Learning to climb

21st July 2025

Get Out Glasgow is a project that utilises physical activity to improve mental wellbeing for the LGBTIQ+ adults in Greater Glasgow. From January to March 2025 we ran an introduction to climbing programme with Glasgow Queer Adventures (GQA) which included a bouldering taster session and top-roping taster and course, after which participants would be able to climb independently.

Bug came along to the top-roping taster session and course.

They first heard about LEAP Sports through a local queer craft group and then their partner, who’s involved with GQA, mentioned the introduction to climbing course.

Before high school Bug ‘took part in every sport available and then as soon as I hit high school I developed anxiety and didn’t really take part in anything sports related until I hit 21 and then someone introduced me to rugby and from there on I was back in, playing for a women’s team in Dundee.’

This was before they came out as non-binary. After this ‘I felt less able to show-up in the gym or join groups. Maybe it was a bit about how I would present [their gender presentation], my clothing and also just feeling a bit like the odd one out.’

Sometimes even in clubs which said they were inclusive to non-binary people they found that: ‘they say they allow non-binary people and then they treat me as a woman and refer to me as she/her, things like that would put me off.’

They found exercising with other queer people more accessible: ‘being able to go with a group, with friends, that would help me, there being a queer space, a queer group, the association.’

The first event they attended through LEAP Sports was the top-roping taster session.

They appreciated that there was ‘some time to acclimatise to the environment before the session started… it also gave us some time to familiarise ourselves with the other participants which was useful.’

‘I found the instructors really fun, they were high energy, really encouraging.’

During the first session they learnt: ‘how to tie in, so the figure of 8, how to attach your belay to your belay loop, how to put your harness on, what size of shoes to wear, the use of helmets for beginning top-roping, but not for auto belaying because it can get caught. We went over how to catch falls at different stages.’

Bug found Get Out Glasgow more inclusive to neurodiverse and trans and nonbinary people than their experience of other activity providers: ‘I feel like maybe more consideration was put into how we’re all different in terms of neurodivergence and different gender representations and pronouns. My previous experience is that it’s not really been considered so it’s nice not to have to worry about all that stuff because it’s been thought about.’

By the end of the session Bug’s mood and confidence had improved: ‘I felt quite good about myself, because I felt confident by the end of it that I knew how to tie the figure of 8, how to attach the belay, using the phrases to remember how to tie the knot. All the useful tips the instructors gave us. My mood felt improved compared to when I first went in.’

Bug plans to continue climbing with GQA. They’d also like it if Glasgow Climbing Centre [GCC] ran their own queer climbing night: ‘Yeah, I think I would definitely go back [to GCC] out with the GQA sessions, the staff all seemed really nice. It’s just the gendered facilities that’d be a barrier for some people.’

‘I guess it would be nice if the climbing centres themselves ran regular queer climbing nights because obviously GQA can only schedule in certain days and times but if the climbing centre actually took that on board and ran their own queer night it would be more accessible to people who can’t fit into that.’

Bug has kept in touch with some of the other course participants and is attending ClimbOut, a queer climbing festival, with them in May:

‘Actually we’re both going to ClimbOut, the queer climbing festival… My partner went last year, so I applied for the bursary and got it, I’ve just heard really good things, it just sounds wonderful to go camping with a bunch of queer people and climb.’

Bug has become more active since joining Get Out Glasgow. They recently went to a climbing social in Hamilton, do weightlifting and cycle occasionally.

They’d like to do more climbing outside with GQA and work towards doing a lead climbing course.

If you’re interested in joining Get Out Glasgow contact glasgow@leapsports.org. To join Glasgow Queer Adventures contact them via instagram to be added to the whatsapp group.