A look of intense concentration on her face, Marlene is scaling a 40-foot wall.  Her climbing partner, a petite blonde named Susie, calls out with encouragement as Marlene pauses while she seeks her next toe hold.

All around are other women similarly engaged; it’s ladies night at Berlin’s indoor climbing wall, Magic Mountain, and the place is packed, women outnumbering men by five to one.  The atmosphere is buzzing.

“Climbing is great fun, but it can be intimidating for girls to come to a climbing hall because it is seen as being so male dominated,’ explains Julia, a member of staff and resident rock climbing expert.  “So every first and second Wednesday night we offer a discount to women to encourage them to come in.  Once they do they realise there is nothing to be intimidated by.”

It might be positive discrimination, but no-one’s complaining.  Tom, who has been a keen climber for six years, wishes more women would take up the sport.

“Women make great climbers.  Climbing is as much about tactics and strategy as it is about strength.  Women seem to have a natural advantage.  Climbing with a girl makes you think differently about your own approach.”

Julia agrees:  “What women lack in upper body strength they tend to make up for in flexibility and their ability to work out the best route.  Not having so much strength forces you to really think about which holds you use, so you become really efficient at ‘thinking’ your way up the wall.”

Certainly, when you’re halfway up the side of a 40 foot wall, you can’t think about anything other than your next foot or toe hold.  For many, this is part of the allure of climbing.

“It really helps me switch off.  When I’m holding on to the side of a wall by the tips of my fingers I’m really in the moment.  I’m not thinking about my day at work or about picking up my dry-cleaning.  It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my mind,” Marlene enthuses as she is belayed triumphantly back to the ground, having just mastered a new route.

It certainly does great things for your body.  Marlene and Susie are both incredibly fit, with slim toned arms to die for.  “I was really worried when I started I would end up with big bulky muscles,” Susie admits.  “But even though you get a great work-out you find you get really stream-lined muscle definition.”

If her feminine shape wasn’t proof enough that climbing won’t turn you into a female Sylvester Stallone, a quick look around confirms that there are no muscle-bound he-men hulking around.  Instead, there are lean, hard bodies everywhere.

In fact, the lean, laid-back traveller look of the men belies the impressive physical tone that is revealed when one of them lifts his entire body weight using just two fingers.  Climbers are in seriously good shape.

Marlene confides that her interest in climbing isn’t purely about the sport.  “There are a lot of hot guys here,” she observes with a wink, “but it’s also a great way of making friends.  There’s always something going on.  It’s a very social activity.”

“Climbing is a great way of meeting like-minded people,” Julia agrees.  “I think the trust involved in putting your life in your climbing-partner’s hands creates bonds both on and off the wall.”

Audrey Seguy, manager of The Castle climbing centre in London runs a women’s club on Monday evenings. “It’s a friendly supporting environment for women to climb together and you don’t have to be at the same level as your climbing partner as long as you can tie in and belay safely,” she says.

“All of our walls have got routes of varying levels; there are easy routes and there are difficult routes.  Your designated partner might choose a difficult route, you might choose an easy route and it doesn’t affect each other’s climbing enjoyment.”

Once you get your confidence up on the indoor walls you will be able to participate in the thrill of outdoor climbing.  With such a fantastic workout for body and mind to be gained, it would be a shame to leave climbing to the boys.

To find a climbing wall near you, check out http://www.indoorclimbing.com/ which also answers just about every question you might have about climbing.

Mountain Girl runs fun and challenging climbing workshops and bespoke guiding for women in the UK, Chamonix and Turkey. www.mountaingirl.eu/

‘Chicks Unleashed’ are walking, mountaineering and climbing experts and offer courses for women, designed by women and guided by women in Scotland, Cornwall and Sardinia.www.chicks-unleashed.co.uk/