Love: Nothing stands out as exceptionalWhat it’s best at: Socialising away from the crag or as an extra wind proof/ waterproof layer on a summer’s day.
What could be better: Zip, Styling & Colour.
With winter setting in and the nights drawing close, I think it’s time to consider bouldering as an outdoor option that eats less time and helps you to avoid frostbite in the chilly weather. Here are our Peak District Top Tips:
Love: The colour!What it’s best at: Lightweight waterproof for spring, summer and autumn – cragging and scrambling.
What could be better: Zips
Hello! I've just realised that Winter is really on the way and trad routes are going to be out of the window quite soon, due to cold, wet and long nights. I want a challenge to take me through the winter, so I've set myself...
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Love: the waterproofness.
What I would change: Need to have women’s sizes.
Best for: Wet Scottish winter climbing, walking and mountaineering.
Description: Inner and outer glove – Inner is a windproof soft-shell with palm grippers, which covers the hand snugly. Outer is a separate super-waterproof glove, with high gaiter, nose-wipe thumb panel, easy function gaiter-tightener and arm-hangers.
Fit: I bought a men’s small and they fit very well. They don’t come in women’s sizes (yawn). I have rather large hands for a small woman, so usually buy men’s gloves anyway. I doubt very much that those with small hands would have the same luck.
Having searched high and low on the internet for this jacket to get an idea of how much they now cost I have been unable to find it – it is now 2 years old. So, you may think why the review? Well, I really like this jacket and it has served me well. Mountain Equipment still use this fabric and I really rate it, so… find DriLite Ultra and you will find the same properties that this jacket has!
In 2011, I went to South Africa for two months (in their summer), and I knew I would be outside all day so when looking for a suntan lotion I knew I would have to get something heavy duty. If you're planning on In the past...
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Curbar is a Peak district Gritstone crag stretching from Froggatt Edge to Baslow Edge. Curbar is a beautiful setting for gritstone climbing and is much less well trodden than other local climbing venues like Stanage, due, in part to its fierce reputation for being hard…. But is this true?
The fear, particularly of leading, is something that everyone has at some point or another in their climbing life. For some it starts high and gradually recedes whereas for others it strikes to your heart just when you least expect it, giving you a right fright.
I want to let you into a secret.
Multi-pitch climbing in mountains has more risks than single pitch routes, for obvious reasons – you’ll be out longer, at the mercy of the weather, carrying your kit, whilst trying to find your route up the route and off. There are more things that can go wrong, simply because you’re doing more and spending more time than you do on a single pitch route. We’ve put together a few tips to help you stay safe in the mountains.
Ailefroide is a small village situated in the Hautes Alpes in France about 35 minutes’ drive from Briancon and only a stone’s throw on the map from Alp D’Huez and Argentiere. I recently visited with my daughter and around thirty members of our mountaineering club – KMC. This is one in a series of blog posts about how to get there and what to do when you do.
I recently had an email from a man called Jin, inviting us to Kilnworx Climbing Centre in Stoke for their new Women’s Club. We were very excited and went along to see what they have to offer at their inaugural Women’s Club Night. Here’s what we found out:
Kilnworx is a Social Enterprise. What this means is that it’s essentially not for profit.
It has a great feel and we could see from talking to Jin and the other staff and volunteers that they have big ideas for this place and they’re passionate about it.
It’s set in a church and some of the features (which you won’t be able to see yet, as it’s still under construction) are truly magnificent.
Guidebooks
The rock type is granite and the majority of the easy access routes are slabs. The climbs are all about smearing and footwork. If you’re used to climbing with your arms, then get practicing without any handholds!
Hobson Moor is a quarried grit crag situated off Hobson Moor Road near to Mottram in Longdendale in the Peak District. It’s an urban crag to some degree, but you would never know how close it is to civilisation once you’re ensconced by the gritstone walls.
Perfect for … a quick evening escape from Manchester or traversing of the Back Wall in winter.
Towards the end of last year and into this year I was working quite hard at improving my climbing – technique, skills and knowledge. I picked people’s brains and worked on areas I thought would help. I started to improve, and what I mean by...
Read MoreIf you're not sure what exercises to do to improve your core muscles, here are a few suggestions, with demos I've found on the internet: Sit Ups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fbU_MkV7NE Crunches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyd_fa5zoEU Reverse Crunch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyv14e2QDq0 Left and Right crunches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwVXJKqWGpg The Plank http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz0oFaVGuh4 Russian Twist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeAtimSCxsY V-Sits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_1KGrBx2T4 I've been doing a mix of these,...
Read MoreAs part of our goal to improve our core strength for climbing we've been doing core exercises all over the place...
Read MoreIt is well documented that exercise can help improve mental health and is even used to treat depression. Although some say that this has not been proven outright, feedback from patients has suggested an overall sense of positive wellbeing and decreased depressive episodes when exercise...
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Guest Post by Linda Wales: Stanage End, Peak District, UKWhat I liked most: I’ve climbed here before and you get a multitude of different grades so whatever grade you’re at, however you’re feeling that day, there will be something to climb. The other people climbing there are always friendly so you can take advice, offer advice, or just chat and there are no cliques or funny attitudes.
What could be better: nothing. It’s great. Really enjoy my time climbing there.
This is the first in the 'Footwork' series - aimed to demystify the terminology, help you think about your footwork and ultimately help make you a better climber. So what do people mean by footwork? When people talk about footwork they mean things like: How you place your...
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I have just lead my first 7a+. I still can’t quite believe it, but luckily I had a witness – the lovely Emma Timmis from Womenclimb, who led it after me. This post is a reflection of my own personal climbing journey and includes the things that were most helpful to me and made the most difference to my climbing. During this period I had 1-2-1 training with Libby Peter, from whom I got some of these tips. Finally, please note I refer to everything in terms of indoor climbing!
Last in the 'Shauna does' series - check out Shauna talking about how she conditions her body to make it work well: a.did.as/ZeqC0E We hope to have Shauna on here very soon talking to us and you about her training and tips for people who want...
Read MoreImpressive dynamic moves in slow motion from the inimitable Shauna Coxsey: a.did.as/ZeqHRZ We love her and we want to dyno like that. Dyno practice here we come...
Read MoreShauna does footwork well! Her short film gives a flavour of what to do with your feet and why! a.did.as/ZeqRcd Next...
Read MoreThe second in Shauna's series of short films - this time, Warm ups: a.did.as/ZeqMoL Enjoy. Next in the series...
Read MoreIf you don't know Shauna, you should definitely watch this: a.did.as/ZeqUEK. It's a good intro to a strong, powerful woman. Get strong, women. Next in Shauna's Series: Footwork Sign up for the Womenclimb newsletter ...
Read MoreScore for the Evolv Elektra…
It was kind of accidental that I ended up with these boots but I’m very grateful that I did. I had sent of my previous boot to the manufacturer due to a fault and quickly needed to buy a replacement pair but was a little short of cash. I searched on ebay for a second hand pair of boots and these were available in one size only and unused.
Score for the Evolv Geshido…
Verdict
Love: the fit
Would like to see: them available in small sizes for women to buy easily
I love these rock shoes. These are the most recent shoes I’ve bought, which came to me by default as a colleague bought them thinking that you need to go smaller, but with the Geshido you definitely don’t!
Lately I’ve seen a lot of people asking ‘What other exercise can I do to improve my climbing’. Here are some ideas of complementary forms of exercise for climbing to get you thinking: Pole Dancing Believe it or not, pole dancing for exercise requires great core strength,...
Read More“Push it” by Jen Randall. 34 mins, Lightshed productions. This is a short film about Jen’s dream of climbing El Cap in Yosemite. It is very much a film that makes you feel good about women climbing and has a definite “girl power” feel to it. Featuring among...
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What’s best about Liverpool Awesome Walls…The café – proper food, real coffee, healthy food, home made cake
The background to my purchase of the Shewee Extreme was a 14-hr epic mountain day in Scotland this winter with three men, during which time I had to perch on a snow ledge sandwiched between two men with their eyes closed while I crouched for a wee, with another man ascending up to the stance at the same time. The ascending male had to be asked to hold on for fear of receiving a face full of warm yellow liquid. An interesting tale, but not an experience that I particularly wanted to repeat after that journey. I’m sure the men would rather it weren’t repeated too.
Following on from the last blog post here are some practical things you can do right now to improve your skills for bouldering:
1) WatchWhilst working at the climbing centre there was a lot of discussion about bouldering. Ranging from 'what is bouldering' to 'I don't understand bouldering' to 'what's the point of bouldering' to 'I'm useless at bouldering, how can I get better?' Ad infinitum. A friend of...
Read MoreHello. We're embarking on a #Junecorechallenge - to do core exercises every day in June to help us improve our climbing. We're inviting you to join in...
Read MoreHello women. Just to let you know about a great new Bouldering Centre that's opened in Carlisle. I visited this week (review on its way!!) and the staff were great. Every Friday Gem runs a women's coached session, helping you to improve your skills, techniques...
Read MoreOver two months ago I was scrolling through Facebook and came upon this post… In a slightly over excited manner I shot to my car and drove to the centre desperately trying not to let it show how excited I was and come across as either...
Read MoreLast weekend Womenclimb hosted a day out climbing at Stanage, near Hathersage in the Peak District. A group of twelve people turned up at 9am at the Popular End car park - from complete outdoor-climbing beginners to those beginning to learn to lead outdoors to...
Read MoreApril saw the second weekend climbing trip for Manchester Climbing Centre's Women's Club. A group of 14 women descended upon the Karabiner Mountaineering Club (KMC) club hut near to Llanberis for a weekend of instructed climbing. We organised both a Learn to Lead course and...
Read MoreScore for the Boreal Krypto…
My first introduction to the Boreal Krypto rock shoes was a member of staff at a climbing shop referring to them as the krapto. Despite this dizzying introduction, I tried them on and decided that the price and the good fit for my bunioned feet suited me just fine.
I’ve been wearing these rock shoes for about six months now, giving them a few runs up the wall between once and three times a week. I climb about 6b+ on top rope and 6a leading, just to give an idea of what my climbing is like. They seem to be fairly durable – no signs of them getting holes yet. That is perhaps down to recently improved footwork as well.
In 2011 I went walking around Ben Nevis and realised that it was to invest in a backpack to accompany my multifarious mountain pursuits – single and multi-pitch climbing, mountain walking and winter mountaineering. My first port of call was Manchester Oxford Road Cotswolds, as they are stalwarts in reliability and good customer service. Being a clearance store they didn’t have a full range so, instead I went to the Manchester Deansgate branch.
At first glance I thought that buying a pack would offer a straightforward choice, but I was, firstly, dazzled with the array of packs available, and then very quickly became suitably disappointed by the very few packs from which I eventually had to choose. Why? I am small. When I say small I mean 5ft tall (155cm) and with a waist of about 28 inches. The staff member in the shop was brilliant, helping to work out the best fit using realistic weights and assessing my needs. My resulting purchase was the Osprey Talon 44 in Indigo blue. So, more than a year in, here’s my review of the bag…