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Climbing Beyond Cancer - Background and Programme Aims

There is strong evidence that exercise is highly beneficial in a cancer journey - it's not an "add on", it’s part of treatment!

The most active people with cancer have 40-50% lower mortality than others*
A randomized trial of structured exercise for people with colon cancer** improved survival by 37% and reduced recurrence by 28%
Exercise is one of the most powerful interventions in oncology, but it is under-utilized.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but we believe climbing is a safe and beneficial form of exercise for people with cancer! 

This is a much less researched question, but there is emerging evidence

A randomized trial of an 8-week climbing program showed safety (no adverse events) and retention of interest with 84% attendance.***
Physical benefit: improved physical function**** and mental benefit: better mental health, leading to overall higher quality of life!
Climbing helps people stick to exercise. It improves physical and mental health.*****

Over the past four years, Climbers Against Cancer has funded 8 'Climbing Beyond Cancer' programmes around the world:
Here’s some reporting of our latest Climbing Beyond Cancer programs in Manchester: Participant Experiences, Programme Review, Case Study, 
…and from some of our programs in Canada and France:

We’ve come to the conclusion that Climbing is a great exercise therapy for those living with and beyond cancer – here’s why: Benefits of Climbing Beyond Cancer

We’ve got an ambition to deliver ten more of these programmes around the world in 2026/27 - each taking place over a period of four to six months, bringing together a group of around 20 people on a cancer journey to discover the joy and potential health benefit of climbing, and the community that comes with that. As well as aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of 200 people, we also aim to collect systematic evidence to demonstrate the power of Climbing Beyond Cancer, and to build enough awareness and momentum that the programme survives and thrives. We're looking to build a movement!

This application form is for organisations who want to partner with CAC to make this happen. You could be a local charity, climbing wall or an ad hoc group of climbers. Tell us how you plan to make it happen! 

The Shape of a Typical Climbing Beyond Cancer Programme

We’re settling on a format for a ‘standardised’ Climbing Beyond Cancer program which seems to work – this might look like this (subject to local variations to suit need / facilities / availability of volunteers etc). These are guidelines - we're open to your ideas and innovations, but want to retain enough similarity between the programmes so we can combine evidence and learning across them:

• A group of around 20 people living with and beyond cancer - no expectation that they have climbed before, but also we’ve found it can be good to have a few people who have
• No restrictions on whereabouts people are in their ‘cancer journey’ but likely that most will be post-surgery. Underlying philosophy of ‘Screen the activity – not the participant’. Great if health / care professionals can be involved but participants take on the responsibility for clearing participation with their health / care providers.
• Allow ‘plus ones’ eg a friend or family member – some participants will be confident to attend the sessions alone, and may welcome the challenge, but others may find a 'plus one' helps overcome anxiety on joining, and spreads the benefit to family members who are also impacted by the cancer journey
• Circa 10 to 12 x 2-hour sessions, perhaps fortnightly, to build a sense of community and continuity. Pilots so far have been delivered at an indoor climbing wall, but in areas with access to outdoor climbing and better weather the sessions could be outdoors.
• A suggestion that the programme might take place over the winter months, say November through to April, (maybe evening or weekend – depends what suits the target community and fits with the wall) – good distraction when outdoor exercise becomes less attractive and mood can dip
• Ideally roped climbing (rather than bouldering) – builds an additional skill acquisition element; encourages a sense of partnership; and brings a feeling of security from the rope and achievement from reaching the top
• Finishing with a ‘grand finale’ one-day outdoor climbing event – benefits of connection with nature; a reward / incentive for sticking with the program; a chance to take new skills into a new environment as the next step in the ‘Climb Beyond Cancer’
• Use some kind of discussion / chat platform (eg WhatsApp or similar) to connect the group and help build community
• We plan to collect evidence from participants in a consistent way across all of these programmes (so hopefully around 200 participants) using a light-touch approach, probably a 5mins questionnaire at the start and end of the program with the option to add personal stories / experiences. We will provide the questionnaie and analysis, but would look to you to encourage completion.
• We would also expect an 'end of programme' report from the organiser, indicating participation rates and lessons learned that can be used to improve future programmes further.
• Bringing these together, we can hopefully start to make the case for why Climbing Beyond Cancer really isn’t a crazy idea after all!

Those are our ideas, but we're keen to hear yours too - please complete the form to explain how you will deliver Climbing Beyond Cancer for YOUR community.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING

Application assessment
Decisions by the Climbers Against Cancer (CAC) to fund projects and programmes of work, are subject to a formal decision-making process. We will assess your project application on the basis of this form and any supporting documents you submit, which are designed to give us all the information we need about your organisation, the project you are applying for and the proposed budget.
We will pay particular attention to how your project fits within and assists the delivery of our charitable purposes. For more information on this please visit www.climbersagainstcancer.org.
If we are not able to make a final decision based on the information provided, then we may contact you for further information.
You will be notified of our decision formally in writing. If your application is not successful, we will provide you with feedback at the same time as the decision or as soon as possible afterwards.
Please note that any expenditure that you incur or commit to prior to formal notification is entirely at your own risk.

Data
By signing this application form, you agree that CAC can use the information provided in this application form and other supporting information you provide to us to:
• assess your application and decide whether to award your project grant funding
• hold on file and use for statistical and analysis purposes

Promotion
If we offer you a grant, we may publish information about your organisation and the activity we have funded, including the amount of the grant. This information may appear in media releases, in our print and online publications.

You should therefore tell us what if any of the information you have provided is confidential and provide reasons for this - see section 14.h.

In dating, signing and submitting this application form you confirm that the information provided is correct and that any grant awarded will be used exclusively for the purposes described, unless variations are agreed in writing with CAC.

Climbing can be tailored to be beneficial to most people at any stage of a cancer journey, so screening / adapting the activity rather than screening out participants is encouraged. Having said that, people on a cancer journey will have specific needs including in terms of their physical capacity, effects of medication / treatment and need for emotional support. CAC is developing guidance to help organisations involved in delivering Climbing Beyond Cancer to understand and adapt to these needs - as the programme develops and we learn we will continuously update this guidance: Guidance

The approach will depend on the resources available.

At a minimum, participants should complete a liability waiver and record their personal decision to participate (ideally include a simple intake form that allows participants to list their diagnosis, physical concerns, side effects, so instructors have some key information. People generally know their condition and needs very well, and will report if given the anonymous option to do so in the name of safety).

Ideally this will be supported by a healthcare provider “sign off/referral”, but this is not always easy due to healthcare staffing shortages and poor access to providers outside of regular appointments.

Having a more formal screening/intake form that is reviewed by an exercise professional would be ideal, although connection to a university or other partner would be required to make this feasible.