Derby's Premier Climbing Centre
Tel: 01332 367200
Email: questions@alter-rock.co.uk
Improving quickly – the key is repetition You did your Beginners Course and now you are back for your first time climbing on your own with your partner. It’s going to be hard like anything new so perseverance is the game, don’t give up on your first go, it will get easier. Short is sweet Read More »
Nutrition for Climbers Some notes about what you eat, the importance of protein for building muscle strength and when to have a milk shake. Nutrition is just a fancy word for the food you eat. All food gives us energy, measured in calories, so there is no such thing as Junk Food – Fast Food Read More »
This post is written by a guest this week, Dr Julie Bradshaw MBE and English Channel swimmer. We thought her thoughts about motivation for swimming are just as relevant to other sports such as climbing. Thanks to Dr Bradshaw for permission to reproduce her article which first appeared in The Channel Swimming Hand Book. Consider Read More »
Next time you are with your parents, whom I guess are probably 20 years older than you, just sit and watch them and see how they do things. Do they struggle with the simple tasks in life? Do they complain about slight aches and pains, little niggles? Do they get out of breath doing the Read More »
Do I need coaching? Do you want to get better at climbing? Hopefully the answer is yes and it’s like anything in life, the more you practice the better you will get, providing you are practicing the right techniques. Practice a bad technique then you will become very good at doing something very badly but Read More »
In this blog I will discuss different grading systems and how we grade the routes and problems at Alter Rock. Then think whether grades get in the way of your enjoyment of a climb and can act as a mental block. At the end of the day grades are only there as a guideline and Read More »
Climbing relies on good footwork and good footwork relies on good shoes. There is a lot of technology involved in climbing shoe manufacture to aid your climbing experience. The top climbing shoe manufacturers use a variety of quality rubbers, no rubber is better than any other, but the rubbers used have different properties which operate Read More »
Why is Alter Rock the best set wall in the UK (probably)? Garry discusses what makes a good setter and how we make sure that we always have an interesting variety of routes available for advanced climbers and beginners too. Some time ago on a Wednesday afternoon the setter was busy setting problems and we Read More »
Here’s our A to Z of Indoor Climbing Terms Do you know your jugs from your crimps, your clip from your crux or your dyno from your static move? If you’re not sure read our glossary of commonly used climbing terms below, and you’ll soon be an expert in the jargon. A Arete – an Read More »
Making the Most of Your Climbing Facility There is a regular pattern of setting at Alter Rock. To make the most out of this and to ensure you do not miss out you could follow this routine. 1. When I know a reset is about to happen I climb the lines that are going to Read More »