Reach new heights as a team when you and your buddies take on the group climbing wall! This outdoor centre in the heart of Warwickshire is a wonderful place to run around blow the cobwebs away and try a new vertiginous sport.
The climbing wall your group will be tackling is 10 metres high. If you can’t picture that it’s just a little bit taller than the normal height of a two storey house. And we’re talking to the point of the roof not the eaves. Imagine clambering up that high and then another metre or two and you get the idea.
So yes you will need a head for heights but no-one in your group is obliged to scale the wall to the very top – you can climb to where you feel comfortable so there’s no need to go out of your comfort zone. But with all your mates standing at the foot of the wall to encourage you you might just surprise yourself with a burst of self-determination and go higher than you expected!
If you’ve never come face to face with a wall like this before let us explain what it’s all about. Wood panels on a very secure metal frame make up the basis of this sheer wall. Tough resin ‘holds’ that represent the natural forms of the rocks are bolted to the wood by expert climbers who create routes of varying difficulty using different colours of holds – in this case the red holds are the hardest as they’re the smallest and most difficult to get a grip on.
As you look up at the wall you’ll see there are three ropes hanging down from the summit. In climbing circles this is known as ‘top-roped’ which means the lines are already set up and ‘all’ you have to do is climb them.
Security safety and basic techniques will all be explained to you and your group at the foot of the wall before you climb. If you’ve never climbed before you’ll start by using any foot and hand holds and as the session progresses you might get to the point of using just two colours. And if you’re wondering how you get back down again you use the ropes to abseil yourself to the ground!
Whether you’re a complete beginner or a proper mountain goat who scrambles up anything with ease there will be a route for all members of your group on this climbing wall. Instructors are always on hand for the duration of your session to secure your climb offer advice and encouragement too.
