Therapeutic Climbing
Climbing as a sport has developed at a dizzying pace in recent decades - around the world, and in Israel too. It's an activity that suits every age, combining fear management, precision, planning, focus, strength, flexibility and coordination. In recent years, many therapeutic trials and studies have looked at using climbing as a means of treatment, focus and correction for various issues - alongside its use for improving ability where there's no underlying issue at all.
It turns out climbing activity can help treat a wide range of issues: organic, environmental, orthopedic and others. Climbing with a therapeutic orientation combines aspects of movement therapy with an enjoyable, experiential activity. Climbing strengthens the whole body in a balanced, controlled way, improves coordination and focus, and affects movement and posture habits very effectively.
Therapeutic climbing takes place on walls angled between 10° overhanging and 30° slabbed. At Urban Climbing we have dedicated walls, built with therapeutic climbing needs in mind. Our routes are marked in different colors according to the learning goal. Urban Climbing also has a wall designed specifically for young children, and a wide range of routes to keep things interesting and enjoyable even for ongoing treatment that requires a long time frame.
Articles on Therapeutic Climbing
Hover over a title for an excerpt, click to read the full article.
- Therapeutic Climbing - Climbing as a Method for Improving Function Wall climbing is recognized worldwide as an especially effective therapeutic tool for treating congenital motor issues, and social and personal issues.
- Climbing and Hypotonia Hypotonia can bring developmental delays and/or impairments, clumsiness in movement, learning difficulties, and difficulty concentrating.
- Climbing and Attention Difficulties Early diagnosis of attention difficulties, and treatment that helps a child as early as possible, matters a great deal for improving overall functioning.
- Climbing and Autism Climbing as a sport has strong therapeutic qualities for children and adults on the spectrum, with autism or Asperger's syndrome.
- Climbing as a Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Tool The wide variety of movements, postures and joint positions makes for excellent training for rehabilitating injured joints.
Parents and Climbers Share Their Experience with Therapeutic Climbing
Hover over a title (or tap, on mobile) to read the full testimonial.
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Nir's mother
Nir's mother shares her impression of therapeutic climbing:
Nir, 16, is diagnosed with autism (ASD) with moderate-to-lower communicative functioning, and has been training on the climbing wall with Ram weekly for two years now.
The training is guided with wisdom, enjoyment and amazing patience by Ram. The climbing wall requires conquering new goals each time, and succeeding at the tasks is both challenging and satisfying.
It's also worth noting the rich verbal and non-verbal communication that develops between them, so that alongside the physical training they also work on focus, independent problem-solving, memory practice, listening, and containing difficulties and even frustrations.
You can see that through this work Nir's mood improves and he arrives happily to his sessions. Ram has naturally earned Nir's trust - something quite unusual when working with children on the spectrum.
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M.'s father
M.'s father tells us about his son's experience at Urban Climbing:
M., 12, has moderate-to-severe autism. M. has very strong gross motor skills, with very good balance and climbing ability. For a long time we looked for an activity that would give M. real inspiration and fun, and eventually my wife found the climbing wall in Rehovot.
We come every Friday morning for 45 minutes of climbing on the wall with Ram, his instructor. From the start M. has really enjoyed climbing on the wall - Ram manages to connect with him and guide him in his own way, without me needing to help.
M. has been climbing with Ram for about five years now. Over that time he's learned to climb specific colored routes according to the wall's course, and has progressed through the route levels. I see an ambition and motivation to reach goals in him that I hadn't seen before.
Beyond all that, most importantly, is the joy and happiness he gets from his special hour with Ram and the wall - which he waits for all week.
Warmly, Amitai - M.'s father
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L.'s mother
L.'s mother wrote to us:
Hi Micha, I'm happy to recommend the climbing therapy that has benefited us so much.
We first came to you about a decade ago, with our daughter L., who couldn't hold herself on a bar for even a quarter of a second. With endless patience you worked with her, until we got to see her climbing under her own strength, reaching the top of a 5-meter climbing wall - with a harness tied around her legs (and only someone familiar with regulation difficulties can understand the scale of that achievement).
Working on the climbing wall made a real difference for her muscle weakness, her difficulty organizing movement, and her sensory regulation difficulties. We also saw significant improvement in the cognitive abilities affected by these difficulties.
With a unique approach that never treats a limitation as an obstacle, you pushed L. patiently but firmly, while constantly conveying unwavering belief in her ability to overcome any difficulty. Beyond the therapy's contribution to her physical and cognitive abilities, it made an enormous contribution to her self-confidence and self-belief.
I hope many more parents discover this therapy, and that many more children benefit from it.
Wishing you continued success, Sharon - L.'s mother
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Willy's mother
Willy's mother wrote about their experience:
Hi everyone. Today, for the first time, my son - Willy, 10 - climbed the wall with Ram's help. Willy is a child with special needs, and with Ram's help - an amazing person, with endless patience, knowledge, professionalism and a desire to improve my son's situation - he helped him work toward one goal: succeeding at climbing.
So, so much gratitude to Ram, and warm recommendations for this place and this instructor.
Willy asked to write in his diary every Monday - "climbing with Ram"! Thank you, friends, for this place and your sacred work.
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Yona, Ari's mother
Yona, Ari's mother, wrote to us:
We came to therapeutic climbing wanting to strengthen Ari's focus, persistence, self-regulation and sense of competence - and this is one of the very few frameworks he's managed to stick with and feel that he's succeeding in.
For us, the wall is much more than a climbing class - it's like a mirror for life itself, and thanks to Nurit's precise, patient guidance, Ari is never left alone facing his frustrations. She helps him try again, push through, and gradually reach success - she truly sees him, respects him, and knows how to bring out his best.
The atmosphere at the place is also warm and homey, and every child seems to find their place there.
We wholeheartedly recommend therapeutic climbing on the wall to anyone looking for a sensitive, professional and nurturing framework for their child. Thank you for giving us and Ari a home 💛
Yona - Ari's mother
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Hadar, David Maor's mother
Hadar, David Maor's mother, wrote to us:
A rare combination of experience, challenge, focus, and learning through the cooperation of body and mind. Empowering, strengthening, enriching and fun. A wonderful place. A wonderful instructor. A wonderful team.
Hadar - David Maor's mother
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Niri, Gal's mother
Niri, Gal's mother, wrote to us:
When Gal was in 9th grade we thought about an activity that could be good for him and help him progress both physically and mentally. Gal was born with low muscle tone - we used to call him our "liquid" child - and has difficulties with planning, organization, coping with challenges, persistence and more. From reading and searching online it seemed climbing is highly recommended for kids with difficulties. I looked for a wall that specializes in therapeutic climbing and found Urban Climbing, and to my delight it was also close to home. I spoke with them, they said Gal sounded like exactly the right fit, and that's how we got started.
The first time I came with Gal, and after that Gal kept coming on his own. The process Gal went through is amazing - from saying he couldn't and being afraid to step onto a single rock and asking to get down, today Gal does complex, physically demanding routes. He "fights" for the routes and won't let himself give up, trying again and again until he succeeds - and then there's no one prouder of his own achievement.
Gal has grown stronger physically and mentally: the activity on the wall strengthened his belief in himself and his abilities, his persistence, and taught him not to give up but to keep trying and working hard until eventually he succeeds. Gal enjoys it so much, he copes well even when instructors change, and he's learned to appreciate strict instructors and what that gives him. Gal comes to the wall on his own even when he has no lesson, and is very proud of himself.
Gal is very loved by the team at the wall, and the staff and other climbers know how to include him and accept him. We warmly recommend the wall in general, and therapeutic climbing in particular.
Niri - Gal's mother