A long long time ago...

Just as everyone was getting ready for the Olympics in Tokyo, I decided that I wouldn’t be flying this year (due to the climate emergency) and so opted out of attending IRCRA 2020, also in Tokyo. I had a brilliant experience in the Chamonix 2018 Congress – where else can you find five whole days dedicated to the latest advances in climbing research – so I felt a bit torn about it. However, the planet is more important than my CPD, so I asked whether they might offer the congress via zoom or as a webinar, but at the time that wasn’t felt to be an option.

The landscape has undoubtedly changed now. Suddenly, you can’t move for online CPD opportunities and educators are having to become au fait with technology to make their events accessible. This can only be a good thing as far as the planet is concerned (though I acknowledge that even digital leaves a carbon footprint), but also it should help conferences become more accessible to those with disabilities and with less disposable income, where travel, venue accessibility, and accommodation may all have been insurmountable barriers previously. I really hope that IRCRA 2021 can get online, so that more coaches and instructors who could never have afforded getting to Tokyo can benefit from the fantastic opportunity it presents to hear researchers from all over the world talking about cutting edge climbing research.

I’ve been meaning to post my presentation up here for ages, so here it is now. It may not make a lot of sense without the narrative to go with it, but if it piques your interest, then feel free to get in touch and we can have a conversation about the ideas, research and evaluation contained in it.

Rebecca