Rock Climbing

Defining the Rock Climbing Craze

2010-04-07T03:21:00.000-07:00

Rock climbing has become a nation and even worldwide craze. People are coming to the sport in droves because it offers exercise and excitement at the same time. Do you see the appeal? If not, perhaps you should take a look at exactly rock climbing actually involves. You never know, you may be lining up to be a part of the crowd in no time flat.

Those who have attempted rock climbing before will tell you that it is many things, but easy is not one of those things. Most people, on their first attempt, come away feeling defeated by the sport. What beginners soon realize, whether they try indoor climbing or outdoor climbing, is that this sport requires an incredible amount of physical and mental energy. It is perhaps the most completely demanding sport around.

There are three basic types of rock climbing you can try. The first is called top roping and is perhaps the most common. In top roping you climb with a partner. From the ground, the partner has a rope from his harness up to the top of the rock and then back down to you as you climb. The second type of rock climbing is called lead climbing. In lead climbing you are still with another person and there are still ropes and pulleys. The difference is that the rope is not at the top of the wall, but it is instead hooked into clasps.

The third type of rock climbing is completely different. It is called bouldering, and there are no ropes or harnesses. As a climber, you will likely stay closer to the ground as you climb around and across the rock more than up the rock. There will generally be a route of some sort that you can complete without much resting. In some cases, you will be required to do what rock climbers call a dyno. In a dyno, you leap off the wall and grab onto a hold that is beyond your reach. This is why many will say that bouldering is the most mentally demanding of all the types of rock climbing.

Interestingly, experienced rock climbers will tell you that it is predominantly a leg activity. About three fourths of your work should be done by your legs, and then one fourth by your arms. The key to climbing well is to have solid technique. One major technique rule that you will learn early on is to at all times have three points (each hand and each foot is a point) touching the wall. There is an enormous difference between having your weight on three points as opposed to two. A second rule of technique is to always climb with your feet. Your hands will hold you to the wall, but should never be doing the pulling, and since your legs are stronger, it is a more efficient way to climb anyway. Thirdly, it is important to remember that the closer your body is to the wall the easier it will be for you to climb. With lots of practice, you will see that it is all this thinking and strategy that has helped make rock climbing one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

When you first begin climbing, no matter how well you have been taught technique, it is a good idea to start with one of the first two types. They are easier and by forcing you to have a buddy with you are safer as well. As you develop technique and strength you will find that you can then more easily move into bouldering if that is something you desire to try.

You may feel like rock climbing seems awfully extreme for a regular Joe like you, but it is quite the workout. As you get further into the sport, learn technique, body positions, and even how to shift your weight, you will see that your mental sharpness will improve as well. If you like to get out and work, but also enjoy chess or other strategy games, you will find that rock climbing is right up your alley. It is not enough to be strong or in shape, and it is not enough to be smart, you have to be strong and sharp.

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Boulder Climbing

2010-03-28T02:47:00.000-07:00

Boulder climbing, most commonly referred to as bouldering, is an extreme sport that has been around for a long time. Very often thought of as mountain climbing without the mountain and ropes, bouldering aficionados in Great Britain pioneered this sport some time in the late 1880s. In those days, the climbing of a boulder was considered a warm up and training activity for the more ambitious mountain climbs that the participants would engage in later on. Self proclaimed American boulder climber pioneer John Gill has made many advances in this sport that have allowed it to enter the mainstream. As opposed to traditional rock climbing, the focus in boulder climbing is on the performance of the athlete on the rock they are climbing instead of on the headway they can make on any given mountain hike, the type of equipment they may have that ensures success of some mountain climbing expeditions and failure of others, or the personal safety gear they posses.

Safety is nonetheless of great important to any boulder climber. After all, even though she or he will only be about six feet off the ground, a fall from this height will hurt and might result in severe injuries if safety precautions are not taken. Chalk is often used to allow climbers to get a good grip on the boulder they are climbing and to prevent them from slipping. Drying the hands and reducing slippage due to sweating hands, a chalk pouch is indispensable in this activity. Another important item that should be a part of your climbing gear is the choice of shoe. While particular climbing shoes are not required and may even be looked down upon by the purists on the fringe of the sport, many climbers prefer to wear specialized climbing shoes that not only protect their feet from rock cuts, splinters, and painful twists, but also help them in securing a safe footing during their climbing experience.

In competitions, crash pads will break the fall of a climber and allow for a safer landing. Fortunately, boulder climbers no longer wait until the competitions come around to use a mat to break a fall, but many climbers now carry their own collapsible mats that they use when bouldering recreationally. Many times an individual who is designated as a spotter will seek to direct the climber away from danger, or in case of a fall, will render first aid. A few boulder climbers will use top ropes to traverse a boulder, but the majority of the sports aficionados look on this safety precaution with disdain, as it distorts the actual beauty and goal of the activity itself.

Since bouldering has become a highly competitive game, judging methods have evolved over the years. At first the “B” system invented by John Gill was used. Terming boulders as problems that need to be solved, difficulty levels were assigned to different boulders. Thus, a B1 problem boulder would not be considered easy yet does not fall into the hard category either. A B2 problem boulder simply designates a boulder that is harder to traverse and master than a B1 rock. The B3 boulder climb, on the other hand, designates boulders that have been so hard to climb that they have only been successfully mastered once. As is apparent to boulder climbing enthusiasts, the “B” system only worked for a short period of time until more participants in the sports brought more differentiated skill levels to the climbs. Soon the “B” scale was replaced by the “V” grade system invented by John Sherman, another great of the sport. This scale is open ended, but at this point only designations from V0 to V16 are used. Some refer to a VB rating, which simply means “V-basic” if a boulder does not even meat a V0 designation. Sometimes a plus or minus sign is added to the V designations to even further pare down the difficulty level of a rock. The “V” scale and the “B” system are comparable at times; for example, a “B1” problem as defined by John Gill is similar to a “V5+” problem designation using the John Sherman scale. In Europe, the cradle of this sport, an entirely different grading system is used: the Fontainebleau grading. This system uses the numbers 1 through 8 and the letter designations of a through c. An “8c” rating would be similar to Sherman’s “V15” rating.

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Sports Climbing Why Its Different from Other Extreme Climbing

2009-01-22T02:46:00.000-08:00

Sports climbing and other extreme climbing types are totally different sports. Despite the fact that both entail climbing up large structures, the differences make it so that the two cannot easily be confused. Consider each type and you will see that there is a definite difference between sports climbing and other extreme climbing.

Sports climbing is actually fairly recent in terms of popularity. Much of the sports climbing craze started during the 1980’s. Since it does place an emphasis on strength and stamina, it actually helped the top climbers of the traditional sense improve. They found that the increase in strength and skill they go from the sport could be applied to traditional climbing. That then set the stage for an increase in climbing grades.

In addition, the sport of sports climbing is actually a unique form of rock climbing. It is heavily reliant on permanently affixed anchors into the rock. Usually these are bolts. This particular form of climbing puts a heavy emphasis on the physical side of the sport. When a route has already been set with bots, a sports climb can be taken on with very little equipment. For sports climbing you will usually need a rope, quick draws, dyneema and locking carabiners.

There are many areas, especially in parts of England, where sports climbing is not looked upon very well at all. Many of the rock climbers think that putting bolts in a mountain permanently takes away from the outdoor feel of the climbing experience. They also feel like the bolts damage the rock and in some ways may devalue the climb made by the first one up the mountain who probably put the bolts in for his or her own protection as the climb progressed. In countries like that, almost all sports climbing is done indoors on climbing walls.

On the other hand, in some countries like Spain, sports climbing has become incredibly popular. There, you will find a number of different places that have many sports climbs available. Seemingly in Spain, it is actually the preferred type of climb, and thus you can expect to find access to tons of sports climb routes wherever you go.

On the other hand, other extreme types of climbing, also known as traditional climbing, is completely different. Traditional rock climbing is climbing where the routes are climbed starting form the bottom of the mountain and working up without the use of any artificial holds or bolts to make their way up. The lead climber temporarily provides protection as they make their way up. Traditional rock climbing is a form of free climbing.

Depending on the country you are in, the definition of traditional climbing may vary slightly. However, in North America, it may still be called traditional climbing even if there are bolts on the route. Someone on the lead, not the rappel, must place the bolts in this type of climbing. They also may only be where completely and totally necessary for safety.

Overall, the extreme or traditional climbing may be said to emphasize danger and adventure in climbing. By forcing participants to place their own bolts and collect them along the way, traditional climbing is often preferred by the climbing purists. However, it is up to you the one would be best suited to your wishes.

The main differences, then, in the two types of climbing are where the emphasis is. While sports climbing emphasizes the strength and stamina aspects of climbing, traditional climbing places a premium on adventure and exhilaration. Though both types incorporate both aspects, there emphasis in each definitely varies. Overall, sports climbing may not be as well respected in some places in the world, but it is often seen as the safest type of climbing and thus great for beginners to learn the sport,

Sports climbing, no matter what others may think of it, is a growing sport that shows no signs of slowing down. Much of the craze that is sports climbing is due in no small part to the growing number of indoor climbing walls in sporting goods stores, gyms, and now even some spas. Indoor climbing is a form of sports climbing and is a fantastic way to learn the sport before you hit a real live rock. Even outdoor sports climbing is a leap from the indoors since weather conditions can really play a big part in your climb, the grip you can get, and your overall sense of wellness as you climb.

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Aint No Mountain High Enough that Cant Be Climb

2009-01-22T02:39:00.000-08:00

Mountain climbing, or mountaineering, is one of the oldest sports in the world. It is the timeless sport of scaling high slopes on a mountain with the goal of reaching the top, or summit, in mind. Mountaineering is actually a combination of many other sports, like snow, ice, and rock climbing as well as hiking and often camping.

Much of the introductory mountain climbing done by beginners is little more than hiking up hill. Because there is such a range of difficulty levels and it is easy to start, mountain climbing is very popular. The basic climbs also seem much less intimidating than if people had to start off scaling a straight up rock wall.

The other exciting part is that there is such variety in the sport even at its most basic levels. In fact, one day of mountain climbing can get you everything from freezing temperatures to unbearable heat due to changes in altitude, weather, and basic sub angles. This variety offers you the opportunity to use skills like problems solving, climbing skills, and overall physical conditioning.

When beginning mountaineering as a sport, there is a lot to consider in terms of training and equipment. In the beginning, supplies that are necessary really only include those similar to hiking: tents, sleeping bags, and rations are obviously a must, but little else. However, as the difficulty level increases and the slope becomes tougher, climbers will need ropes and other actual climbing equipment to ensure safety. In extreme climbing situations, rock and ice climbing gear is needed beyond the ropes and hiking equipment.

So with all of this in mind, how do you get started if you think mountaineering might be for you? The first thing you must do is figure out which type of mountain climbing would be best for you. Each type of mountain climbing, no matter what level, does require a certain amount of personal fitness as well as an investment of time and money. Choose the one that sounds the most like something you would enjoy, rather than just looking for the one most commonly associated with more clout. Decide whether you like hiking more than climbing, what kind of weather you prefer to be active in, and how much cardiovascular effort you are willing to put into the sport. Once you have answered many of those questions, you will have an easier time deciding which type of climbing will work best for you.

In addition, as a beginner, it may be a good idea to consider hiring a mountain guide. Mountain guides are professionals who are adept climbers and skiers who can help lead you up a mountain safely. They know the terrain and can help you with what you need to know and what you need to do in order to get to the summit safely in some of your early climbs. As a beginner, spending time with a mountain guide is a great way to learn the basics of mountaineering before you try doing it on your own on a mountain you don’t really know. As a general rule with most anything, learning with a professional is the best and safest way to get your start. If your guide is certified, it means that he or she has done a number of trainings and has literally thousands of hours worth of personal experience climbing. Even if you are not a beginner, but you wish to advance a mountain that is beyond your skill set, a guide will be able to assist you with that climb.

For many a person globally, mountain climbing has become a complete lifestyle. For some, it becomes almost a complete obsession. However, for many, mountaineering makes a wonderful little distraction from the mundane nine to five living and routine family life. It fills the same gap that golf might for many others. In addition, pursuing mastery of various aspects of climbing is a challenge that can last you the rest of your life and keep you in good physical condition. Many find that as they master one aspect of climbing, they immediately find themselves obsessed with the next phase. You just may find that one day you are that obsessed mastering climber, but the only way to find out is to get out there and get started right away.

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