After Julian took me and Andrew climbing for the first time a couple of months ago (see here), i decided to go again yesterday. Having just returned from my second climbing session, and even though I enjoyed it, I can honestly say it's the most frustrating thing I have done in a long time. Like Julian put it tonight, walking, swimming and climbing are the most basic things a human can or should be able to do, so the only way I can put it is - it's like learning to walk again.

At present I don't count myself as being unfit, I have been a regular at the gym for the past 15 months, going on average twice a week, and in that time I have lost weight, toned up a little and been able improve the amount of weight I can push and pull by 300%, but what good has this done me? The frustrating thing about climbing is it's a whole other kind of strength and easily puts you in your place, and that place is the mat in the middle of the bouldering section watching other climbers effortlessly get up a route that I cant. That is another thing about climbing, when you watch a skilled climber go up a route it's the most elegant things, there is no straining or forcing, just a fluid movement up the wall only using the energy you need, while i'm clambering for the holes like my life depends on it.

So I would like to thank a few people, firstly the small child who was climbing better than me (humbled me), secondly the woman who got up a route that I couldn't, came down, gave me a wink and that wink said - i'm smaller than you, twice your age and a woman, but I can do what you can't - (again humbled) and lastly thanks to Julian for taking me, that's him in the picture and if you are wondering why the picture is slightly blurred it's because my hands were shaking after trying to get up a route.

I still maintain I can beat Julian in an arm wrestle, but where it the skill in that?