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With its flinty limestone rocks and a highest point of little over 200 feet, Bermuda has never been considered a paradise for climbers.
But amid the craggy outcrops and overhangs that pepper the North Shore cliff face, a group of 'outdoorsmen' are charting new territory for what is a burgeoning sport on the island.
Most rock climbing in Bermuda still takes place at the Olympic Club's artificial wall. But by introducing a generation of islanders to climbing, the club's instructors tapped into a latent spirit of adventure that has inevitably led them beyond the wall.
Now the more talented and experienced climbers are regularly scrambling up different routes at John Smith's Bay, Harrington Sound and Admiralty House - by far the best spot they have found so far.
"Climbing has always been about getting away from it, getting outside and away from people and just becoming immersed in the activity," says Bryan Caldwell, one of the club's instructors. "People find it a great way to relax because they are not thinking about anything else but climbing. If you're not thinking about it and moving with it, if your head's not in it, then you won't be successful."
Caldwell and his fellow instructor Ward Byrum have a history of finding places to climb in the most unlikely places. The pair went to university in Kansas where they resorted to scaling silos, apartment blocks and telegraph poles to get their climbing fix in the flattest state in the U.S.
And it was that 'anything goes' attitude that led them to seek out the brittle and unwelcoming cliffs of Bermuda's shoreline.
Now, deploying a method known as 'deep water soloing' - which essentially means climbing without ropes and using the water as a safety net - they are pioneering a new frontier.
Caldwell added: "Being real climbers, we naturally gravitated towards the cliffs. We realized the rock quality wasn't that good so we scouted out some different spots while we were out snorkelling or swimming."
But it was British psychiatrist and experienced rock climber Dr. Grant Farquhar, who first discovered the numerous climbing routes at Admirality House, during his independent forays from his home at Spanish Point.
Dr. Farquhar, who captured many of the stunning images on these pages, had the honour of naming the climbs - a privilege afforded to the first climber to chart a new route.
From Lara Croft - 'a feisty route with big jugs' to Atlantis, a lengthy traverse, there are myriad options which now attract a small group to the park every week.
Short as the climbs may be, with the cliff top a mere 30ft above sea level, they are difficult and often involve long traverses requiring a lot of energy and strength to scale.
"I did a couple of climbs today and a little bit of swimming around and I'm beat," admitted Byrum on Friday.
For the most part, it's just the experienced, qualified climbers like Byrum, Farquhar (who has since moved to New Zealand) and Caldwell who try out the different routes.
But some of the more talented climbers at the wall are also visiting cliffs, under the supervision of their more experienced friends.
Tristan DeSilva, 17, who started climbing when the wall first opened in Bermuda, said taking on the challenge of Admirality House was a "completely different experience".
He said they were much tougher climbs than he had ever encountered before. Byrum added that taking on Bermuda's rocks without supervision was not something he recommended.
"We're all experienced climbers.
"The important thing for us is to find a route where at any moment, if you fall, you fall into the water."
DeSilva added that falling had been a "little scary" at first, but he said it was "no big deal", because there was always a relatively deep pool of water below.
Byrum said the climbers occasionally draw spectators from the visitors that frequent the park.
"They think we are crazy just for being in the water at this time of year, never mind the climbing we do.
"One thing that all the Bermudians say to us is that they remember jumping and diving off these rocks when they were kids.
"Now we're taking it from a different angle and going back up them."
(The Sun)
But amid the craggy outcrops and overhangs that pepper the North Shore cliff face, a group of 'outdoorsmen' are charting new territory for what is a burgeoning sport on the island.
Most rock climbing in Bermuda still takes place at the Olympic Club's artificial wall. But by introducing a generation of islanders to climbing, the club's instructors tapped into a latent spirit of adventure that has inevitably led them beyond the wall.
Now the more talented and experienced climbers are regularly scrambling up different routes at John Smith's Bay, Harrington Sound and Admiralty House - by far the best spot they have found so far.
"Climbing has always been about getting away from it, getting outside and away from people and just becoming immersed in the activity," says Bryan Caldwell, one of the club's instructors. "People find it a great way to relax because they are not thinking about anything else but climbing. If you're not thinking about it and moving with it, if your head's not in it, then you won't be successful."
Caldwell and his fellow instructor Ward Byrum have a history of finding places to climb in the most unlikely places. The pair went to university in Kansas where they resorted to scaling silos, apartment blocks and telegraph poles to get their climbing fix in the flattest state in the U.S.
And it was that 'anything goes' attitude that led them to seek out the brittle and unwelcoming cliffs of Bermuda's shoreline.
Now, deploying a method known as 'deep water soloing' - which essentially means climbing without ropes and using the water as a safety net - they are pioneering a new frontier.
Caldwell added: "Being real climbers, we naturally gravitated towards the cliffs. We realized the rock quality wasn't that good so we scouted out some different spots while we were out snorkelling or swimming."
But it was British psychiatrist and experienced rock climber Dr. Grant Farquhar, who first discovered the numerous climbing routes at Admirality House, during his independent forays from his home at Spanish Point.
Dr. Farquhar, who captured many of the stunning images on these pages, had the honour of naming the climbs - a privilege afforded to the first climber to chart a new route.
From Lara Croft - 'a feisty route with big jugs' to Atlantis, a lengthy traverse, there are myriad options which now attract a small group to the park every week.
Short as the climbs may be, with the cliff top a mere 30ft above sea level, they are difficult and often involve long traverses requiring a lot of energy and strength to scale.
"I did a couple of climbs today and a little bit of swimming around and I'm beat," admitted Byrum on Friday.
For the most part, it's just the experienced, qualified climbers like Byrum, Farquhar (who has since moved to New Zealand) and Caldwell who try out the different routes.
But some of the more talented climbers at the wall are also visiting cliffs, under the supervision of their more experienced friends.
Tristan DeSilva, 17, who started climbing when the wall first opened in Bermuda, said taking on the challenge of Admirality House was a "completely different experience".
He said they were much tougher climbs than he had ever encountered before. Byrum added that taking on Bermuda's rocks without supervision was not something he recommended.
"We're all experienced climbers.
"The important thing for us is to find a route where at any moment, if you fall, you fall into the water."
DeSilva added that falling had been a "little scary" at first, but he said it was "no big deal", because there was always a relatively deep pool of water below.
Byrum said the climbers occasionally draw spectators from the visitors that frequent the park.
"They think we are crazy just for being in the water at this time of year, never mind the climbing we do.
"One thing that all the Bermudians say to us is that they remember jumping and diving off these rocks when they were kids.
"Now we're taking it from a different angle and going back up them."
(The Sun)