We ask Leo Houlding WHY?

Mount Asgard is located in the Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island - the largest of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Towering 1600 metres above the valley floor, 2015 metres above sea level and with the eye catching twin one kilometre vertical faces, Mount Asgard dominates the sky line. These enormous natural climbing walls have long been inspirational to rock climbers and were an obvious challenge for Leo to undertake. We caught up with Leo to find out about his love of climbing, his advice to those who want to get in to the sport and his Asgard experience.

When and why did you start climbing?

"I started climbing when I was 10 in the Lake District where I grew up. My family were always into hill walking and scrambling – easy climbing without ropes – and then when I was 10 years old a friend of my father’s took me rock climbing. I fell in love with the adventure. You might be right next to a tourist path, but the moment you get 20 feet up, you’re in your own world".

Where did you go from that first taste of the sport?

"I climbed a lot with my dad and friends from school. I did climbing competitions, which are held indoors so it’s not really rock climbing, and that was a great way of meeting other young climbers. Then in 1997 I became a professional climber."

How does indoor climbing on walls compare to outdoor rock climbing?

"Indoor walls are good to learn and improve on. For most people their first experience of climbing will be on a wall – most cities don’t have rocks. The techniques are the same, you use the same knots and relay techniques and for training, it’s fantastic. What’s different is it’s not an outdoor experience and the joy of climbing for me is not the movement, it’s the aesthetics of being outside, feeling the wind on your face."

How would a newbie start climbing?

"If you’ve never tried climbing, then a wall is a great place to start. There’s a few things you need to know for rock climbing – a few things your life depends on! An induction course will teach you how to tie knots and relay – the British Mouintaineering Council can help you find one. In a weekend, someone can teach you the basics."

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