap up, I want to know how often the namuk owl gear actually accompanies Arlo and Eia on their adventures. Kirsty laughs: “A better question is probably how often not. Pretty much always.”

“The kids love their gear – especially the pants, which are great for climbing,” she says. They love their zip-off pants and are almost always wearing their namuk hiking boots. “Really everything – shorts, pants, jackets, fleeces, backpacks – it’s all part of our adventures.”

And favorites? Since the kids were out exploring during our conversation, Kirsty answers as best she can: “Eia loves her zip-off pants, and Arlo really likes his long-sleeves.” And one item stands out: “The Cordura pants – they’re amazing. They last forever.”