Monkey tries to hold on

"So is this a side-pull or what?"

If you're a regular indoor climber, this should be a familiar scenario.

You're making the plunge, trying your hands on that route a grade higher than your current comfort zone. You psyche yourself up, even though on the back of your mind you know you're probably not going to make it. You start making your ascent thinking "This is not so bad", and then it hits you.

"I'm supposed to touch this with my HAND?"

Disclaimer: This post focuses on indoor holds mainly.

Monkey Judges your Belay

"Just calling to check. You wanted slack, right?"

I said previously that Rock Climbing is a pretty safe sport - since over 50% of the sport is about safety.

Of course, safety only works if it's taken seriously. So today, I'll talk about belaying.

If you don't already know how to belay, get lessons from qualified instructors before reading on - I'm not going to teach you how over the internet.

Also, I don't care if your friend knows how to belay - unless they've been trained to be an instructor, don't blag free lessons off them - it'd be like asking a bomb disposable expert how to defuse a single bomb and then head to the war zone, instead of learning how explosives and detonation devices work.

Kiaran Ponders Projects

That Guy looks familiar (maybe even attractive)... Oh wait it's me!

Monkey:

Part of the fun of climbing is that you're constantly making new friends. Sucks if you have the memory of a wet sponge like me when it comes to people's names, but who needs to remember passwords when you can just etch it on your laptop?

Well recently I've met this upcoming talent Kiaran, or Kenan or Kel. Anyway, he wants to join in this blogging lark. So please give him a warm welcome.

Take it away Kiaran.

Firstly I better say hi! My name's Kiaran, I climb and Stan is letting me post on his blog (not quite sure he understands what he's let himself in for...)

Monkey ignores his Lovebird

Lovebirds are smug creatures,
just look at the background...

According to Skip (what a suitable name for a climber), I'm at the disadvantage with rock climbing; according to Gravity (which I may name my son one day), I'm at the advantage, so it all balances out I guess.

Like most climbers, I didn't understand the concept of climbing with your feet. What I lacked in skills, I made up for with my unfound confidence in my climbing abilities my the early days of climbing.