00:00:03 My name's Shona Hanmer, and I work here at Calshot as a Climbing Wall Supervisor. That really - what that means is in the evenings when we're open to the public, I'm here to sort of supervise all the climbers that come in, and give them advice. And often we get asked questions about where to climb outdoors and that sort of thing. I would give them little assessments if they're new members, so that we know that they're all safe when they're climbing. Because it can get quite busy. And then during the day we're just kind of doing maintenance of the wall, checking all the ropes, checking all the equipment, and sort of trying to improve the wall by putting up new routes, and trying to get competitions on the go, and thinking of new events and that sort of thing.
00:00:47 Well I've been climbing four years. So just when I was 20 I started rock climbing. I was doing a college course and I just got taken out by a couple of my friends on the course. So I didn't know if they were safe or anything, it's quite funny now to look back at it. Because I was like OK I'll trust you! I'll just climb up your rope, sort of thing. But it was good, I loved it straightaway. One of my first times, climbing in Aberdeen, we had this shoal of dolphins go past, and that was just amazing, just - because we were just sat there having lunch, and then that happened. And then another time I climbed up to the top of a mountain after work, the Cobbler on the west coast. Did a three pitch, multi pitch route, and then the sun was setting as we got to the top, it was really nice, it was really good.
00:01:31 I've always been outdoorsy, but more in the fact that my Mum and Dad dragged us out on walks every weekend, and picnics, and bird-watching, and that sort of thing. At school I was actually really into Art and Music. I mean I still love Art, doing Art and Music, but yeah that - when I was at school I thought I was going to end up doing something Arty. And so that completely changed.
00:02:12 So I went to University mainly because all my friends were going to University. The school - kind of that was the way you were meant to go. So I almost just picked up a brochure and went eany, meany, miny, mo. And anyway I picked this course Tourism Management because it had a bit on Activity Tourism, which I kind of took an interest in when I read that, and that was to do with like the rock climbing, and climbing. So I thought that was maybe a way to get into it. But after the first year at Uni I realised it really wasn't how to get into it, 'cause we were sat in a classroom writing stuff, when I should have been outside, sort of doing it, if you like. I stuck it out till my second year, so I passed my first year. My second year I was just really unhappy actually.
00:02:43 I mean I wouldn't have left until my - it was actually my Mum that said you know, you're really unhappy, maybe you should do something about it, this course obviously isn't for you, so she was fantastic. And she actually found the Outdoor Pursuits course, and she said, you know, why don't you try this? And so I did, and loved it. All the outdoor stuff was new to me, and it was three days outside a week, so it was fantastic, you know, learning to rock climb, kayak, snow board, skiing, hill walk, just everything. It was just a base, if you know what I mean.
00:03:06 It's definitely a passion hobby, but I mean I do strive to get better and better, I don't want to just keep going along at the same level. I don't think I'll go into competitions, 'cause I just want it for me now. Now that I've done my assessments for the Instructor and that, I just want to keep it for myself, if you know what I mean, I don't want to force it.
00:03:27 I don't have a clue what I want to do over the next 5 or 10 years. I want to include lots of travelling, lots of snowboarding, that's my other love. So hopefully do a snow season. I might even do it in like New Zealand or something over the summer, if you like, our summer, their winter. That would be quite good I think. Or Canada, or the Alps, anywhere! As long as there's snow. Probably be here for quite a while because it's a good - it's a really good centre here. You meet a lot of people that like the same things. But yeah I'm not really sure, I just take every day as it comes now.
00:04:03 END
Shona Hanmer
Shona Hanmer
My name's Shona Hanmer, and I work here at Calshot as a Climbing Wall Supervisor. That really - what that means is in the evenings when we're open to the public, I'm here to sort of supervise all the climbers that come in, and give them advice. And often we get asked questions about where to climb outdoors and that sort of thing. I would give them little assessments if they're new members, so that we know that they're all safe when they're climbing. Because it can get quite busy. And then during the day we're just kind of doing maintenance of the wall, checking all the ropes, checking all the equipment, and sort of trying to improve the wall by putting up new routes, and trying to get competitions on the go, and thinking of new events and that sort of thing.
Well I've been climbing four years. So just when I was 20 I started rock climbing. I was doing a college course and I just got taken out by a couple of my friends on the course. So I didn't know if they were safe or anything, it's quite funny now to look back at it. Because I was like OK I'll trust you! I'll just climb up your rope, sort of thing. But it was good, I loved it straightaway. One of my first times, climbing in Aberdeen, we had this shoal of dolphins go past, and that was just amazing, just - because we were just sat there having lunch, and then that happened. And then another time I climbed up to the top of a mountain after work, the Cobbler on the west coast. Did a three pitch, multi pitch route, and then the sun was setting as we got to the top, it was really nice, it was really good.
I've always been outdoorsy, but more in the fact that my Mum and Dad dragged us out on walks every weekend, and picnics, and bird-watching, and that sort of thing. At school I was actually really into Art and Music. I mean I still love Art, doing Art and Music, but yeah that - when I was at school I thought I was going to end up doing something Arty. And so that completely changed.
So I went to University mainly because all my friends were going to University. The school - kind of that was the way you were meant to go. So I almost just picked up a brochure and went eany, meany, miny, mo. And anyway I picked this course Tourism Management because it had a bit on Activity Tourism, which I kind of took an interest in when I read that, and that was to do with like the rock climbing, and climbing. So I thought that was maybe a way to get into it. But after the first year at Uni I realised it really wasn't how to get into it, 'cause we were sat in a classroom writing stuff, when I should have been outside, sort of doing it, if you like. I stuck it out till my second year, so I passed my first year. My second year I was just really unhappy actually.
I mean I wouldn't have left until my - it was actually my Mum that said you know, you're really unhappy, maybe you should do something about it, this course obviously isn't for you, so she was fantastic. And she actually found the Outdoor Pursuits course, and she said, you know, why don't you try this? And so I did, and loved it. All the outdoor stuff was new to me, and it was three days outside a week, so it was fantastic, you know, learning to rock climb, kayak, snow board, skiing, hill walk, just everything. It was just a base, if you know what I mean.
It's definitely a passion hobby, but I mean I do strive to get better and better, I don't want to just keep going along at the same level. I don't think I'll go into competitions, 'cause I just want it for me now. Now that I've done my assessments for the Instructor and that, I just want to keep it for myself, if you know what I mean, I don't want to force it.
I don't have a clue what I want to do over the next 5 or 10 years. I want to include lots of travelling, lots of snowboarding, that's my other love. So hopefully do a snow season. I might even do it in like New Zealand or something over the summer, if you like, our summer, their winter. That would be quite good I think. Or Canada, or the Alps, anywhere! As long as there's snow. Probably be here for quite a while because it's a good - it's a really good centre here. You meet a lot of people that like the same things. But yeah I'm not really sure, I just take every day as it comes now.
END
Shona Hanmer is a Climbing Wall Supervisor at Calshot Actvities Centre. She had always been interested in outdoor activities and decided to do a degree in Tourism Management. During her second year she was not happy, so with the help of her mum, changed to a more active, outdoor course. Shona enjoys working at Calshot but would like to travel around the world in the next few years, she doesn't mind where "...as long as there's snow!"
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