BalanceJuneIssue2017 - 18

guide

Indoor
climbing

TO...

Life on the edge
gives Jamie
an impressive
adrenaline rush

Scaling lots of
vertical walls
is surprisingly
sociable, says
Jamie Glassman

photography by JACOB K

THE CASTLE CLIMBING CENTRE, FINSBURY PARK

he first time you take both hands
off the climbing wall and dangle
by a rope 20ft (OK, 15) above the

ground you'll get a really strange feeling
in your gut, if you're anything like me.
The technical term is 'heebie-jeebies'.
It means you're putting your trust in
a stretch of rope, a harness and a bearded
instructor called Joe, who you met about
four minutes earlier during a taster
session at The Castle Climbing Centre
(castle-climbing.co.uk).

body shape is more suited to darts... or
eating. The fully buff seem to gravitate
towards bouldering. There were plenty
of bare torsos on the bouldering walls.
It's basically climbing without ropes
and never more than 3m off the ground.

HARD AS RO CK

I was way out of my comfort zone
and could practically hear the adrenaline
coursing round my body. It was a buzz
- the kind of buzz some might get from
jumping out of a plane with a moth-eaten
parachute. I just happened to be 15ft off
the ground in Finsbury Park. OK, 12.
On the physical side, climbers seem to
have plenty of upper body strength and
a rock solid core. It's fair to say I'm not

Bouldering seems to have all the things
I like about climbing, without the
heights that I'm not at all scared of.
But Joe pointed out I had it wrong.
Bouldering may feel safer, but you're
more likely to hurt yourself if you're on
a boulder without a rope than if you're
way up high on a climbing wall.
'Twisted ankles, twisted knees,
dislocated shoulders, the odd broken
back...' he added. 'I shouldn't be telling
you this - it might put you off,' he said.
Safety is paramount at this place
- if you haven't climbed before, you'll
need a five-hour course.
The Castle was built in 1855 as a

the ideal body shape for climbing - my

water pumping station, but you

FE E L T H E BUZZ

Climbers
in action

won't believe what it's like inside.
Multicoloured walls covered in climbers
and a really friendly community vibe.
The one-hour taster session costs
£24 and I can't recommend it highly
enough. Tell Joe I sent you. He won't
know what on earth you're talking
about, but tell him anyway. B
HAVE A GO!

LEVEL
Suitable for
all abilities

Life coach

COST
£12.50 a visit
for over-18s

TIME
Two to three
hours a time

OPERATION
MOTIVATION

'We all know we should
move more, but sometimes
we find ourselves lacking
motivation. If this is you,
start by writing down the benefits of exercising.
Ask yourself what difference it would make to
your self-esteem and energy levels if you were
healthier? The next step is to find an activity you
enjoy. There's no point telling yourself you're
going to go running if you hate it and will keep
putting it off. And switch your internal dialogue
to positive speak that motivates you.'

CORNER

EMPOWERMENT COACH,
AUTHOR AND BLOGGER
SONIAGREYSONNEWMAN.COM

BALANCE June 2017

ILLUSTRATION: GEMMA CORRELL GROOMING: VICTORIA BOND JAMIE WEARS: SHOES, HARNESS AND ROPE BY GO OUTDOORS, SHORTS BY REEBOK

ST T I M E

http://castle-climbing.co.uk http://www.SONIAGREYSONNEWMAN.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BalanceJuneIssue2017