Rock Climbing with an Ostomy Bag: Seeking Advice and Experiences

A while ago, I went to a local rock climbing gym to see if I could climb with my old rock climbing harness and, at that time, relatively new urostomy bag. I climbed about ten feet high and then sat back in the harness, off the wall, shifting all my weight to the harness. It rode up my waist and into the seal of my bag—by the time I got home, it was leaking. The waist belt was cinched as tight as could be before I started, but once it was weighted, there was no stopping it from shifting up into the bag. I'd love to hear from anyone who has managed to continue to climb on rope with an urostomy bag. My daughter loaned me a chest harness (she's a climbing arborist), but I'm really concerned about the force any fall would place on my ribs with a chest harness.

I wish I had some advice, but I don't. I do hope someone here can help.

Hi. I don't have a urostomy, but I have an ileostomy and climbed before I had my surgery. I have climbed ever since and, fortunately, haven't had any trouble with a harness. I bought a new one, so it might be worth going and trying a few different ones to see if a different brand/shape is better. I also boulder a lot, too, and this avoids the need for a harness completely, so it might be worth exploring, even if you are a routes man more than a problem man! Just being able to move on rock is so wonderful that I would take any way I can. Good luck and don't give up!

Thank you! I will take your advice and go shopping! I have bouldered, and it's okay—I have much more fun climbing single and multiple pitches. My son is an accomplished mountain guide, and I really love climbing with him and his friends. I wonder what harness you are using now? Have you fallen on it?

Sigh. I miss rock climbing & rappelling. Trying to regain enough strength. Still hike all over. Negro Bill's Canyon Moab, UT

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Hi, same here. I also have an ileostomy, so I'm not sure about urostomy, but I have been back climbing for 4 months now and have regained enough strength to do sport climbing as well, which I was not sure I could do again. I always wear a support belt, and before my surgery, I had a talk with my stoma nurse to make sure the harness would not be in the way. I practice falling every time, and it feels pretty secure in my abdominal area. It took some adjustment at the beginning, but it was totally worth it.
All the best to you!

Thanks, Dom! I actually brought my climbing harness and a sprayskirt with me when I met with the ostomy nurse before surgery to make sure the stoma wouldn't interfere—and it doesn't. The problem is that the harness belt, which sits well below the stoma, rides up into the seal of the bag when I load it with a take or if I were to fall. Is the "support belt" you mentioned a hernia belt of some sort, and does that provide enough friction to hold the climbing harness belt in place? I assume the climbing harness belt goes over the support belt, or is the support belt a device for supporting the weight of your ostomy bag (so it would be well above the climbing harness belt)? I apologize for all these questions—I'm just trying to figure out what will work. I'm whitewater kayaking as well as ever after making some equipment adjustments. I wonder what adjustment you made—are you referring to your gear or technique?

For me, the climbing harness sits above the stoma and doesn't interfere with my abdominal area (the stoma is a bit lower than the belly button on the right side). The support belt is a hernia belt; I use it mostly as a prevention when lead/sport climbing for taking falls. Most fall impacts are usually taken in the back area of the harness, and really, the hernia belt is here just in case. If I do top rope climbing, I don't feel I need to wear it. Maybe you could look into a bigger harness that would sit over the stoma?

The adjustments I was referring to are related to stoma products. I have had my stoma since October, and it took a bit to find the best fit. I wanted to make sure I would be able to get back to the activities I loved pre-stoma without having to worry about leaks, etc. Looks like I am good with this now.
I try not to eat just before climbing, just a banana before a session if I need some energy. I drink lots of water and some coconut water during the session. I have only been back climbing since April and am so happy to be able to do it again. Let me know how you go, and do not hesitate to ask me if you have any questions. It was super daunting at the beginning, and I found it difficult to find information online.

Thank you so much, Dom! My stoma is much higher than yours: I couldn't tolerate something over my stoma (that's why I had to replace all my whitewater skirts and dry tops with larger waist sizes—the days of snug whitewater gear are over!) and if I placed it above, it would be around my ribs—which would be brutal in a fall! I have been thinking of using a hernia belt under my harness belt, thinking that it might provide enough friction to keep the harness belt in place. I also thought that maybe I could devise tabs or hooks on the hernia belt that would fit over the top edge of the harness belt and keep it from sliding up. An old friend is a mechanical engineer, and I was thinking of challenging him! I'll let you know what I come up with. In the meantime, I really appreciate your encouragement. For what it's worth, I'm a much more accomplished whitewater kayaker than climber. And, like you, I had to start slow in the course of my recovery. At this point, though, I think I'm actually a better boater than I was before surgery: because I had to build up my strength and recover my technique from the foundation on up, my conditioning and my technique are now better. The experience of working through all this, furthermore, has made me so appreciative and also somewhat more fearless so that I feel really confident going through scary drops! I hope you experience something similar as you make your way back!

I agree, getting back into any kind of sport after going through health issues is challenging, but such a rewarding experience! The muscle memory, the mindset, I am so very grateful every day to be able to climb again…

I wish you all the best; enjoy!

When I worked, a lot of manual labor and

close proximity to materials, a similar incident occurred. I realized I had to protect the bag.

I obtained a belt/shield from stoma gear. It comes in 3 sizes.