Climbing and Abseiling FAQ

If you are brand new or a seasoned pro, then you need to put your trust in your safety gear.

Whether you are climbing 10 feet or 150 feet then you need to have trust that the safety gear is there to protect you. If you can have that feeling of safety, then you will enjoy your climbing or abseiling experience a lot more.

If you are brand new to climbing and abseiling then you will want to go along to a climbing centre near you to learn the basics in a safe environment before heading out. Maybe you will want to get some lessons or go along to one of the many experience days listed on Let’s Go Out where you will be given a fully trained instructor to help you and to show you the ropes. One thing you will need to make sure you do at all times is listen and this applies whether you are brand new or a seasoned pro and climbing with your friends.

Your lower body is much stronger than your upper body, just look at the size of your legs in comparison to the size of your arms. When climbing you want to be using your legs to push your way up, or to lower you down if abseiling, and then use your arms to support your upper body. If you just try and use your arms, you will soon get tired and have to stop. Whilst your legs are used to carry you and will keep going for much longer than your arms.

You also want something climbers call “quiet feet”. What this means is that when most people start climbing their feet are all over the place and dancing when they need to be nice and calm and slow. There is no rush when climbing and it is down to skill more than speed. The next time you go climbing take your time, find your route and enjoy the experience with quiet feet.

Racing your Go kart like a pro. When you get shown around your go kart the venue will show you which side is the brake and accelerator. When you sit in the go kart you will have one leg either side of the steering wheel, and each leg will control either the brake or the accelerator. As you race you can only use one pedal at a time otherwise you will either lose speed or spin the go kart as you go round the corners. This will give you valuable seconds over the other go karts and help you win.

When you go climbing or abseiling you will need to remember to breathe, now this may sound obvious. But when you first go you will find yourself holding your breath sometimes without even thinking about it. All you need to do is take your time, trust your safety gear, as the clue is in the name, and remember to breathe. When you go for your experience the first time, you may find you get Elvis Leg, this is when your leg will start shaking, and this is a sign that you are not getting enough oxygen in your body, if this happens just take a minute to stop. Get your breathing right with some deep breathing and remember to use your core and legs as you climb.

The fastest climb of the highest mountain in the world Mount Everest is held by Pemba Dorje from Nepal and who is also a Nepalese Sherpa Mountaineer. He climbed althe way from Base Camp to the Summit of Everest at a height of 8,849 meters (29,032 feet) in just 8 hours and 10 minutes. This is just amazing when you think it takes the average person around 2 months from arriving at base camp as your body needs a lot of time to get used to altitude sickness. The climb itself does not take 2 months, but if you was planning to climb then you would need that amount of time to get your body used to the altitude and also wait for the right weather.

For the first time ever climbing is going to be an Olympic Sport from 2021. This was going to happen in 2020, but due to the year we all had this was cancelled and moved to 2021. The teams are going to be made up of 20 male and 20 female climbers from all over the world, and will be speed, lead and bouldering

This one may sound crazy, but when you think about it does make perfect sense. As like any fear you have once you face it head-on you realize that there was nothing to fear in the first place This is no different to your fear of spiders or enclosed spaces, none of those things are going to hurt you, and it’s the same with climbing. You have the knowledge of the safety gear being there to protect you, so even if you fall, your safety gear will help to protect you. If you have a fear of heights of falling then get your self along to your local climbing centre or experience day and give it a go, you will be nervousv at first but by the end of it you will wonder why you were ever scared and will have a new love.

The great thing about this sport is it can be as safe or risky as you like, and as you get better then you can increase the challenge along with your skills. Like any sport or experience the first few times you do it you will be given all of the safety gear including a helmet, harness and a safety rope. These will be controlled by your instructor as you climb up or abseil down so that you can just focus on what you are doing and have a great time.

This is a common misunderstanding with both climbing and abseiling as everyone thinks it’s all done in the arms, which is completely wrong as mentioned above. With both activities it is mainly all done with your legs, as your legs are far stronger then your arms. Don’t get us wrong you will be using your arms as well, but this is more for grip and balance at first, as you get better you will start to use your arms more, but at first it’s all about your legs and getting your footing right as well as working out your route and problem solving as you climb.

This is a great question and one you just need to think about as you will be wearing a safety harness and also a helmet. So for the ladies don’t wear a dress or a skirt, as you will also be climbing higher than everyone on the ground, so you may want to wear trousers, leggings or shorts. It's also recommended that you do not wear earrings as you do not want to get then caught when you are climbing or abseiling as this will be painful. Most venues will ask you to remove them anyway. Also ensure you wear comfortable trainers, as you will need to be able to feel the surface when you are climbing, and if you wear boots or even worst high heels then you will not be able to feel much at all.

Great, as there is no better way to get over your fear then to face it head on. So get your experience booked and have a great time. You will be wearing all of the safety gear which will help to keep you safe. And you will be with fully trained instructors who are used to dealing with people with a fear of heights. This is one of the most common fears going and is perfectly natural, and the more you push your limits the more comfortable you will be with it for the next time.