This climb and abseil day on the sandstone rock faces in Kent is a great introduction to rock climbing and abseiling - two great outdoor sports rolled into one experience.
Your full day of climbing and abseiling starts with meeting your instructors and the rest of your climbing group before being (literally) shown the ropes of climbing. Such terms as belaying, chalk bags, figure of eights and ropes may all sound foreign to you know, but you'll get to know all these terms as you learn the techniques of climbing.
The afternoon session on this climb and abseil day is spent at the abseiling tower - an impressive 33ft high manmade structure that lets you practice your abseiling techniques in safety. After getting over the initial thoughts of 'oh my - it's a long way down' you'll be whizzing down the vertical face with aplomb. If confidence is high by the end of the session, you can even try and blindfolded abseil if you dare!
This climb and abseil activity in Kent/Sussex lasts all day, with around 4 hours of climbing followed by a short break, before 2 hours at the Abseiling tower. During the session you will cover knots & belaying, safety awareness, climbing technique, climbing etiquette, introduction to climbing & bouldering, abseiling techniques, confidence tests and blindfold abseiling. No previous climbing experience is required. You will be forming part of a group of up to 12 people on the day. All safety and climbing equipment is provided. All instructors are experienced and hold relevant qualifications from MLTUK (mountain Leader Training UK) as well as first aid and safety qualifications.
These climb and abseil sessions run on selected dates from 9.00 to 4.00 from March to October. Due to the soft nature of the sandstone the abseiling takes place from a purpose built 33ft tower a short distance from the climbing venue.
The rock climbing takes place near Groombridge on the Kent/Sussex border, around halfway between London and Brighton. The Abseiling tower is a 20 minute drive away close to East Grinstead.
The maximum weight limit is 100kg / 16 stone. The minimum age for climb and abseil days is 14 and all under 18's need to be accompanied by a participating parent or guardian. You should wear comfortable clothing (not jeans) and trainers. Due to the nature of the locations, you must have extra warm clothes and waterproofs. All climbing and abseiling equipment is provided. Transport is not provided between locations.
There are no shops near the venue so participants are encouraged to bring their own refreshments and a packed lunch. Spectators are allowed, although numbers are restricted.