The Squad!

Ok, full disclosure to start with, I'm using "squad" in its very loosest sense. There's 4 of us. We're even one short of a basketball team. But a squad we are nonetheless. When we aren't broken that is, but more about Bianca later.

So part of the reason I love the climbing, is the group I climb with. They say that anything is enjoyable if you're with the right people, that is definitely true of falling off of walls. As mentioned, the main group that we climb as is the four of us. I thought it would make sense for the first post to be introducing the other guys so that the names and many nicknames make sense.

Firstly is Sam, or "The Fairy of the Wall" as we like to call him. Sam is the maniac who got me hooked on the climbing life and later dragged Bianca and Jim along too. "The Wall Fairy" is aptly named on account of how frustratingly elegant he is on the wall, like a dancer, gliding across the holds and seamlessly topping out before descending like a swan gliding down across a lake. Sam is one of my closest friends, but sometimes, I hate him for how easy he makes it look. The next thing you need to know about Sam, he loves his games. namely, taking a route we already can't do, and seeing how far we can get without using certain holds. Yeah, you read that right. What's the point I hear you ask (or think inside your head if you're one of those people who reads quietly to yourself). The point is it almost always guarantees that this mug (me) will dismount in some god awful fashion, sending panic into every member of staff, and fits of giggles amongst our lot.

Next comes Bianca, or as we have come to know her, "The Liability". Much like me, Bianca had never tried climbing before Sam enticed us in, but she is improving so well and has started to develop the right techniques to help her climbing. That said, she is also the only person I know to have broken her ankle from bouldering, hence "The Liability". I wont go into too much detail as it is worth of a post on its own, but it was definitely an event we will never let her live down (now that she's recovered).

Finally for our set of mathematically challenged Musketeers, is Jim who has yet to establish a nickname on account of him being the normal one of the group. So me, Sam and Bianca all work together, and Jim is Bianca's husband who came along to one of the sessions, although he instantly became a part of the group in his own right. Jim's always up for trying most routes which is brilliant to see and when him and Bianca climb together there a sheer competitiveness that is both hilarious to watch and also kinda makes you want to climb harder and better yourself as well.

And then there's me, Kieran, the youngest of the group who dismounts like a dead fly and is always the guinea pig for new routes and ridiculous games of Sam's concoction. Whether its fearlessness or stupidity I'm not sure, but I'm always up for attempting any route and definitely try to climb by the motto "fail trying".

So that's the main group of us, everyone bringing incredible levels of banter to the table so any time we spend together is always alot of fun, but also we seem to support each other to do better as well, either by coaching each other, or by our different climb styles unlocking moves for the rest of us.

Aside for the four of us, we occasionally have an Alan and a Marc although Alan much prefers outdoor climbs so joins us more on those days out, and Marc tags in whenever he can, however I've only met him once. Both though are really great guys and really impressive climbers.

Also I've started getting my little sister Emma slightly into the swing of it which she seems to enjoy so I'm looking forward to having some more sessions with her and her potentially joining our group from time to time.

So that's everyone that I've climbed with so far, but looking forward to meeting more climbers and luring more people into catching the buzz that climbing gives.