My friend recently developed this theory about London dating apps: every man is one of two things, a climber or a DJ. The DJ trope is a tale as old as time, though Fred Again probably has a lot to answer for when it comes to the latest wave, but it’s the climbers that intrigue me most. Every weekend my Instagram feed is populated with stylish acquaintances chalking up their hands, scaling walls and showing off their ultra-toned legs as they crash down onto a bouldering mat with a look of triumph. When did us Londoners all become mountain goats, and why is it all so… cool?
Some blame can be laid at the (rather large) door of the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020, which included sport climbing as an Olympic event for the first time in history. Viewers were transfixed by the skilful bouldering of chilled out looking athletes, the daring lead climbing which threatens climbers with a three metre drop between each hold, and the frankly insane speed climbing, where climbers emulate feral monkeys and scale walls in as little as 4.9 seconds.
