Unsecure chicken perches

[snowberry]

Anyone who knows me would fall around with laughter at the idea of me want to try rock climbing....

I'm just thinking that I'm such a wuss at life in general. I can't swim, I'm scared of heights. Just doing the coastpath is scary for me! I just thought that it may help me overcome my absurd fear of heights (& also help get some of that fat off my middle )

Has anyone else tried it or does it as a hobby?

[superkitty]

I climbed for about 4 years as my main hobby. I loved it. LOVED IT. This was about 10 years ago, in my early 30's - but my mum and dad also climbed (we all got into it together!) and they were in their 50's at the time. I still miss it now

 

I started at an indoor climbing wall and ended up leading HVS climbs in Wales, climbing in France, all sorts. If you get into it, it is FAB. Pretty expensive with all the kit, but by that point I was hooked and managed to s"Ooops, word censored!"e together the money I needed each time I have never felt the same combination of adrenalin, terror, achievement, focus and just general 'I can conquer the world!' as I did every time I climbed. It's like nothing else.

 

If you have an indoor climbing wall anywhere near you, I'd say the best place to start is there - they'll run beginners courses that teach you the basics of climbing and (v important) safety stuff. By the time you finish the course, you'll be fitter, braver....and you'll know whether you're hooked or not

 

I say go for it! But then I am biased

[Angie]

Hahahahahahaha. just a little giggle..

I have always been scared of heights, i mean real scared !

It never dawned on me that when i did the silly thing like joined the army did it ever...ever mean i would have to climb or absail.

Till we stood at the foot of a wall of stone some 150 feet. This mass of grey stone was just there and i was going to have to go up it . but first we were going to take a walk to the top and come down it. Oh my goodness i practically had to be man handled up that hill.

Thirty enthusiastic ladies got all excited and put on their carabinas and actually queued up to go down.....not me the kindly instructor let me sit five feet from the edge watching everyone else go down. All i can say is i felt so ill that the instructor asked his nice partner had anyone died of heart failure doing this, because he thought i looked as though i may be the first.

It came to my turn and i knew i had to go over that face of rock,my legs hardly held me despite having great confidence in the nice sergeant that was talking me over and down this lump of rock. He said we are just going to sit back and walk down the rock, and that is what we did walked inch by tiny inch over that drop. It took twenty minutes and i was wet through , when my feet hit the floor I couldn't stand up but sat on the soft grass. And because i did so well. I had to go right back up and do it again. I can honestly say that climbing up that rock was far easier .

I have a very healthy respect for heights and narrow ledges but i never sat at the back when we had to absail again not even up a 200 foot tower .I used to enjoy coming down......but i am sure my instructor has never forgotten my first trip over the rock.

You go and give it ago it will be fun i promise, you are attatched to a good rope and you can not fall.....go to it .

[patsylabrador]

I'm too much of a scaredy cat to do anything involving rocks and cliffs but I thought I'd share this photo of my ES. I love the time thingy as he loops over. Luckily for me he doesn't do BASE jumping anymore. It was off a fiord in Norway and sadly the lad that took the picture was KIA.

 

 

 

[Purplemaniacs]

What a fantastic photo. So sad.

 

Such things are not for me, the lift at Leicester Space Centre was enough for me, normally I would have used the stairs but I had a group of four and five year olds with me on school trip so I had no choice

 

Chrissie

[snowberry]

That is a great photo isn't it?!

Angie, your story inspires me that there is hope!

[jjmack]

Theres an indoor climbing centre near Tavistock in Devon, not far from the A30 if that helps - google it and if can't find it dreckly then look up NICAS as they are part of that scheme.

 

We live in the Midalnds and my son started climbing last year (he is fearless so more for safety training than anything else) We love going to watch him and are planning a family outdoor climb later this year with the instructors for the centre we go to.

 

Its fab and worth trying