Two words.. so many meanings. To me Climbing Out now means the power and ability to do anything I put my mind to! I control how far I climb. I control if I complete something and I control my thoughts.
I was accepted on and attended a Climbing out programme in November 2025 in the Lake District.
Day 1:
During the two hour drive to the hostel I had many feelings. Excitement was definitely one of them but also fear, nerves, and doubt that I had made the right choice. I had the fear of the unknown. I also had an imposter type feeling. What if my problems were not as bad as other people’s problems?
I got to the hostel and was directed to my room that I would be sharing with complete strangers and told to help myself to a cup of tea while we waited for everyone to arrive.
Then it began. We were all sat around a living room with Kelda at the front explaining what was going to happen for the 5 days.
The week was going to consist of mind management sessions also known as ‘table legs’ each morning and evening. The time in between would be spent out and about in the lakes doing various activities. There were a team of outdoor coaches on the programme to support you.
Within 30mins I was out walking alongside a river getting to know the strangers that by the end of the week would feel like family.
That evening we had our first ‘table leg’ session and then set off to do some night time caving. The walk to the cave was short and the atmosphere changed when one of the participants sang us a song so we could hear how good the acoustics were. Once inside the cave we turned our torches off and stood in complete darkness. I’ve never been anywhere that dark before where you cannot even see your own hand moving in front of your face. We then walked in single file (still in complete darkness) out of the cave, only getting out by holding onto the person in front and trusting them to give you directions when needed.
The vibe in the mini bus back to the hostel was different. People were chattier and lighter. Everyone was starting to feel a bit more at ease.
Back at the hostel, I had relaxed and become friendly with the women sharing my dorm. Tiredness kicked in and we headed to bed. I was looking forward to what the next day would bring! I had a good feeling about this week.
Next post: Climbing walls
Life after anxiety 