My First Time Climbing / Bouldering #isurvivedyay

I like being active and fit but to be completely honest I'm not the biggest fan of the gym. Between my dislike for running, the hungry eyes of the weights section lurkers and that one guy who insists on grunting as loud as he can each time he lifts, I'd rather be somewhere else instead. I'm always on the look out for fun alternative fitness activities and that's how I ended up Bouldering. Plus I binge watched every single episode of Ultimate Beastmaster on Netflix and convinced myself that climbing was my future.

Bouldering venues have been popping up all over London in recent years so it's about time I checked it out / realised my potential to be the next Spiderman. I genuinely thought I would be safely strapped up and unable to get hurt but it turns out Bouldering is a free climbing sport. No straps, nothing to hold you up, just you and the wall. The only bit of kit I had was a sexy pair of rental climbing shoes and a little bag of chalk. 

Luckily for me my housemate is an avid climber. He's been to places all over London and was able to recommend a good beginners one in Hackney Wick. His recommendation was perfect (thanks Calum!) as the venue was welcoming, not too busy and full of positive, kind and helpful staff and climbers. Plus one of the climbers brought her dog with her! He was adorable and she was fine with me playing with him between climbs which completely made my night.

Turns out Bouldering can be quite scary. The walls weren't even that high but I still spent the first half hour freaking out every time I got half way up the easiest wall. After a little more play I gained some confidence and eventually reached the top of the wall which was such a buzz. The ground is sprung / padded like a gymnastics floor so although it wont catch you when you fall it does give you a softer landing. I ended up trying multiple walls and doing pretty well, especially for a girl who refused to cut her nails. 

After this session I totally feel ready to attempt Beastmasters mag wall!! Just kidding I feel ready for a hot bath full of radox muscle therapy bubble bath because I'm so damn sore. It didn't feel like I was doing much at all whilst I was there (probably because I was too focused on not dying) but I can feel it all over now. Climbing is definitely an amazing full body workout.

After giving it a go with nails I can confirm it is possible, but you'll need to stick to the easy routes with larger boulders to grab. Honestly I would just cut them off and after a farewell party for mine I will most likely be doing the same. RIP beautiful real nails that I've been growing for weeks, it's been a pleasure, but there are climbing walls out there calling my name.

Overall verdict, climbing is awesome! I'd highly recommend it to those of you who are bored of the gym but keen for a challenging full body workout. It doesn't even feel like a workout when you're doing it, it just feels fun. The location we went to was hackneywickboulder.co.uk but if you google 'bouldering london' (or whatever location you are) loads of places pop up.

Until next time, J xx

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