Liam on Mt. Rainier, WA

In the summer of 2010, our family ventured out to a little cliff in Maine. The approach to Shagg Crag is long by sport climbing standards. Our son Liam was sluggish. It was unusual for 7-year-old Liam to rest so frequently on an approach. When we reached Shagg, our daughter Grace (10 years old at the time) started climbing. Liam spent the day in the hammock. We thought it was strange but didn’t find it overly worrisome. Six weeks later, we found ourselves in an Emergency Department, where Liam was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. All of the symptoms we had seen over the summer suddenly made sense.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the pancreas loses the ability to produce insulin, which is the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Someone with type 1 diabetes needs to monitor their blood sugar closely, count carbohydrates carefully, and inject insulin. If blood sugars go too low, the individual could become unconscious and even die. If blood sugars go too high, organ damage and long term complications can result. To sum, type 1 diabetes is a chronic medical condition that requires constant vigilance.

So, when Liam was diagnosed, we had to figure out how to keep our promise to him that he could keep doing all of the things we were doing, including climbing in remote, off-the-beaten path areas.

It was a very steep learning curve, but we mastered keeping his insulin from getting too hot or too cold while we were climbing, keeping his blood sugar from going too low on hard approaches to climbs, and meeting Liam’s increased hydration needs.

​On one of our first big outings after Liam was diagnosed, we headed to Cannon Cliff in New Hampshire to climb the New England classic Whitney Gilman Ridge. The Whitney Gilman Ridge is 600 feet of trad climbing over 6 pitches. It was a surprisingly hot spring day, and we did not realize that the insulin inside Liam’s pump was baking in the sun until he tested his blood sugar and found that it was very high. 

Grace and Liam climbing in the Alps.

The sun and heat had rendered his insulin ineffective. We spent the next 8 hours giving him insulin, waiting for his blood sugar to return to normal and debating whether to head to a local hospital. We have not made that mistake again. Just like with climbing, it’s important to learn from near-misses in diabetes management and to never make those mistakes again.

​By the time Liam was diagnosed, all of our vacations had become climbing trips. After the diagnosis, we doubled down on our commitment to adventure. We needed for Liam to understand that type 1 diabetes was a challenge but that it would not limit his options in life. In the 9 years since Liam’s diagnosis, we have climbed all over the U.S. and in Canada and Europe.

Particpants at a Rock Type 1 event at Rumney, NH.

We progressed from sport climbing and bouldering to trad climbing and ice climbing. In the last few years, we have expanded to alpine climbing and mountaineering and have had great family adventures, guiding ourselves to the summit of Mount Rainier and several 4,000 meter peaks in Europe. Through it all, Liam’s diabetes comes along for the ride but it does not stop us.

One of the things that became apparent to us very quickly was how beneficial climbing and other forms of exercise were to Liam’s diabetes management. Through Liam’s experiences with camp for kids with type 1 diabetes, we discovered the power of bringing people together who share the same challenges. We wanted to make a contribution to the type 1 diabetes community. We thought very carefully about how we might do that and ultimately decided to found Rock Type 1.

Through Rock Type 1 [501(c)3 non-profit organization based in the U.S.], we host free indoor and outdoor rock climbing events for kids and teens with type 1 diabetes and their families.

To date, we have hosted hundreds of kids at our events. For some, climbing in the gym is very exciting and empowering. For others, climbing with us at Rumney Rocks in New Hampshire is a huge adventure. In addition to the exercise, adventure, and empowerment, a stronger sense of community is something that we hear after every event.

​The feeling of being less alone is incredibly powerful.

After one indoor event, a parent reached out to us to let us know that her daughter had felt comfortable testing her blood sugar in front of other people for the first time while sitting in the middle of the rock gym. After an outdoor event, a parent sent us a message to say that her daughter had decided that she was open to wearing a continuous glucose monitor to help keep her blood sugar level in a safe range after spending the weekend climbing with other kids who were wearing the devices. Parents have also reported that their kids feel a huge sense of empowerment after our events. They push themselves, they struggle, and most of them persevere. The kids (and some of their parents) get to the top of a climb at our New Hampshire outdoor event, look out over the valley, and are amazed by what they have accomplished. We come away from each event with a full heart.

We recently spent two weeks climbing as a family in the Alps and are back home dreaming about our next climbing adventure. We know that Liam’s diabetes will always be a challenge that demands planning and attention, but we are not going to let it be a limitation. Liam is now 16 years old, and we feel certain that we have instilled in him a yearning for adventure and confidence in his ability to do hard things. Climbing has been key to that life lesson.

We can be found as Rock Type 1 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and at www.rocktype1.org and rocktype1diabetes@gmail.com.