Anyone who can’t stand the (ahem) heat of the British summer can stay cool by doing a spot of ice climbing in London’s Covent Garden.

The veteran mountain sports shop Ellis Brigham has a 26ft ice wall in its basement. Instructors Sam and Peter exuded the calm professionalism common to extreme sports practitioners. We pulled on ice-climbing suits (ski suits, basically), boots, gloves, harnesses and helmets with visors. Sam attached crampons to my boots. “Try not to kick yourself,” he advised.