Falkland Islander Lisa Watson is a keen boulderer and editor of the Falklands local newspaper. She and her partner Jonny Summers are on a mission to build the Islands first bouldering gym. So what’s it like climbing in the Falklands?
Looking for a venue for gritstone climbing? Want to be bathed in sunshine all year round, out of the wind and midge free? If so then you need to head to the south of the peak district, as Pule Hill might be a fantastic climbing venue, but its elevation can lead it to be misty and windy most of the year. That said it does provide some fantastic climbing all year round.
The weather is getting warmer and if you’re like me you are getting excited about getting outdoor climbing again.
More women on film! That's what we're aiming for in the work we've done over three years with the BMC, running the Women in Adventure Film Competition. This year's shortlisted films have been announced and the great news is that you can go and watch every...
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A lot of people love a good buff. This versatile loop of fabric, created in the 1990s by a keen off-road motorcyclist, is the staple of many climbers and outdoorsy people. It’s for good reason. The buff is a multifunctional piece of clothing, which can...
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Do you enjoy climbing but want to develop further skills and strength but don’t really know where to start? Gimme Kraft by Patrick Matros, Ludwig “Dicki” Korb and Hannes Huch is a comprehensive guide to getting fitter and stronger for all types of climbing.
“How do I get stronger?… train most efficiently?…what exercises make the most sense?” are questions set out in the introduction. These questions are readily answered in a compact, enjoyable and motivating training manual.
In a world where climate change is a real threat us climbers have to do our part to keep the environment we inhabit, and let’s be honest, take advantage of for our own pleasure, safe.
Sometimes it is easy to forget to do certain things to maintain a fun but environmentally responsible balance but it’s actually pretty simple!
The UK has some fantastic locations for ice climbing, but what if you live a long way from the mountains and your time is short? There’s a growing number of indoor ice climbing facilities where you can hone your skills before heading out on an adventure in the mountains. Have you tried them and fancy writing us a review?
Love: the soft inner & general feel
What I would change: Women-specific or Slender-hand fit
Price: £65.99
Dry hands, that luxury above all luxuries, on a day out in rainy hills. However ‘waterproof’ any glove proclaims to be, it’s simply not possible to keep them dry when there’s a stonking great hole to shove your soggy hands into. Most gloves have been disappointing in one way or another. I therefore went into this review experiment with very low expectations. My review is of the Trespass Shino unisex Adult GLX Glove in size XS/S, which boasts the following features:
I am super excited about an upcoming trip to Norway when I’ll get to up my game from Scottish Winter Mountaineering and get out on easy water ice for the first time. I’m lucky to live not too far away from Vertical Chill Ice Wall in Manchester, so I headed over to learn the techniques needed for climbing ice and get some tips for the extra gear I might need.
In November 2016, Rebecca Coles and Simon Verspeak made a first ascent of Lasarmu La, a 6246m Peak in the far West of Nepal. Rebecca talks about the ups and downs, the highs and lows of her expedition in this remote area of Nepal. How...
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Traditionally, mountaineering has been a man’s world. Especially winter mountaineering. When you pair this up with a natural tendency for us to link up with people we already know, or people who are ‘like us’, it’s not difficult to see why we choose instructors who...
Read MoreUPDATE: In light of changes to the Yoga Studio App, please be aware that the app is no longer a one-time purchase app and operates on a subscription model. Previous purchasers of the app have paid for the app and subsequently had their access revoked, subject to paying a monthly subscription.
We can no longer recommend the app on the basis that the fundamental basis of our original review has changed. Please see comments below, from customers.
Ever thought about taking up yoga as a way of improving your flexibility and core strength, but can’t seem to get yourself to a class? There’s loads of free yoga apps on the market for smart phones so we’ve reviewed Yoga Studio to see if paying for a yoga app is really worth it.
Returning to climbing after an injury or recovery from surgery can be daunting, let alone frustrating and often maddening. Your mind is telling you to hop on the routes you were on prior to the injury but your body is unable to emulate how it worked before.
Do you find yourself sending boulder problems but having to take rests on longer routes? Do you have to shake out a lot on longer routes and find yourself shouting “take!” a little too often? If so then you might want to train your endurance.
[caption id="attachment_3014" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Emily Photo Credit: Jen Randall[/caption] Emily Roo rocks; a strong, independent person, with an untethered passion for climbing. She's 5ft 4's worth of fun, laughter and motivation, hiding a serious commitment to alpinism and exploring untouched areas of the planet. In 2016...
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And you educate him! Looking through the shelves at Waterstones or any bookseller you would imagine that women never do sport. So this Christmas, how about making a difference by buying a man one of these incredible, exciting, adventurous books. We've gone to the trouble...
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Women Climb needs your films! There are not enough women in adventure films – you can help be the change we all want to see. We are delighted to announce the third Women in Adventure Film Competition in association with The BMC and ShAFF. This year’s...
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Ever backed off a climb and berated yourself afterwards? Ever cursed and thrown a wobbly after falling off your project? Ever wondered why you can’t seem to get past that grade? ….
Having reviewed a selection of talks from Women’s Climbing Symposium 2016 we set about to get women’s opinions about how the workshops went. Read on to find out about the vast range of skills that 400 women had the opportunity to develop under just one roof….
When you have low self esteem and confidence, it's not easy to go adventuring. Today...
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In her last post, Emily Thompson talked about Via Ferrata and here she gives her top tips for beginner to help you make the most of your via ferrata experience.
You might have been rock climbing for a while or scrambled a bit in the UK and keen to do something adventurous – how about trying a Via Ferrata? Via Ferrata can take you to places you’ve never dreamed of, and surprisingly, you don’t need to be a climber to have a successful Via Ferrata experience.
Belay glasses seem to be all the rage at the moment. They’re a save-all for your neck, according to the manufacturers and thankfully the cost of a pair has reduced dramatically in recent times. Today we review the Climbing Frog brand of belay glasses, which come in at less than half the price of some premium brands (with 10% off for 10 of our readers, so get in quick). But… do you get less bang for your buck or are these a winning pair of neck-saving specs? Beth and Emily from Womenclimb both tried them out independently; it’s time to find out their verdict:
I’ve known Wimberry Rocks all my life as Indian’s head. (Tip your head on one side and you’ll see what I mean!) Situated opposite Alderman Rocks on the opposite side to Dovestones reservoir, Wimberry is an impressive collection of bouldering and trad routes with over 240 routes from trad climbing on the main crag, to bouldering among the moraine down the hillside.
The West Penwith area in Cornwall is full of solid (mostly!) granite climbing and outstanding scenery. This place is not only packed with top class rock but also beautiful beaches and moorland coastline, making it accessible for families as well as groups of friends and couples. Bosigran has a great reputation for long low and mid-grade climbing and we were not disappointed….
Classic multi-pitch routes and incredible views. Sunny afternoon climbing- The main cliff gets the afternoon sun and dries quickly after rain. It is also useful for viewing Commando ridge (aka Bosigran ridge) which is opposite the main cliff.
Having scrambled around Alderman Rocks a couple of times before, I was confident heading there for my first climb of the season outdoors. I’m still fairly new to trad climbing, don’t lead and am still cautious about who I climb with and where. So it was good to go somewhere I felt I knew.
Despite its position high above the Chew Valley in Oldham, Alderman Rocks is a friendly crag with a good variety of easy and harder routes.
Beth Thomas, long standing Womenclimb contributor, tells all about the book Freedom Climbers, by Bernadette McDonald:
This is hands down the best climbing and mountaineering book I have ever read, fact or fiction.
If you want to chalk up less, have better grip and keep your hands healthy & strong, then see if you can get hold of some of this, before it sells out. FrictionLabs chalk is now available directly to climbers in the UK and around...
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Beth, our very own Womenclimb contributor set out to give you lovely readers a first hand account of the popular Yorkshire climbing venue of Almscliff.
Almscliff is an impressive grit stone crag in the heart of Yorkshire jutting out of a sea of finely combed fields and against a backdrop of distant viaducts and farmlands. The crag lies a few miles north of Leeds and Bradford and the parking is plenty with a 5-10 minute easy walk in on a footpath. It has an “unmissable” reputation, being a natural crag which is very accessible with a wide range of grades to suit beginners to seasoned trad legends. Read on to see if this venue should be on your ticklist….
If you read part 1 last month you will have a good understanding that, while I’m pretty outdoorsy and active, I was completely unaware of the point of bouldering and how it fits with my ambitions of climbing mountains. I set myself the challenge to give it a go – here’s how I got on. If you want to find out the challenge I set, and why, you can read my previous blog post Why Should I go Bouldering. I have no illusions about doing anything as advanced as this:
The amazing Esme Hart bouldering at the 2016 Paraclimbing Championships at Manchester Climbing Centre.
People do keep saying that bouldering will help me with my climbing, so I wanted to find out what all the fuss is about.
FrictionLabs is a US based climbing chalk company currently boasting to have manufactured the highest purity of magnesium carbonate chalk on the market. “Why is this so great?!”I hear you ask. Well, chalk is a combination of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate. The former traps moisture, leaving surfaces dry and the latter attaches water to the outside of the molecule, leaving surfaces moist. It is claimed by the team at FrictionLabs that this makes their chalk last longer, safer to inhale and is less likely to dry out the skin.
Very soon the UK is getting Friction Labs’ new chalk products. We’ve got our hands on some to test out and give you the lowdown. Our tester, Beth gives her fully tested review of the chalk ball, followed here by her review of the full fantastical selection of loose chalk. It’s true, there are many types of chalk. We never knew, but we do now and so can you: