It's Cold Inside...

If you're an OM regular, you'll probably be aware that the largest indoor climbing wall in the known universe was due to open in Scotland just before New Year. Well, the good news - just in case you're short of snow - is that the Ice Factor is now up and running.

Housed in an old aluminium smelting plant in Kinlochleven, the building houses over 400 square metres of real ice including overhangs, corners and high belay stances. There are also sections with rocks built into the surface of the ice wall to accurately simulate mixed routes and allow ice tool torquing.

Entre-Prises UK who are reponsible for both the ice and rock facilities at Kinlochleven emphasise that creating an indoor ice wall is rather more complex the simply building a big freezer and spraying water up the walls. In fact the supporting walls are chilled with a piped coolant, the air temperature is carefully controlled and the ice is carefully built up to ensure that the ratio of air to ice gives ideal placements - so no rock hard, black ice or dinner-plating allowed then...

Alongside the ice facilities are extensive indoor rock climbing areas including the UK's largest articulated Freeform wall which can be set at any angle from 45 degrees to overhanging.

But enough blather, we thought you might like to see what the Ice Factor actually looks like with help from climbers Dave Macleod, Gareth Parry and Kate Mills. For more information on the Ice Factor, check out the web site. Photos courtesy of Entre-Prises UK.