A few years ago, while living in London, a friend of mine got into wall climbing and brought me along with him. I loved it instantly and although I had let it go for a few years I’m now back into it in a big way.
In general, I love strength and conditioning exercise. With climbing, I love utilising the work I’ve put in in the gym and seeing it pay off. When people ask me what the hardest part about the sport is I say everything!
Getting down can be scarier than going up. You climb to get to the top and then when you are there you can freeze and face a fairly steep drop. Even though the floor is soft you can still injure yourself.
Perfect balance
Mentally it’s fantastic, as is all exercise. There is a great sense of achievement when you make a difficult climb. Right now I train four times a week in the gym then hit The Wall in Sandyford once a week. It’s the perfect balance to give your arms and back a chance to recover.
I would recommend it to everyone; I brought my girlfriend recently and she loved it. I see school kids going and I wish I had a facility like this when I was a kid. It really is fantastic fun.
