On Friday the 30th August following a previously casually mentioned , "I would like to try that at some point", (nearly 2 months ago) the people who had uttered those fateful words and forgotten all about it were called up to the climbing wall at Playsport at Stewartfield . (5=a-side pitches/golf etc you know the place along from Kingsgate). Yes step forward Geo, Frances and Joanne, nerves of steel and hand grips like gorillas.
The Friday night entertainment had been arranged by the EKCC (kayak club) and there were a few spare harnesses available so the scene was set for these brave Harriers to increase the gradient they are used to at Langlands doing hill efforts by about 90% to running up vertically and keep smiling.
Where does "caving" come in you may ask, well it is a bit of light relief to crawl horizontally rather going vertical, and did raise a few laughs especially as the cave was dark .(Note in the photos it is only the camera flash which lit up the scene) The cave is part of the climbing wall area so there was easy access.
Frances as club president did volunteer to go first on the wall a natural leader (She was standing closest ). She was clipped into an automatic belay , no human contact needed, which if you fall off works like a seat belt and arrests the fall and then you can descend under your own control.
Unfortunately Frances on her first attempt, and obviously just to make sure this device worked fell off, about 3 feet up !! and crashed to the floor, she had just discovered you need to be approx 4 feet up for the belay to work. What the President does for her people is amazing, we now knew exactly what to do - yep don't fall off.
It was all great fun even though the forearms and hand grips were a bit shaky in the bar afterwards when lifting the liquid refreshments.
Anyway the link below shows the loonies, sorry, experts in action.
Photos!
Thanks to Billy for the report and for bringing them all back to the safety of hill reps tonight.
Alan
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