Not quite a normal day in that I packed my full arctic gear and headed to the office. I was asked to do a photoshoot of me training for a promotional video for my company. Unfortunately the team couldn’t sort out the -19c industrial deep freeze at Smithfields market, so we settled for the ice climbing wall in Ellis Brigham at a balmy -5c.

I have never been ice climbing before and had in fact only taken up indoor climbing weeks earlier. This often surprises my friends as many think I am a hardy outdoor type (ironically, I really am not!). It is almost as surprising to them that I had ridden a bike for the first time in 20 years on a holiday in Burma, or that I have never drunk a cup of coffee or tea...

I put on my harness, donned my boots and crampons and on entering the ice wall 'room', I was asked by the crew to put on my down jacket. 'Paul, you don't look cold enough?'. 'I'm not... it's only -5!'. 'Yeah, we need you to look much colder...'. I put on my jacket, the crew set up their cameras, I had a short briefing and off I went!

Ice climbing is technically reasonably simple (at least in the safe setting of being top roped!), but actually takes a bit of effort to get yourself up and hold yourself in place... there is always the feeling that your crampons might not hold, so inexperienced climbers (like me!) tend to use your arms a little more than you would otherwise like.

Some good shots came from the shoot in the gallery.