A different kind of social climbing

Of all the films that I have watched over the past two years, few have left as deep an impression on me as Free Solo. The 2018 documentary profiles rock climber Alex Honnold on his quest to scale the face of the world’s most famous rock – the 3,000ft El Capitan in America’s Yosemite National Park – without a rope.

Summiting the wall with all the safety gear possible is a daunting prospect, but the idea of attempting it rope-free is just incomprehensible. Free Solo is as inspiring as it is thrilling, and since watching it I have been keen to climb some (much lower) rock faces myself.

Before attempting to clamber up any rocks, I needed some practice, because the only climbing and abseiling I had done was on school field trips over 15 years ago. The indoor Climb BlueSky gym at Diamond Plaza was an option, but I had also heard of a great climbing gym in Nanyuki. I was in the area last weekend, so I thought I would investigate.

It’s called the Mt Kenya Climbing Gym, and its tall climbing tower is difficult to miss along the main road from Nairobi, about 4km south of Nanyuki Town. The 14-metre-high tower dominates the space, beside a uniquely-designed glass-fronted building constructed around stacked shipping containers.

Communal office spaces

 The first and second floors are private and communal office spaces for rent, while the open ground floor is home to the bouldering room and the Slightly South café. In front of the café, beneath wide shade sails, are tables and chairs surrounded by clusters of potted plants.

We were shown the ropes (forgive the pun) by one of the instructors, Harrison, who suggested that we warm up in the bouldering room, before tackling the tower. Bouldering is rock climbing stripped down to its raw essentials: free climbing over small rock formations or artificial rock walls above safety mats without the use of ropes or harnesses. The bouldering room was much less intimidating than the tower, but that didn’t mean that it was any less physically challenging, as my wife, Gabie, and I soon found out.

Our task was to use the scattered holds to make our way horizontally across the wall, navigating its many protrusions and angle changes. Even with the sticky climbing shoes that Harrison gave us, we only managed to cover about a third of the wall, before losing grip and falling onto the mats below. We quickly learnt that rock climbing is a proper full body workout.

Despite our beginner bouldering, Harrison felt that we were ready for the tower. I slipped into a harness, chalked my fingertips and began my ascent of the easiest route up. There were so many holds that I didn’t have to worry about my climbing technique.

What did concern me, from about the halfway point up, was the height. The first climb can be quite daunting, until you let go of the holds and realise that you’re secured to a rope and under the control of your instructor below.

Advanced route

With a boost of confidence, I tackled a more advanced route on the tower with fewer holds, requiring a bit more skill and problem solving. I didn’t make it to the top, but I felt a lot freer than on the first climb, with the knowledge that I was safe if I lost my grip.

As I watched Gabie on her first climb, I chatted to a South African woman who a few days earlier had completed a technical climb up Nelion and Batian – the two highest peaks of Mount Kenya. She said that the gym organised rock climbing trips across the countryin places like Ngare Ndare, Samburu, and further north. There are fantastic climbing locations all over Kenya, and with a bit more practice, I hope to start exploring them too.

For more information about the gym, head to www.mtkenyaclimbinggym.com.

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