Get Climbing Initiative
The ‘Get Climbing’ initiative aims to make climbing more accessible to young people from economically or socially disadvantaged communities. Mountaineering Ireland is working closely with youth services and partner organisations to access young people from these communities. We aim to look at ways of breaking down barriers that would prevent them from accessing climbing walls. Participants will follow an eight week programme where they will learn the basics of climbing so that they gain the skills and confidence to climb independently at their local wall. As well as developing climbing skills, it is hoped that this project will enable participants to become part of the climbing community in the wider sense. At the moment, the ‘Get Climbing’ initiative is working with young people from Finglas and Tallaght with the hope that the programme can be expanded to other areas if funding allows.
Women With Altitude 
Approximately 50% of Mountaineering Ireland’s total membership is made up of women however research and feedback showed that a disproportionately low percentage of our female members took on leadership roles on the hills, walked and climbed independently or progressed to complete our awards. The Women With Altitude initiative was started in 2012 with the aim of increasing the skills and so the confidence of women on the hills. The initiative is centred around one annual weekend event which is based in a different part of Ireland each time. This weekend is focused on increasing participants’ levels of confidence both through trying out new activities and also consolidating existing skills. The weekend consists of both instructional and self-directed activities and also includes a number of talks and workshops. In addition to learning and improving hard skills, Women With Altitude provides a platform for the many female mountaineering role models we have in Ireland and is an ideal opportunity to meet like-minded women. The flagship weekends have resulted in smaller groups meeting up periodically during the year to enjoy the hills and crags.
Click here to go to the Women With Altitude website
Helping the Hills 
With the ever increasing popularity of our upland areas for recreational use, it has long been recognised that our hills and mountains struggle to sustain current footfall and aren't prepared for the increased usage which the near future will undoubtedly bring. This Mountaineering Ireland initiative brings together key stakeholders, recreational users, landowners and other interested parties to protect our upland areas both now and into the future. The initiative looks at providing access to expert advice on upland path development and maintenance and building awareness of the challenges which face our unique upland environment.
Click here to visit the Helping the Hills website
Aspirant Mountaineers 
Mountaineering Ireland run two weekend workshops for aspirant mountaineers each year. These workshops are geared towards MI members who are between 18 and 24 years of age. The workshop is ideal for those interested in the outdoors and in developing their mountaineering skills and cover the key skills needed for safe adventures in the mountains in both Summer and Winter conditions. Where there is demand, we also run youth meets in conjunction with the Scottish Winter Meet and Summer Alpine Meet. See our events page for upcoming workshop dates and booking details.
Youth Alpine Initiative
Mountaineering Ireland is currently reviewing options for engaging in Youth led initiatives.