Before the week is out...: Climb this

"IF THE mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed will go to the mountain," the old proverb goes. Well, there's no need to bother now: if it's a bit of mountaineering you fancy, you'll soon need to go no further than the local gym. The Rock is described as a "virtual mountain" and works like a vertical treadmill which can be adjusted in terms of speed and gradient to make a more challenging climb (no panoramic view at the summit though!). Already installed in the Hogarth gym in London, there's also one at Kids Kingdom in Southend, and other Rocks will be touring on promotional roadshows this summer. Great news. Unless you're an abseiler of course. IK

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