Climbing Fit

CLIMBING FIT. By Martyn Hum and Pat Ingle. Pp. 96, illus¬trated, charts, 1988. (Crowood Press, Marlborough, £ 6.95).

It could be titled as ‘Rock Climbing Fit’, for the book covers various exercises to get fit for super alpinism. It has little to do with the Himalayan expeditioners. A variety of exercises are shown which are typical of any exercise book, nothing special about the climbers. There is a chapter on ‘Mental Training’ which could be interesting.

‘Training, of course, is not for everybody, indeed some climbers will find that the regime of a properly structured training pro¬gramme interferes with the very freedom that climbing offers them’. The authors recognize this and suggest programme only to those who feel motivated. Many may like to follow the Shiptonian advice that ‘all you need is a reasonably fit body and very strong motivation’.

Follow the book carefully, if you must. But don’t pull a tendon following those pretty girls in their various poses. It is not for everybody.

Harish Kapadia