The physics of climbing - and falling

Leo Westland, climber and physicist, on climbing, physics, and how to safely absorb gravitational potential energy

There is something about rock climbing and mountaineering that entices physicists and engineers. MIT even have a course on "The Physics of Rock Climbing". A number of famous physicists have made an impression on the climbing community; Henry Way Kendall won the 1990 Nobel Prize for his work on the development of the quark model of particle physics. Simultaneous to carrying out this groundbreaking research, he was pushing the frontiers on California's Yosemite Valley with its spectacular kilometre-high vertical granite walls.

More recently, after working as a professional physicist in Germany, Alex Huber quit to focus on climbing. He undoubtedly became the world's best all round climber. He and his brother, Thomas, set the speed record for climbing Yosemite's most famous climb 'The Nose' in 2 hours 45 minutes; a climb that would take an experienced climber the best part of 3 days to climb! Alex has also summited a number of formidable 8000+ metre mountains in the Himalaya.

Although the Mountaineering Club of University College London Union isn't conquering the world's highest mountains or accomplishing multi-day epics just yet, physicists and engineers are certainly over-represented amongst the membership.

Read more Published in the Guardian.co.uk