In my blog post, I’m going to tell you about my most recent rock climbing experience with the Bendrigg Trust based in Kendal, North West England.
I arrived late Friday afternoon at my accommodation, Acorn House, where I’d be staying for the weekend. Shortly after my arrival, I spent the evening learning about the safety aspect of rock climbing at the Bendrigg indoor climbing facilities. We covered topics like safely belaying, securing a harness by double backing webbing, and tying knots.
The next morning, I set off with my group to the Yorkshire Dales. My group consisted of 6 other vision impaired people, our guides, and the climbing instructors. When we arrived there were several climbs already set up for us to tackle. As I’ve experienced indoor climbing in the past I was unsure how different outdoor climbing would be, however I was about to find out. With the figure-of-eight and stopper knots completed I quickly underwent a safety check before I began to climb. After completing the first few climbs with my group I felt comfortable to take on more challenging climbs. Then, after lunch, our next challenge was to climb a tall chimney-like structure. And I’m proud to say that I successfully managed the climb, and as a treat my team and I headed to the shops for some well-deserved coffee and ice cream.
On Sunday, which was my last day with the Trust, we headed to the Lake District. Our instructors wanted us to reach our climbing potential, and gave us harder climbs; more difficult than I expected as they required some strategic thinking and planning out. I have to say that climbing wasn’t very easy without hand and foot holds as I had to hold on to whatever was available like tree branches. However, I managed to reach to the top of the climb and I felt a great sense of achievement!
Overall, I had a fantastic weekend at the Bendrigg Trust. It’s something I will definitely do again in the future, and will encourage others to take part in as well.
The Bendrigg Trust holds various activities suitable for vision impaired people. To learn more about what they offer please visit their website: http://www.bendrigg.org.uk
Written by Masuma Ali