A BBC Radio 4 feature recently focussed on Palestine's first indoor climbing wall - Wadi Climbing - in Ramallah. The Palestinian occupied territories boast a landscape well-suited to adventure and exploration, yet its situation as a zone of continuing conflict would appear to render this association incongruous.
Moving to the area in 2013 after studying in Jordan, US climbers and students Timothy Bruns and Will Harris recognised the limited opportunities for local people to exploit the region's nature. Timothy and Will used their knowledge as climbing instructors and began scoping out the area as a potential location for a climbing wall. I asked Timothy a bit about their highly successful project...
In Area C, which is equally open to Palestinians and Israelis and very close to Ramallah, is an excellent area called Wadi Kelt. It is not, by the way, illegal. It is in a national park, which by mutual agreement at Oslo was to be administered by Israel.
Fri Night Vid Finding Focus - Life Behind The Lens of a Climbing Photographer
This week's Friday Night Video is a portrait of a prolific climbing photographer from Wedge Climbing. Sam Pratt is well known in both the outdoor and competition scene but if you haven't heard of him, you've likely seen...