*** UPDATE ***

We want to keep this post short and sweet.

Recently, mostly due to the ‘Don’t Look Down’ documentary starring James
Kingston and Mustang Wanted, there has been a huge rise in practitioners of parkour climbing up cranes, radio towers (and seemingly anything else that is high up and looks like a ladder) and hanging off them. Many of these people record it or take selfies whilst dangling in a precarious fashion. Also recently, a few people have written their own blogs on this trend. (You can read Dylan Baker’s brilliantly satirical article here, as well as some other parkour coaching organisation’s positions on the matter here).

It is time for Train Hard Parkour, as a coaching organisation, to address this sensitive issue.

At Train Hard, we recognise that being confident at height is an important skill to develop within parkour, however, we feel that this can be done in much safer ways than climbing cranes. We also feel that it is not necessary for practitioners who haven’t been training for an appropriate length of time to be working at these kinds of heights anyway. Climbing is an invaluable part of parkour, so it’s serendipitous that our purpose-built facility is right next to a large indoor bouldering wall where these skills can be learned properly and honed!

At Train Hard, we encourage our practitioners to explore their environments, keeping within their personal safety limits and at all times being vigilant and respectful of their surroundings whilst upholding the law. The following statements sum up Train Hard Parkour’s position on these issues:

• Train Hard Parkour does not endorse the new fad within the parkour scene of climbing cranes, radio towers, really long ladders etc.

• Train Hard Parkour does not teach its members to take part in these activities.

• Train Hard Parkour does not endorse trespassing.

• Train Hard Parkour feels that these activities do not reflect accurately or portray Parkour in a positive light.

Please also take a look at our Training Outdoors page which details Parkour UK’s Information, Advice, and Guidance for training outdoors.