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Jersey is known for its waves and beaches – not necessarily for its mountain tops. But the island's granite cliffs have proven themselves a worthy playground for rock climbers, as a local influencer in the sport with 15,000 followers explained...
For our latest podcast, Express spoke to Eleanor Lister, who shares her adventures on the Rock and abroad with her significant Instagram following, about what it is that makes Jersey “a hidden Mecca” – and how, after an accident in which she got close to losing her arm, she had to learn to trust again.
Eleanor got started in the sport when she was on a completely different adventure – working on a Sea Shepherd boat, getting involved with marine conservation and environmental activism at sea.
When she returned to Jersey, she saw the island in a completely new light.
“You go down to places that you never realised existed,” Eleanor said.
Pictured: Eleanor describes "areas that are essentially unexplored" - but cautions people not to do anything unsafe. (Eleanor Lister)
“There are parts of the island that are essentially unexplored unless you get down there specifically for climbing. Some areas you might even have to abseil down to.”
But eight months in, a freak accident in which she got close to losing her arm made her reconsider everything.
“It was the mental side,” she said.
“It was the confidence. Every time I went climbing after that, the fear response was unbearable. And it took quite a lot for me to push through that and carry on climbing.
“I contemplated selling my gear quite a few times.”
During her recovery, Eleanor found herself constantly challenging herself.
She remembers bawling her eyes out before a climb, thinking she was about to die – but, when she made it to the top, she knew: “I'm going to go and do that again, for some ridiculous, unknown reason.”
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While she was off injured, Eleanor leaned into her lifelong passion for photography to take pictures of climbers and in the process built a profile online – with thousands following her 'Rock Climber Girl' Instagram page.
She never shied away from sharing her mental health journey, describing how in a cluttered social media environment, she wanted to build a community where she could share her experience honestly and start conversations about people’s own journeys.
“A lot of the conversation started around my emotions towards getting back into climbing, which is a part of the category of mental health, I suppose.
“People relating to all of those conversations that can be had opening up that dialogue, people commenting and saying: ‘I've experienced that the same thing’, regardless of what the subject might be.”
Express spoke to Eleanor for the latest edition of the Bailiwick Podcast – listen below or wherever you get your podcasts...
Pictured top: Eleanor climbing at Grosnez.
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