Climbing walls are known. These can comprise brick walls with certain of the bricks protruding as climbing holds. Alternatively, specifically moulded holds can be secured to the wall. It is know for these to be colour coded for showing a particular route to be followed across the wall. It should be noted that often the route will not be a simple vertical route up the wall. The route is likely to be to include traversing sideways across the wall as well. In certain children's routes, the main part of the route will be a traverse close to the ground. In so far as all these routes involve hand and foot holds as in vertical climbs, the word"climb"is used to signify any route on a climbing wall-vertical or horizontal or anything in between.

Such walls can be provided with means for measuring time to climb the wall.

US patent specification No 5,732, 954, dated 3 lSt March 1998 to James H.

Stickler, describes an electronic control system for recording, and marking hold sequences or'routes'on structures for recreational and competitive climbing and for scoring a climber's performance in ascending such routes. When used by a climber during a new route, sensitive holds electronically transmit their identifying addresses to a computerized recording system. Upon completion of the new route climbers assign a name and grade of difficulty using the computer. Climbers may also use the computer to recall routes previously designed by others. Electronically activated markers are then used to rapidly and conveniently designate the particular holds comprising the route. As the climber ascends, the holds now function to inform the computer if the climber has used an illegal hold, that is a hold which is'off route'.

The system also keeps track of how high and how fast the climbers ascend, thus providing a convenient method of scoring their performance.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved climbing wall.

According to the invention there is provided a hold for a climbing wall, the hold comprising zea body having: a grippable front surface and a rear surface, an attachment point extending into the body from the rear surface for attachment of the body to the wall at a random angle for random inclination of the grippable front surface, an annular recess in the rear surface centred on the attachment point and * a light path from the annular recess to the front surface; and 'an electric circuit on an annular circuit board adapted to be received in the annular recess at a random angle to the body attached to the climbing wall, the circuit and board having: means for illuminating the hold to indicate its inclusion on a climbing path via the light path, a proximity switch for detecting use of the hold by gripping of its front surface and means for connection of the hold to a control system for illuminating selected holds to indicate a climbing path.

Preferably the attachment point is a through-bore in the body.

Whilst other forms of switch can be envisaged, the preferred proximity switch is a capacitative switch having a plate element external to the board. The external plate element can include a lead from the circuit board with a foil connected to the lead.

In the preferred embodiment, the body of the hold includes a capacitative plate coupled to the lead, the capacitative plate being provided on the rear surface of the hold and in contact in use with the external plate lead at a random position corresponding to random inclination of the grippable front surface.

Preferably for providing the light path the body is of transparent or at least translucent material and circuit components and/or the circuit body are potted in transparent or at least translucent potting material.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a system for a climbing wall, the hold system comprising: a plurality of holds in accordance with the invention and 'a control system for selectively illuminating at least some of the holds to define a route to be taken by a climber in climbing the wall.

Preferably, the control system is adapted to cancel illumination of holds on the route as the climber reaches them and grips their front climbing surface.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a climbing wall equipped with holds in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side vi ew of one of the holds shown in Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a front view of the hold of Figure 2 ; Figure 4 is a rear side of the hold o f Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a block diagram of the wall, with its holds and their control system.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a wall 1 to be climbed across the end of a building space. The building has a floor 2, sidewalls 3,4 and a ceiling space 5.

Arrayed across the wall 1 are a series of hand/foot holds 11. Each is a clear plastics material moulding, having an external shape providing a recessed grip 12 on its front surface 14. The hold is held to the wall by a bolt 15 passing through the body of the hold via a thorough bore 16. This arrangement allows the hold to be set at a randomly chosen angle, that is with the grip facing up or to left or right. Provided in

the rear surface 17 of the hold is an annular recess 18, centred on the through bore.

Radially outwards of the annular recess, the rear face of the hold is covered with aluminium foil 19, which abuts the wall 1 with the bolt 15 tightened.

Accommodated in the annular recess is an annular circuit board 21 carrying a circuit including a connector 22, a set of bicolour LEDs 23 and a capacitative proximity sensor 24. The circuit is adapted to illuminate the LEDs green or red under control of a remote computer 25 or indeed to leave them un-illuminated. Connection to the computer is via the connector 22 and a bus 26. The connector protrudes to the rear of the board and the rear of the rear surface 17 of the hold, the wall being provided not only with a bore 27 for the bolt, but also a bore 28 for the connector and its counter-part 29 on the bus to the computer. Since the circuit board is circularly symmetrical, it does not restrict the hold from taking any angle despite the annular circuit board being restricted in its angular disposition by the connector 22.

The LEDs and indeed the entire circuit are set in clear potting material shaped to be complementary to the annular recess, whereby their illumination is visible at the front surface of the hold. Aside from the connector 22, a lead 30 extends from the circuit board, where it is connected to the capacitative sensor. The lead carries a wrapping 31 of aluminium foil for making contact with the foil 19, whereby the circuit can detect a hand using the grip 12. This information is transmitted to the computer 25, which then causes the LED to change colour provided its was on the intended route for the climber up the wall.

The computer also controls a control panel 32. This has a display 33 of points scored by a climber of the wall, a loud speaker 34 for giving a"start"signal and a card reader 35 by means of which a climber can identify himself t the control computer.

Mounted in the ceiling space is a winch 41 for a line 42 to a harness 43 to be worn by the climber.

Targets 51 for the climber to reach are provided at the top of the wall. These are touch switches also connected by the bus 26 to the control computer.

In play, the climber identifies himself to the control computer. This invites the player to don the safety harness 43. A contact switch is provided in the harness, to indicate to the computer that the harness is being correctly worn. The computer then illuminates with the LEDs in selected holds a route on the wall, which the climber is to follow in climbing the wall. A typical route is shown in Figure 1 by illuminated ones of the holds.

After the climber has had a short while to study the route, the computer counts down to go and the climber starts climbing the wall. As the climber touches-with his feet or hands-the illuminated holds of the route, these touches are detected by the computer. Since the computer is aware where the climber has reached on the wall, it is able to control the winch, to wind in the slack in the line 42. Thus if the climber should fall off the wall at any time, he will fall only a short distance.

The computer can be programmed for a variety of scoring schemes. For instance the climber may be invited to climb the wall as quickly as possible to reach the target by any route. Alternatively, he may be penalised/score additional points for missing/using the illuminated holds. These can be arranged to change colour when touched. Again the holds can be illuminated to show foot holds and hands holds with differing colours of illumination.