Today was the fourth day out of the last eight that I have spent working on the climbing wall at Concord College in south Shropshire. It was the last day of activities designed to get their sixth form students (new and old) working together and building friendships.

Having run through the program on three previous occasions meant that there was already a well practised routine which I knew worked in the time available, so it was just a matter of running through things again. There can be a real urge to mix things up to keep the variety for the instructor, but it’s important to remember that it’s about the participants.

However, one or two of today’s climbers were climbing well so I encouraged them to experiment with slightly more advanced techniques such as laybacking. This involves a sideways pull on a hold, balanced with an opposing push with the feet as shown in the photo. This relies on good friction from the feet and lots of shoulder and finger strength. It’s not a technique that many mortals can keep up for a long time, but it’s great for short periods in certain circumstances.