“everyBODY” can climb

Our Mission is to empower individuals with disabilities by building self esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through climbing. We strive to bring community to those who are disadvantaged to give them purpose and a place to belong!

We intend to improve the mental health of Magic Valley and lower Twin Falls’ suicide rate. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in Idaho for individuals aged 10-24 according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Twin Falls increased suicides from 2022-2023. Our goal is to decrease this number!

We do this by researching risk factors and prevention education.

According to the CDC.Gov website we can prevent suicide by promoting healthy connections, creating protective environments, identifying and supporting those at risk, and teaching coping and problem-solving skills.  Risk factors are stigma associated with help-seeking and mental illness, as well as easy access. Our bridge is something CDC classifies as easy access.

Adults with disabilities are 3x more likely to commit suicide! We work with youth and adults with disabilities, giving them a healthy community environment where they feel valued and safe. We teach coping and problem solving skills to these individuals through climbing harder routes.

We have helped Valley Community Counseling, Youth Valley House, Mission 43, Magic Valley Cancer Coalition and Boys and Girls Club just to name a few!

We hope to have future collabs with Culture for Change and Jae’s Place soon!

We have partnered with United Way of South Central Idaho to provide climbing opportunities for our youth and disadvantaged community members. We believe that everyBODY can climb.

If you make a tax deductible donation, all proceeds go directly to benefit our youth development program or our Adaptive Climbing Program. 

 

For more information, volunteer opportunities, or to sign up for an adaptive climbing session,

please contact our manager, Patty McFarling

EMAIL: Patty@gemstoneclimbing.rocks

OFFICE: (208)  329-7257 ext. 3

Check us out in Idaho Public Televison’s series, Outdoor Idaho by clicking the link below!

Outdoor Idaho | Beyond Labels | Season 39 | Episode 8 | IdahoPTV

Click Here: https://www.facebook.com/GemstoneClimbing/videos/677567099740927

We had a blast climbing out at Dierkes Lake! Check back for our City of Rocks pics soon!

About Our Program 

Gemstone Climbing was the first fully ADA (American Disabilities Act) accessible climbing gym in the world. Today, other gyms are providing similar facilities and we applaud them.

Our Adaptive Climbing Program was launched in October 2019, with inclusivity in mind to allow individuals of all abilities to experience the sensation of being on top of the world. We are providing some of the most advanced and effective “therapy ” for individuals with disabilities from:

    • Autism
    • Cerebral Palsy
    • Traumatic brain Injury
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Spina Bifida
    • Hearing and Vision Impairments
    •  PTSD
    • Paralysis
    • Amputations

During our clinics hosted at Gemstone Climbing Center, the participants with physical, cognitive, and social disabilities interact with an expanding volunteer base of medical and climbing professionals to give our fellow climbers an opportunity to break down barriers and become adventurers. Through interactive and engaging clinics, participating challenged athletes can grow as individuals. Our goal is to assist in the development of each adaptive climbers confidence they need to reach their personal and fitness goals.

All equipment is provided at Gemstone Climbing Center to get “everyBODY” on the wall.

Benefits of Adaptive Climbing

Physical

Climbing is a full body workout, from your fingertips to your toes. This beneficial activity does not only aid in strength building and working on fine and gross motor skills, but also aids in the development or enhancement of the vestibular system (balance), proprioception (spatial awareness), and is a tactile and visually stimulating activity.

    • Eye-hand and eye-foot coordination is practiced
    • Bilateral coordination of upper and lower extremities
    • Range of motion activities can increase flexion / extension, which helps prevent muscle atrophy
    • Climbing, at whatever physical level possible, provides body movement that can increase circulation and assist in digestion

Social

Climbing is an inherently a social sport, whereas you need at least two people to engage in the activity. The climbing community in the Magic Valley is growing and there are more resources for individuals of all abilities to use to find programs and climbers like themselves to join.

Cognitive

Problem solving is naturally incorporated into climbing as the climber must solve the “puzzle” of the route and determine hand and foot placement through the climb to make it to the top.

    • Decision-making is involved as climbers will be faced with choosing a particular path and following through with their decision.
    • Facing the climbing wall and constantly scanning the wall for the next hold to reach for can help take away auxiliary distractions and increase attention,
      • This helps children think sequentially
    • Climbers are better able to focus and attend to cognitive tasks after they have been able to use their whole body in activity.
    • Climbing allows for independent movement. Climbers who have autism may not like physical contact and this is an activity that caters to that characteristic
    • Cross-curricular activities invite written communication; for example, by finding letters or spelling words on the climbing wall
    • Receptive language can be targeted as children listen and process verbal direction by a teacher or another child; for example, which color hand hold to reach for

Emotional

Climbing promotes positive mood and mental well-being while combating boredom, anxiety, and stress. Climbing also aids in increasing self-esteem and positive coping skills.

Grant & Scholarship Information 

We believe money shouldn’t stop someone from reaching their climbing dreams. Therefore, we want to make our adaptive climbing program affordable and available to challenged athletes. Gemstone Adaptive Climbing has partnered with Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF) to make this a possibility. CAF’s mission, “is to serve people with physical disabilities through sport and fitness with meaningful grants. Over the last 27 years, we have given over 30,000 grants to individuals with permanent physical disabilities worldwide.”

The grants that are rewarded by CAF to each challenged athlete will assist in providing climbing gear (harness, shoes, chalk), climbing sessions, and coaching.

Challenged Athletes Foundation: Grant Application

Click here: cafgrant_21 (webportalapp.com)