October 26, 2023
Interview: Signe Dannesø Appel, Asta Jip Hofman Stentoft and Uma Rose Stenhøj - Text: Signe Dannesø Appel
At the Pump Station there are many activities for us kids. One of the most popular is climbing. Here, Dan, who is a trained climbing instructor, helps us kids climb and makes sure we don't get hurt. Børnereporterne has interviewed Dan. Read on to find out more about climbing.
Is climbing really dangerous?
Dan: "It can be dangerous, but if you're careful and take precautions, it doesn't have to be dangerous. And it's rarely dangerous indoors."
What do you do to prevent children from getting hurt?
Dan: "Firstly, I'm in charge of security and when I'm not here, the wall is closed. And then I'm constantly checking that the equipment isn't broken. The children are always attached to a rope, which I secure with a rope brake from the ground."
Can you climb without an adult present?
Dan: "Normally you can't climb alone on the big climbing wall without me present. The children are only allowed to climb alone when they have learnt to belay themselves and have belayed others at least 50 times. But they are allowed to climb alone on the small climbing wall by the mattress in Level 0 (the one called the Boulder Wall, ed.)."
How do I join the climbing club?
Dan: "You do this by climbing often and taking a safety course where you learn how to belay yourself and where you have to belay 50 times. It typically takes a couple of weeks."
How long have you been a climbing instructor?
Dan: "I have been for two years."
What if you get scared?
Dan: "I try to assess if a child is very nervous, and if he or she is, I don't let them get very high up on the wall. Because it's a shame for them if they get scared."
"If they get scared while up on the wall, I try to help them relax and be calm and get them to let go of the rope so I can lower them down. Sometimes when you get scared up there, you can panic and hold on to the rope. But I can't lower the climbers down if they don't let go."
"Usually the kids end up climbing down on their own or I lower them down. Only once have I had to climb the wall myself to help a child down."
Is there a waiting list to start climbing?
Dan: "No, there's no waiting list, you just turn up. But sometimes I have to tell some kids that they can come back in a few hours or maybe tomorrow. There are so many people who want to climb."
What should you know before climbing?
Dan: "You don't need to know anything. You just need to have the equipment on."