At Cornell Outdoor Education, we believe that rock climbing can be for everyone, and we are committed to making our programs as accessible as possible. COE offers monthly Adaptive Rock Climbing events that are fully accessible and open to all students and community members.
Some parts of our climbing program—such as certain PE classes and open hours—can be more challenging to make fully accessible at all times. We encourage you to review our Essential Eligibility Criteria and reach out if you have questions or would like help exploring your options for getting into climbing.
When thinking about accessibility in COE Rock Climbing, our programs fall into three main areas:
Adaptive Rock Climbing Events
Lindseth Climbing Center Open Hours
COE PE Classes
Adaptive Rock Climbing Events
To get on our Adaptive mailing list for future events, please send a note to Josh Giblin.
Climbing is for anyone! Adaptive Climbing Events will generally be held monthly. At the event we will have adaptive systems available to explore, as well as dedicated staff for belaying and coaching.
All adaptive climbers and their supporters will be able to use the facility and gear for free during the events.
Not sure if climbing is right for you? Come to one of our events, bring your friends, and have a look for yourself. At Cornell Outdoor Education, we strongly believe in “challenge by choice,” and will never make you do something you are not comfortable with.
The Lindseth Climbing Center, located in Bartels offers 8,000 sf of Bouldering, Top Rope, and Sport Lead rock climbing opportunities, catering to beginners and experts alike. We offer a safe and welcoming environment for all who wish to climb. Rock climbing offers both physical and mental challenges, in a relaxed social atmosphere, and we are here to help you take advantage of its benefits.
If you may need support or specialized adaptive equipment for your climbing session please reach out to Josh Giblin prior to your visit so we can chat about and prepare the equipment for your visit. Not all of our staff are trained on some of the more technical systems (like the ARC Harness with mechanical advantage for example) so we may need to do a little preparation and staff shuffling on our end to be ready for your visit, in other cases we may just need to make sure we have the equipment (like the Evolve Climbing Prosthetic or our Communication headphones) at the front desk and available for you.
Click Here to find information about climbing with us, including hours, location and planning your visit.
COE PE Classes
The COE Rock Climbing program has something to offer every climber, no matter your experience level or goals. We offer PE courses for first-time climbers, classes for those looking to learn sport lead climbing or train to reach the next level, and opportunities to learn how to climb outside.
As you explore our COE class offerings, we encourage you to take a moment to review our Rock Climbing Essential Eligibility Criteria. This information helps clarify what’s needed to participate in each class and can be a helpful guide as you choose the best fit for you.
If you think you may benefit from additional support or specialized adaptive equipment, please reach out to Andrew McLaughlin when registering, or before the course's drop deadline. We’re happy to talk through accommodation options and help find a class that best matches your goals and needs. Some classes may not be compatible with certain technical systems, while others may simply require advance planning to ensure specific equipment—such as the Evolve Climbing Prosthetic or communication headphones—is available for your class.
Use the links below for a full list of all COE PE Rock Climbing Classes.
Adaptive Rock Climbing may require specialized equipment to support different climbers’ needs. Below is some of the gear that Cornell Outdoor Education has available for use at our climbing wall and programs.
Full Body Climbing Harnesses
These help to distribute the weight across the shoulders, chest, waist and legs while helping climbers stay in an upright position. COE has both youth and adult full body harnesses available as well as some independent chest chest harness that can be used along with your standard climbing harness.
The Easy Seat Harness
This harness offers participants with sufficient upper body strength, additional freedom of movement while still providing a padded seat and integral harness for security. The Easy Seat is excellent for rigging a 4 to 1 ascending system. It offers a firm, padded support of the lower body and complete upper body freedom. The participant is secured to the harness via leg loops, waist and chest
The Arc Harness
The ARC harness allows all participants to experience climbing, without regard to physical ability. Designed especially for participants with physical challenges, the ARC features a thickly padded, rigid seat, with integrated chest and pelvic harnesses, secure four point attachment system and dorsal head panel, providing a safe, comfortable harness for climbers of all abilities.
Sena Communication Headset
This is a compact communication headset equipped allowing for easy group communication. This headset is often used by climbers with visually impairment, allowing for easy communication between belayer and climber even in a noisy climbing gym. with this head set the belayer or climbing coach can easily help the climber on the wall find holds or coach them through different movements
Evolve Adaptive Foot (Eaf)
COE has 1 Evolv Adaptive Foot available for use. This is a great option for lower extremity amputee climbers who want to climb using their prosthetic. With its stainless steel pyramidal attachment, it attaches using standard prosthetic componentry.
