In a nutshell
You in a snug fitting harness, dangling from a rope, half way up a 3 story building!

Tell me more!
For anyone who thought Tom Cruise looked pretty cool in Mission Impossible 2, but fancies getting some street cred in a slightly safer, less showy off way, these sports could be for you! You don’t need to be superfit, this sport is open to most people as most of the strength you need comes from your legs – it’s not all about taking your body weight on your arms. You can move at your own pace and climb up as high as you choose, this sport can literally help you scale new heights and give you a real sense of achievement.

The stuff you need
An indoor 2 hour taster session with an expert is a great way to get an initial feel for climbing. You will be provided with a harness, helmet and ropes, to start with and wearing loose fitting tracksuit bottoms and a cool cotton top (you may prefer long sleeves to fend off any bumps or scrapes) will help you feel comfortable as climbing a great height can be surprisingly sweaty work! Once you are hooked, you can start to invest in your own equipment and enter the world of weird words and specialist items such as shoes, chalk bags, belay device, pear-shaped screw-gate and karabiner! 

Cool things you can do
Climbing can suit your mood and favourite weather conditions being available indoors or out. An aided climb consists of 2 climbers working together, one as the climber, the other as the belayer and can psychologically, make you feel that little bit safer. Bouldering involves climbing over rocks and this is a great way to build up strength and technique. Once you are confident about having your own life in your hands, solo climbing is an equipment free way to scale great heights using only your technique and experience. Ice climbing, alpine climbing and buildering are all variations on the theme and can lead to the ultimate thrill for many climbers 

People in the know!
thebmc.co.uk
ukclimbing.com
talkclimbing.co.uk
rockclimbing.org.uk
Epic-Adventures.eu

Interested in this? Why not check out caving, cycling and mountain biking, mountain boarding, orienteering, trail and fell running, walking and hiking

Could you be a Skymasters competitor at The Outdoors Show 2010?