As any climbing parent knows, a day trip to your local crag takes infinitely more planning with a small child in tow. Undeterred by this thought, Selene and Will, parents to a 4- and a 6-year-old decided not to stop with their local crag, but to take the family on a six-month climbing tour of Europe… in a motorhome. Selene shares the journey, along with some suggestions for kid-friendly crags, all explored during their June-December 2024 adventure.
Before we set off I made a list of assumptions about the trip. Three that stood out were:
- At some point we can expect our motorhome to have a mechanical failure, perhaps we will be on a mountain pass or at a bustling intersection. In that eventuality we will simply need to put movement on pause and deal with it.
- The continuous living and breathing in close proximity as a family will, sooner or later, drive us doolally and we will need a respite. Let’s be prepared to get an Airbnb so that we at least have separate rooms to scream into.
- It will not simply be a dedicated climbing trip—there will also be history and culture, villages and eateries, hikes and wild swims—but we’ll go outdoor climbing at least twice a week.
Left: Finale Ampola, Arco, Italy Right: Coltura, Arco, Italy
Only one of these things came to be.
Magically, 20+ year old Mia the Motorhome (or ”Mia Rainbow Sparkle” according to our daughter) carried us gracefully and without complaint through mountain switchbacks, over gravel bumps and accelerated just-in-time onto many-a-motorway slip road.
While there were certainly times when levels of manic in the motorhome made me wish we’d packed a sensory deprivation tank, incredibly we never needed a time-out in an Airbnb. Though it certainly helped when we found a park-up where we could throw the doors open and let everyone go free-range. Perhaps this was because even though we were all breathing the same air from a single room, each day took us to a new place and a breath of totally fresh air.
And so the only assumption that held true was Number 3, a crag every few days, woven in between our trip parameters:
- Depart from and return to the UK.
- Get to Chamonix by the end of August so Will could superhumanly endure a 176km trail race through the Alps.
- Head increasingly south as the Euro winter approached.
- Visa restriction of 90 days in the European Schengen area (we also spent time in non-Schengen countries, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania).
Left: La Grande Jeanne, Annecy, France Right: Rebro, Bosina & Herzegovina
Finding climbs for kids
Researching, locating and visiting kid-friendly crags became a useful waymarker, helping us curate the finer route-planning detail—the decision between taking one road or another, turning left versus right, heading inland or cruising the coast. I also religiously checked the weather—daily weather reports, rain radars, long-term forecasts—and we ran from the rain, chasing the sun, and timing crag days accordingly.
One thing I love about climbing is that it creates a wonderful excuse to visit beautiful locations, spend time in nature and, as an added bonus, do an activity that rewards us both mentally and physically. With kids, this is even more the case, but there are added dynamics. Is the approach feasible? Is it safe at the base of the climbs? Are there climbs suitable for littlies alongside what the biggies enjoy? Any added bonus fun e.g. wild swims, den-making, ruins to explore?
I meticulously cross-referenced the information I could find, trawling thecrag.com, 27 Crags, climbing blogs, online topos, Facebook groups, articles on climbing sites, and physical guides when we could get our hands on them, as well as pumping climbers we met on the road for information. Wherever possible, we tried to gain knowledge whilst putting money back into the communities developing and maintaining the climbing areas.
We visited some climbing hotspots like Chamonix in France, Arco and Finale Ligure in Italy, Leonidio in Greece. These are the sort of places where you can spend weeks sleeping in the same spot but visit a different crag each day. We were in each of these areas for only a few days so I tried to cherry-pick crags that maximised ‘kid-friendliness’ with ‘worth-it factor’.
We travelled through areas with much lower concentrations of crags, e.g. the Balkans – Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania. These were often relatively new lines, mini-destinations with huge development potential. Many a time we had the crag entirely to ourselves.
Across both ends of the spectrum we found absolute gems… but also ice-rink polish and choss-piles too!
Left: Coltura, Arco, Italy Right: Didyma, Argolis, Greece
A website is born
One day, back in the motorhome, super psyched from a day climbing, I found myself taking studious notes and ranking each crag—wow factor, ease of approach, fun of approach, shade on the climbs and at the base, space for play and availability of harder climbs vs kiddy climbs. I reflected on how much I benefited from the information that others have generously shared and also the absence of any dedicated resource for climbing families. And so I resolved to create a resource myself: www.cragswithkids.com
What it is: Sharing our experiences in a practical way to help inspire, inform and enable parents to rock-climb when children are part of the adventure.
What it is not: Sharing every detail and replacing community topos—these resources are always linked on the website and should be invested in and referred to for the latest updates.
Every crag we’ve included has been with consideration of its popularity, environment and suitability for families without causing overcrowding or undue risk. There are a few crags we’ve left out and a few we’ve included to actively warn against due to factors like mega choss or copious cat pee.
Here are some highlights for starters. A selection of crags that were best for…
Playtime at the base
Katafyki, Argolis, Greece
A crag located in a scenic dry canyon. The Welcome area is exactly that—very welcoming. With a flat open area at the bottom, an entire dry riverbed to explore, a little swing set-up and even deckchairs. Great quality, long climbs with interesting features and moves. Routes are mainly high teens and low-20s but some harder routes to be found further along the canyon.
Left: Krraba, Albania Right: Didyma, Argolis, Greece
Falesia della Coccinella, Finale Ligure, Italy
Of all the crags we visited, this was the only one where the base was in a proper forest. Perhaps due to the novelty of this the kids had an absolute blast climbing trees, creating an “acorn hotel” and indeed being much too busy to want to climb at all. The climbs were in the high teens to low-20s with some lovely long lines on the far right. Once you climbed above the treeline you are rewarded with beautiful views all the way out to the ocean.
Easiest approach
Coltura, Arco, Italy and Varasova, Kryoneri, Greece
For both of these we were able to park right at the base of the climbing, to the extent that the kids could be in/out of the motorhome as they pleased. For Coltura, there are a whole range of lines (high teens to low-20s) available right next to the vehicle and harder routes around the corner. For Varasova, parking-adjacent lines were in the low to high-20s—the ones we managed were great quality. There is even more climbing to be had if you only make a bit more effort to walk away from the vehicle! And the mountain Varasova itself dives nose-first, straight into the sea which is a marvel in itself.
Bonus extra fun
Finale Ampola, Arco, Italy
Accessing this crag requires crossing a river and getting your feet wet. Worth it for some interesting long lines (mainly high teens, low-20s and a few mid-20s) and less polished than many crags nearby. Whilst the crag is mainly north-facing shade, the shallow sandy river gets plenty of sun and makes for a wonderful post-climb dip.
Paklenica, Croatia
This was the most extensively developed climbing area we visited in Croatia. The climbs extend through the canyon but near the beginning (and next to a whole bunch of nice routes) there is a well-curated underground museum converted from bunkers built by the Yugoslav army in the 1950s. It even has a little indoor bouldering area for kids. The canyon itself is magnificent, worth further hiking and exploration and includes multi-pitches galore.
Kiddy climbs
Carrière de Durnal, Wallonie, Belgium
Perhaps this one sticks in our mind particularly because it was our first crag of the trip. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to ease into kid-friendly cragging. Heaps of space at the base, rocks that are perfectly placed for picnicking, blackberry picking galore (at the end of summer) and even a little woodland loo. The climbs are mostly easy (low to high teens and a couple of low-20s), quite long and more varied and interesting than they looked from the ground.
La Grande Jeanne, Annecy, France
A fun little walk-in via a small deer park and rickety ladder. The first climbs we tried were rather polished but the outing was worth it due to a small collection of short climbs set-up purposefully for kids. The little ones could climb in tandem and high five each other at the top.
Worth the walk
Rebro, Bosnia & Herzegovina
A striking fin of rock on top of a scenic plateau with climbs from low teens to mid-20s on both sides and views down both slopes. The approach from the south is long and involves a via ferrata but from the north it is a very manageable walk up the hill (a different path compared to the abandoned medieval castle—though that is worth a visit too). The most attractive routes are on seemingly blank, frictioned slab and a beautiful climbers’ shelter completes the idyllic scene.
Krraba, Albania
We originally planned to climb at Lasagna wall (shorter walk in, flatter base, nice-looking vert climbs) but the all-day sun was a bit too harsh on the day we visited—also another climber was extremely effusive about Cyclops Cave… And so we continued on (with a sweet stray giant dog leading the way). We had to navigate a couple of sections of semi-scree/boulders that needed some care, but the destination did not disappoint. A wonderfully atmospheric spot with views, plenty of steep treats inside (hard-looking mid-20s) and some more vert (high teens/low-20s) options on the sides.
Lovka, Montenegro
After a few chossy adventures to lesser known Montenegro crags we almost gave Lovka a miss given that information online was rather scarce. However a chance encounter with one of the guys who helped develop the area persuaded us otherwise, and how glad we are to have received this recommendation. An incredible band of rock bursting with climbs, from high teens through to high-20s. The easier, long lines we wanted were right at the very far end from the entry point. It took us a while to pick our way along the bottom, but it was absolutely worth it.
Left: Vlychada, Laconia, Greece Right: Perazica Do, Montenegro
Views for days
Didyma, Argolis, Greece
An access road was built all the way up Didyma mountain for the purposes of wind turbines, but it also handily provides access to climbing on a scenic rocky outcrop. Graded from low teens to low-20s with a few mid-20s, the route quality and bolting felt rather varied so we approached the climbs with some care. However we couldn’t fault the day out—views beyond the ocean and the mountain all to ourselves (if you don’t count a few hundred goats, that is).
Vergisson, France
One second we were cruising down a featureless motorway, the next we found ourselves in luscious wine country, winding through quaint terracotta villages and overlooked by a pair of impressive rocky escarpments. Vergisson is one of these rocks with views out to its sister, Solutre. When recounting the trip we revisit Vergisson often—it is such a clear example of how seeking a crag can pull you physically into the most beautiful and surprising environments, scenes that we could easily have drifted past without knowing they existed. And the climbs, from high teens to mid-20s, were absolute quality as well.
Beach and climb combo
Perazica Do, Montenegro
Ninety-nine percent of our climbing was sport but we dipped our toe into bouldering when the opportunity came up. Perazica Do was one such opportunity and it is such an unusual setting that the bouldering is really the icing on the cake. A narrow access road where you keep your fingers crossed the whole way to not meet an oncoming vehicle. A huge atmospheric abandoned hotel, possible to explore and laced with artful graffiti. And just a stone’s throw away, a beautiful beach, peppered with boulders to climb.
Vlychada, Laconia, Greece
Looking inland, textured rock with a limited number of climbs at each grade, but high quality and variety all the way from low teens to mid-20s. Looking outwards, smooth pebbles rolling into a crystal clear sea. It takes a while to reach, which is probably lucky as it would likely otherwise be completely overrun. A paradisiacal place, worth the visit and to be taken care of.
Left: Krraba, Albania Right: Vlychada, Laconia, Greece
The website
Check out the www.cragswithkids.com or use the QR code below for full reviews and practical info for each of these crags and many more.
Also, if you have climbed a crag with your family that you would like to share, get in touch with Selene via the website.
Tips for Crags with Kids
Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Our morning routine also included religiously making a veggie snack box for the day to help balance out the copious salty and sweet snack variety. Usually, somehow, somewhere it got eaten, and if not we chucked the veggies into dinner.
Pack ‘adventure bags’ for the kids. Bringing pencil and paper, games like Uno, a few character toys, etc. gives some options in case they need a change of pace during the day.
Buddy up. Previously we always needed an extra adult at the base for toddler-disaster-management. Now the kids are older it’s been special to be able to climb as a family unit, but buddying up still has lots of benefits. More psyche, more climbs, extra playmates… ooh and different snacks.
Let go of expectations. This can be a tricky one… maybe you have your heart set on a particular route that turns out to be inaccessible for the fam, or you’ve chosen the area for kid-friendly climbs and they’re not interested in getting on the wall today, or you’re ready to jump on a route after cheerleading a long approach only for your kid to fall hands-first into stinging nettles at the last step (true story). Time to inhale deeply and remember just getting out there is already a serious success.
Think you’ve got enough snacks? No harm in packing a few more.
Other guides that may interest you:
Ben Cossey Rediscovers Australia’s Hidden Crags In Five Caves, Five Days
