Planinsko društvo Domžale has in partnership with four other European mountaineering associations or sport climbing clubs: the Czech Horolezecký klub Atlas Opava, z.s. (HKAO), the Croatian Sportsko Penjački klub Fothia, (SPK Fothia), the Hungarian Magyar Hegy – és Sportmászó Szövetség (MHSSZ), and the Slovak Horolezecký klub Horec Liptovský Mikuláš, successfully applied for European funding at the beginning of 2020 for the project “Staying safe in the world of youth climbing”. The project, which will last for two years (2021-2022), is co-funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+: Sport Small Collaborative Partnerships programme.
The aim of the project is to encourage children and young people to participate in safe climbing, no matter the form of climbing (sport climbing, bouldering, mountaineering, etc.). The focus will be on the development of appropriate training for different age groups and on suitable approaches to learning safety maneuvers, including through modern technologies.
Climbing is an ideal sport for developing both motor and mental skills. The project will therefore also consider how to bring it closer to young people from lower social classes, who often do not have access to such activities, through volunteering and networking between climbing communities.
A key activity of the project is the implementation of five international exchanges, which will take place in all partner countries. Two of the exchanges will take the form of youth climbing camps, while the remaining three will take the form of meetings with experts from all partner countries. Through the exchange of professional experience, in-depth discussions of problems, and the search for solutions, we plan to develop new methods of bringing safe climbing to young people and to build on the international cooperation between the countries at the end of the project.
Planned programme of international exchanges:
- Expert meeting; Hungary, March 2021
- Youth Climbing Camp; Slovakia, August 2021
- Expert meeting; Czech Republic, November 2021
- Expert meeting; Croatia, May 2022
- Youth Climbing Camp; Slovenia, August 2022