From ian@op.ph.ic.ac.uk Fri Aug 4 17:18:20 EST 1995 Article: 7069 of rec.climbing Xref: news.nsw.CSIRO.AU rec.climbing:7069 Path: news.nsw.CSIRO.AU!mel.dit.csiro.au!merlin!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!simtel!news.kei.com!newshost.marcam.com!zip.eecs.umich.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!gatech!swrinde!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk!news.cc.ic.ac.uk!usenet From: Ian Munro Newsgroups: rec.climbing Subject: Re: Gyms in London Date: 31 Jul 1995 17:19:44 GMT Organization: Imperial College, London, UK Lines: 42 Message-ID: <3vj3bg$r1t@oban.cc.ic.ac.uk> References: <3viucq$p9d@news.isp.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 155.198.198.11 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (X11; I; SunOS 5.3 sun4m) To: grot@slip.net X-URL: news:3viucq$p9d@news.isp.net Hi Guys Minor point but in England we talk about Climbing 'Walls'. Gyms are where you go to lift weights. There is a very small wall in Imperial College. This is poor quality but it is free and the campus is just South of Hyde Park. Possibly worth a look. Other possibilities:- Westway sports centre near Latimer Road Underground station.( I think) Outdoors so not too hot in summer but a little limited and right underneath an elevated stretch of (i'm told) the busiest road in Europe. >From what i've seen of the States nothing comes near London pollution levels. Michael Sobell Sports centre near Finsbury Park Underground station. ( Was good but getting dated) NLRC wall near Mile End Underground station. Extensive & very popular though personally I cant work out why. As an alternative try getting a train from Victoria to Eridge in Kent. One hour on the train plus a 20 min walk will get you to a good sandstone outcrop. No leading but good bouldering and top roping. Well worth the trip especially in summer when its too hot indoors. BEWARE! the rock is very soft. In order not to damage it it is necessary to obey 3 simple little rules. 1) NO ABSEILING (Rappeling) or lowering off. 2) When top roping ensure the belay Karabiner hangs over the cliff edge and use a non stretch belay. Otherwise the rope slices through the rock like a saw. 3) Clean your shoes before climbing or loose sand acts as an abrasive on the holds. The above may seem silly but people failing to do so is destroying a good crag and the only climbing in witin 50 miles of London. Have fun. Ian