Aine McGlynn | Climbing Bio
I was 10 years old and the camp counselor pointed at the cobble-stoned chimney looming overhead. We were standing outside the dining hall at Camp Kanawana - a YMCA camp in the Laurentian mountains. The chimney must have been three stories high and a rope waved in the wind, affixed to an anchor at the very top. My camp counselor checked my knot, patted me on the shoulder and said “have fun”. I scampered to the top in no time and loved every second of it.
The next day, we were out on a long, multi-pitch climb just a 30 minute drive from camp. Four ten year old girls led by one brave instructor made it to the top of the wall that day and ever since I’ve been chasing the feeling of sitting on the top of that climb, eating an apple, legs dangling over the edge feeling the expanse below me.
It was the 80’s and I don’t think there was even a rock climbing gym where I lived in Montreal. Instead I was lucky enough to encounter outdoor climbing very early in my climbing life. I’ve spent most of my adult life training for climbing, making friends through climbing, traveling to a new exciting crag, and learning more and more about this sport that I love.
Did you know that climbers have physiological adaptations that are unique among other athletes? For example, climbers have an adaptation in their cardio-vascular system that allows them to recover from spikes in stress incredibly quickly. These are the benefits of climbing that keep me coming back. The benefits to physical health go without saying, but the benefits to emotional and mental health are the things I’m most excited to share with new climbers.
Climbing is a sport that has always relied on seasoned mentors showing newer climbers the literal ropes. I have benefited enormously from amazing mentors over the last 30 years, and have had the opportunity to pass that knowledge along. Last year, I decided to take my passion for climbing with “newbies'' to the next level. I was certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides as a climbing instructor so that the folks I’m introducing to climbing will experience the highest professional standard care and guidance.