It being winter here in the northern hemisphere, my social media feed is full of news and images of the white stuff – people climbing it, hiking across it, skiing down it (me, jealous much?!). I came across one such article (link at the end)...
Read MoreEnsuring you're properly prepared is important at any time of year, but in winter it is essential to ensure a walk in the snow doesn't lead to a miserable day or even a life threatening situation. Here's Womenclimb's top tips to identifying hypothermia as you head out this winter, and how to deal with it should the unfortunate happen.
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.
A fall can be nothing and everything depending on the outcome. Not many people enjoy falling and the aim of climbing is too often to complete your bucket list of routes, without taking a fall. Sometimes however, the artist makes a mistake - hopefully they get straight back on the rock to perfect the move, but other times they can’t walk away from the fall and it is a long wait before the next attempt at any route outdoors.
It is useful to carry some items to help deal with minor injuries when climbing. Emily Thompson, qualified Mountain Leader and Holme Valley Mountain Rescue team member, tells us what she would put in a first aid kit for a day out climbing or on the...
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If you live in an area of Britain with or near a national park the chances are you live in an area with a Mountain Rescue Team (MRT). Mountain Rescue is typically associated with areas such as the Lake District, Wales, and highlands of Scotland, but there are also teams operating in areas such as the South Pennines, Dartmoor and the Scottish borders - all providing search and rescue cover. Emily Thompson is a member of Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) and explain a bit more about what MR is and what you need to consider if you want to become and MRT member.
There are all types of knee surgery, from ligament repairs and reconstructions to cartilage trims and kneecap scrapes. Two of the Womenclimb team have been in for knee surgery in the last 12 months (August 2015 and Feb 2016) for meniscus repair and ACL reconstruction respectively. They have put together their top tips to help climbers who have knee surgery.
For my entire climbing life, I have climbed with an ACL injury. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments in the knee, forming a cross shape with the Posterior Cruciate Ligament. It provides crucial stability to the knee, preventing the knee from twisting and rotating. You can find out more in this Youtube video about what the ACL is and what it does.
In August 2015 Beth Thomas went into hospital to have a repair of torn cartilage (also known as meniscus) in her left knee. This article series is about her journey, from hospital to getting back to climbing. Thank you to Beth for sharing. We would love to hear your comments about her journey - please tell us what you think about her story.
In August 2015 Beth Thomas had a repair of torn cartilage (meniscus) in her left knee. This is the final article in the series that charts her journey from hospital to getting back to climbing. We would love to hear your comments about her journey - please tell us what you think about her story. If you want to read the first parts you'll find them here: Climbing Injuries // Meniscus Tear Repair: Part 1 & Part 2
In August 2015 Beth Thomas went into hospital to have a meniscus repair for torn cartilage in her left knee. In her last article she talked about the first part of her journey to recovery and the first weeks after her meniscectomy. Today she talks a bit about the realities of her recovery - the workarounds and the setbacks. Tell us what you think. If you've not read the previous article you can find it here: Climbing Injuries // Meniscus Tear Repair: Pt 1
There are religious books, self help books, there is even Jeremy Kyle. Everyone seems to have a take on how to live life, and which rules to follow. Like many, I prefer to have a loose framework to live my life by. I don't really have a particular ideology to follow.
Michelle's outlook on life through the lens of climbing
Climbing appeals to me as a sport because it too has a basic framework/set of rules to use. The laws of physics don't change and I can solve problems using those laws to progress. The ironic part is that elements of climbing are all about breaking those rules. Taking that lead fall when you know its safe, but the rules say it's dangerous: climbing past a clip because it's easier to climb past it than clip in an awkward position; taking risks when you can just as easily walk away. Climbing has taught me so much about how to live my life.