Red arrows indicate the routes I climbed. Climbs were top-roped, started at the barnacle line – the tide was out – and finished on the cliff top.

I began going to the climbing wall in Broadstairs when I was already 65 yrs old. I never thought I would be able to climb in the "severe" grades, even though serious climbers now consider these the easy grades.

I was told that climbing was all about trusting your feet, and that you didn't need to have strong arms, but the people saying that had no idea what it was like not to have any real strength in your arms. When I started, I weighed 11 stone 3lbs and needed 58 lbs of assistance on the assisted "chin-up" machine at the gym to do one "chin-up". Now, less than 15 months later, I have lost half a stone without dieting and only need 16 lbs of assistance to do one "chin-up". This has been achieved by attending the climbing wall and the gym roughly once a week each, whilst taking any available opportunities on holiday to practice on the minor slabs in Pembrokeshire or at Dancing Ledge in Dorset.

If you enjoy scrambling and are healthy, but think you are too old to start learning to climb, find a climbing wall and start bouldering and/or take some lessons. All the young people I have met through climbing have been really encouraging and supportive. It can be frustrating to see how easily they can do things I have to work really hard to achieve, but it is great fun and immensely satisfying when you eventually succeed.

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