Steve Hignett
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 posted on 6/8/12 at 06:45 PM |
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OT:- Is anyone on here into Rock Climbing?
Hi All,
I used to adore Rock Climbing!
I was always ver successful in the better known sports - playing most for clubs/towns/county and even representing North England and then once for
England in my time.
But when I left school/college etc a couple things happened - same things that happened to the most of the men on this forum I imagine - Girls and
beer.
So my fitness and wantonness to do any sports pretty much went out the window. Basically I was bored of most of the things I did anyway!
When I started Uni, I loved Rugby as I'd never touched a rugby ball in my life until I started at Uni and one of my drinking buddies chucked me
one - so playing rugby in the B.U.S.A Champion winning squad was a genuine trial of fire!
Anyhoo, the "sport" I loved the most was Climbing (especially indoor - don't give a stuff when people say it's not as good as
outdoors on the rock - I'm in it for the challenge, not the views...)
I started climbing at about 15, for maybe a few months and then on again at Uni where there was a club. By this point I was training hard for rugby
though and I was getting bigger and bigger week by week!
Basically the wrong shape/size/power for climbing - this is probably why I loved it so much 'cos it def did not come naturally and I had to work
hard at it!
Anyway, I was never any good, but I certainly enjoyed climbing!
Got into the E3/4's ish, but never "up there"!!!
I can't do it anymore due to my back problems, but wondered whether others enjoy climbing, indoors &/or outdoors?
I am planning on taking my son, not sure I can get a harness to fit him yet as he is 2 (and half) years old.
My local climbing centre tell me that they have a full bodied harness for hire and as long as he isn't small he should fit, they had a 4 year
old in it and that was fine and he isn't far off what most of the 3/4 years old in his classes are...
I know I'll be tempted when I go, so may have to have a look at the slab they've got there - it's technical/easy so if I try the
easy and move on to the technical, I may get away without paralysing myself!
Anyway, I was just searching t'internet for toddlers harnesses and stuff and I asked Josef (my 2.5 year old son) to have a look at a couple of
climbing videos on youtube and he said that he'd love to have a go at climbing up the fake rocks on the big rocks inside the church  
I came across this one video, and although I realise that there are millions of better climbs/climbers/videos out there, but the climb this lad does
at approx 7min 30 secs into it looks really satisfying (above my skill levels at my best, let alone now), but it just made me want to get back into
it!
Obviously please feel free to watch the entire video, or just from 7.30 onwards, either way - enjoy it and let me know you're thoughts...
Youtube climbing Vid, enjoy!
Cheers,
Steve
ps. I realise it's a bit of a nonsensical post, but just thought I'd share (read, ramble!)
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 06:52 PM |
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ps, just in case it's relevant;
My most local climbing places are:-
The North West Face
St. Annes Church
Warrington
WA2 7NE
http://www.northwestface.com/
The Rope Race
Goyt Mill,
Upper Hibbert Lane,
Marple, Stockport,
Cheshire, SK6 7HX
http://www.roperace.co.uk
And outdoors at:-
The Roaches,
"The Roaches where Buzzards fly and Wallabies still roam. The Roaches (or Roches) is a wind-carved outcrop of gritstone rocks straddling the
parishes of Leekfrith and Heathylee in the Peak District National Park about 4 miles north of Leek, Staffordshire and 8 miles south of Buxton,
Derbyshire. See Google Earth image"
http://www.roaches.org.uk/
[Edited on 6/8/12 by Steve Hignett]
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nearly done
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 06:54 PM |
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Me to,
in to climbing big time from 12 years - 20 years then the inevitable girls/beer/cars etc and I just drifted away although I used to sneek
the odd bit of scrambling in if the opportunity presented its self. About two years ago a collegue pursuaded me to go with him to one of the indoor
walls in Sheffield and all the old memories came flooding back. The surprising thing was that I could still lead at HVS standard after 20 years
(admitedly this only lasted for 30 mins or so by which time I was completely knackered!!). Really enjoyed it and I keep threatening to go to our local
wall.
Cheers, Sean.
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 06:58 PM |
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Put your ocation in your profile Sean...
I wanted to see where you were based obviously, but it will probably be of use to you in a car sense if you have other members local to you!
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MikeR
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 07:11 PM |
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used to climb indoors for a few years. never took it too seriously, just a bit of fun. can't remember if I got to 5a or 6a but that was my
ultimate limit and only did it occasionally. had to stop when I got RSI. just couldn't grip and it was very painful. RSI has subsided now but I
still have very weak wrists and hands and have put on weight / lost muscle mass. once the kids are older I May in back - still got the gear.
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T66
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 07:44 PM |
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Bloke from work, mountain guide type took me up Troutdale Pinnacle about 5 years ago. thoroughly enjoyed it. Thats not me btw
We ended up (4 of us) sitting on the top of it, bit tight for room but the exposure was tremendous. I didnt really understand why folk climbed, till I
did that. Now I do...
A quality hobby
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 08:04 PM |
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I used to do a lot of outdoor climbing in my early teens. I gave it up to concentrate on throwing shot and disc.
I loved it though and my little monkey would love a go I reckon, please keep us updated on how josef gets on.
Build Blog
Build Photo Album
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 08:13 PM |
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Will do Liam...
Ivan, I always used to dislike the guys (and girls) that gave the same old same old answer to "Why climb a mountain" with "because
it's there"...
There is SO MUCH MORE to it than that...
The first time I solo climbed a HVS in a quarry that had an overhang (knowing that I wouldn't be able to climb down if I got stuck!) was an
unbelievable feeling!
I didn't have a guide book on me, but I was staring and staring at this climb for ages - I had spent about an hour traversing round whilst I
waited for my Dad to perfect his knot tying with a couple Uni friends of his who were all taking their SPSA - and I eventually went for it... (My dad
went back to Uni as a mature student to become a Math teacher with Outdoor Ed as his second subject. It was because of this that I got into it).
My dad gave me such a bollocking (I was about 14 or 15 I think) and he really laid into with "do you know what your mother would have done to me
if you fell!" LOL
Looking back (now I have a child of my own), I feel a bit guilty that I just popped my head over the edge where they were practicing all there rope
work and said Hi like it was nothing...
To be fair, once I looked in the guidebook and realised it was a HVS, I don't think I would have done it if I'd known...
Liam, if I buy any gear Liam, and Josef grows out of it, I'll keep it to one side foy you matey
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Slimy38
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 08:18 PM |
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I used to indoor climb up until very recently, when unfortunately I broke my partner. (Well, I didn't break him, his back gave out so he
stopped!). I was getting pretty good actually, managed one grade 7 climb with only a little bit of rest halfway up. 6's were my standard
climbing fodder, I used to climb quite a few routes in an evening. I reckon I'd be struggling on a 3 at the moment!!
I started climbing at the big climbing wall in Warwick Uni, but then my job moved to Derby so I moved to a converted church near the centre of Derby.
There's also another one south of Birmingham that I went to a few times, that had by far the best climbs as they had decent textures walls
rather than just flat sandpaper. I did go a few times to the one in Wolverhampton (my home town) but I believe that's moved now?
There's definitely nothing like it, as my mate used to say 'there are only three sports. Bullfighting, motor racing and climbing. The rest
are just games.' So it's quite apt that a post about climbing is on Locostbuilders, all we need now is a bullfighter!!
I'd love to get back into it to be honest, so if there is anyone near Wolverhampton who wouldn't mind picking it up, or even existing
climbers who need a partner I'd definitely be up for it.
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 08:29 PM |
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Thanks for your post S38...
I am a little restricted on time with having a young cild at the moment, but if you are ever up this way, or fancy coming up for day/evening etc then
I'd be more than happy to go somewhere round here with you...
The North West Face (Warrington) is very good, but I used to prefer the Rope Race in Marple, Stockport.
If you did want to have a crack at it, round here, I'm more than happy to put you up for the night, but I live in a 2 bed house with three
people, so a blow-up bed in the lounge is the best I could offer I'm afraid!
If a few of you wanted to do it, I'm more than happy to make a day/night of it and do a BBQ or something???
(offer open to anyone)
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rgrs
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 08:39 PM |
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Before I had kids I was an MLTB instructor, the problem with smaller kids is finding a harness, petzl make the ouititsi
Linky however it often didn't go small enough. If you add a caving
waist belt as well it works well and will be ok for a good few years.
My 4 year old is only just big enough to fit it correctly. Needs to be full body until they get a waist.
Roger
Edited due to iPhone spelling
[Edited on 8/6/2012 by rgrs]
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rotax78
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 08:59 PM |
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Steve my daughter goes to Rope race in Marple every Friday. she's been going a couple of years and just had her eleventh birthday, I know there
was a lad of about 5 there when she started. The instructors are really good with the kids, they have an awards type system and sometimes take them on
an outdoor climb, they have loads of different walls and a couple of bouldering rooms, she LOVES IT!!!
 
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Steve Hignett
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 09:14 PM |
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Thanks rgrs and rotax!
I am currently watching 3 Petzl harnesses on ebay.
I can hire one for £2.50 which when you don't know if he's going o enjoy it is probably more sensible as I am very (VERY!) skint at the
moment. I always prefer to have my own stuff anyway...
Thanks for the advice re the full body harnesses - it's something I knew already, but you can never have too much advice when talking about the
safety of a child I guess!!! I have some 1" thick webbing from a previous job, so if there was any doubt that the harness may slip anywhere I
can add to the full body with a bit more triangulation so that it def would not slip off.
According the the North West Face when I phoned them earlier rotax, they would only take a child in their "club" when they are 6 years old
and older.
I assume Rope Race has a similar rule due to insurance and so on, but there more than happy for me to take him there and I'm pretty
experienced... That probably means that the 5 ish kid your daughter went with was prob 6, but as above, they were more than happy for me to be
responsible for him.
They also made it clear, right from the start, that I only expected me to pay for him. Once again something I already knew, but nice to think that the
staff aren't trying to rip you off...
If I am well enough (going through a bad stage with my back for the last fortnight and still currently) come this weekend, I think I'll take him
to North West Face for an hour. Milenah, my wife, can do the shopping in the mahoosive Tesco's next door if she gets bored, but knowing Milenah,
she'll love seeing our lad trying to get up there (as long as he does enjoy it of course!)
Actually quite excited at the thought of it all now!
I remember when I'd completed my first half decent climb (prob about my third trip to the Roaches with my Dad) and I had a go at him for not
getting me into it when I was a bit younger!!!
He didn't even go there, so it was a tad harsh of me to say the least, and of course I always have it in my mind that I don't want to push
my kid into somehting he doesn't want to do (as my mom did with me!), but I'd love it if he enjoyed climbing as I think it's a very
rewarding sport.
I made an "indoor wall" (yes, a very bad one) in my parents loft, I think I'll go and get all the panels down and set them up in my
back yard for him to mess about on!!!
Am I a bit Sad? LOL
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ceebmoj
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 09:52 PM |
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Don't forget awesome walls in Stockport
http://www.awesomewalls.co/
Trees, climbing fames and scrambeling are allso a good start for young ones
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trextr7monkey
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| posted on 6/8/12 at 09:59 PM |
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When my lad was small we used to use a chest harness so he couldn't fallout and until he got going tended to work on slabs or boulders, quite a
long time ago now!
atb
Mike
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14016102@N00/ (cut and paste this dodgey link)
Our most recent pics are here:
http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/trextr7monkey/
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twybrow
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| posted on 7/8/12 at 12:33 AM |
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I regularly (well as often as I can) climb both indoors and out. Have been doing it properly for 3 years now, and tonight I did a lead 6a+ for the
first time...! I climb outside down at Portland, inside at Calshot (Southampton) and I have also been to Fontainebleau (the most amazing bouldering
location in the world!) - in fact I am off there again for the bank holiday weekend (anybody who likes climbing and amazing scenery should go there -
it is stunning).
I also love mountains and mountaineering. A group of us took on the mighty Mont Blanc last year, and sadly were beaten back by a storm blowing in 400m
from the top. We were also unfortunate to witness at very close hand, how it can all go horribly wrong on the infamous Grand Colouir - that really
made me question what I was doing putting myself in so much objective danger.... But I still I love climbing and mountains soooo much! - and just wish
I had time and fitness to do it more often!
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ChrisL
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| posted on 7/8/12 at 02:34 PM |
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I used to climb in my late teens and twenties, spent a great summer in Chamonix doing all sorts of crazy stuff, and some climbing ;-), but gradually
had less time for it. Like the idea of getting my boy into it, should lead him into mountaineering too. He's only 18 months but by the sound of
it will be able to climb in a year or two.
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