Climbing is a heady mix of hero-worship and easily bruised egos. The biggest climbing stars rub shoulders with first-timers at their local gyms and crags, though.
Accomplished climbers ascend rock like dancers, fluidly transferring their weight between points of contact to maximise efficiency and precise foot placement. They reach a euphoric state known as ‘flow’. Contact Alta Climbing & Fitness now!
Climbing is a fun and exciting outdoor activity that can challenge both the body and the mind. This fascinating sport has a wide range of sub-disciplines with different levels of difficulty, equipment, settings and techniques. If you’re new to climbing, figuring out all the terminology, equipment and climbing styles can be intimidating. Fortunately, we’ve put together this basic guide to help you remove the mystery from this exciting sport.
Outdoor climbing involves ascending natural rock formations such as cliffs, boulders and mountains. It requires a little more preparation than indoor climbing since weather conditions can affect the route. It also features more complex techniques such as crack climbing and chimneying.
Many people get into climbing by first practicing on an artificial wall at a gym. This allows them to learn the fundamentals of climbing, including using the proper footwork and hand placement on the rock. Once they’re comfortable on the wall, they can move on to outdoor climbing on real rock.
Before heading out to a crag, it’s important for climbers to learn how to properly use safety equipment and communicate with one another while on the wall. This includes understanding commands such as “tighten”, “loosen” and “drop the rope.” It’s also important for climbers to understand how to evaluate their belay system, harnesses and helmets.
Unlike the well-marked routes at a gym, outdoor rock can be difficult to read. Climbers must often find their own line by feeling out the holds and searching for the path of least resistance. This can be time consuming and may require asking other climbers for advice.
Outdoor climbing also requires more time commitment than indoor climbing. Unless you live in the New River Gorge or Yosemite, it will likely take at least a day to get to most crags and require hiking to reach them.
For those looking to climb outdoors more regularly, setting up a regular group of climbers is a great way to stay motivated and have fun. This is especially true if you’re training for specific goals such as a competition or an upcoming climb. It’s also a great way to meet other climbers, and share your love of the sport with friends.
Indoor
If you can’t get outdoors, or the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor climbing, you can still get a taste of this exciting sport indoors. Indoor rock climbing provides the same physical challenges and mental rewards of outdoor climbing, but in a controlled environment that’s often much more comfortable (no bugs!).
Many gyms and climbing walls offer a variety of different routes that vary in difficulty, ranging from beginner-friendly to very advanced. Each route is assigned a “grade,” based on the number of hand movements it requires. Climbers who choose to try a particular route may be assigned a “pointer,” who uses a broom handle or any type of pole to tap the next hold when it is time to climb. The pointer should be careful to select holds that are challenging but not beyond the climber’s ability, and they should switch roles regularly so that the climber gets a chance to experience a wide range of hand positions.
Some schools use indoor rock climbing walls for recess when weather prevents outdoor play, and this can be a great way to introduce students to the sport and encourage them to continue to participate outside. Before allowing students to climb, it’s important to make sure the wall is well-supervised and that students understand safety protocols.
For a fun indoor challenge, have students eliminate one color of hold for their hands and see how far they can make it on the wall. This is an excellent activity for boosting confidence in the ability to overcome challenges, while also building concentration and focus.
Indoor climbing is a great activity for kids and adults of all ages, but it’s best to start young. Children are more likely to have the physical and motor skills necessary for success. For this reason, it is important to introduce climbing early and to provide instruction that builds confidence and encourages participation. This is especially true for younger children, who may be more prone to fear and anxiety when trying new activities. As a result, it’s essential to find a climbing instructor who is experienced in working with young climbers and can create a safe, fun learning environment.
Sport
Climbing is a popular sport, especially since bouldering and speed climbing became medal events at the Olympics. Its profile was further raised when a number of film documentaries such as Free Solo and The Dawn Wall were released, featuring the amazing athleticism of some of the sport’s top competitors. The governing body for competition climbing is the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). The sport includes both outdoor and indoor events.
The IFSC oversees three main disciplines: lead climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing. Traditionally, many competitive climbers specialize in one of these disciplines and aim to win that event. But in recent years, more and more people have opted to become more well-rounded competitors, aiming to place fairly high in all three disciplines.
A rounded competitor needs to possess both coarse and fine motor skills. For example, she must be able to perform high-repetition strength moves such as max dead-hangs and also have the ability to maintain a steady flow of movement for a long period of time.
Another key aspect of the sport is balance and footwork. This is because a climber must be able to move efficiently through the rock’s features, such as its crimps and pockets, to reach the next handhold. To do this, a climber must be able to “read” the feature and use her feet and body together to create the opposing forces that she must apply to overcome friction.
A climber also must be able to adapt to changes in the route or the incline of the wall. For example, a climber may have to “clean” a route-to remove loose rocks or debris that would hinder her progress. This is particularly important when using protection such as ropes or belay stations, because the clean route allows a climber to move with maximum efficiency.
Finally, a climber must be able keep up her intensity levels during a competition. This requires a highly efficient aerobic system to allow her to sustain the level of effort required for a predetermined duration of time. In order to achieve this, the athlete must be able to maintain a low-level but continuous pump in her forearms and self-correct faulty movement patterns.
Bouldering
Bouldering is the purest form of rock climbing and does not require a rope or belay partner. It also requires a relatively small amount of equipment compared to roped climbing. As a result, bouldering often takes place outdoors where there are natural features such as cliffs and rocks, or in indoor gyms. Bouldering allows climbers to work on their technical skills and build up their endurance. The sport can be a social activity as well, as boulderers can work together to solve problems or support one another during challenges.
Boulderers need a high level of strength, power and flexibility to perform the sport. This is especially true for the upper body, since bouldering relies more on explosive movements than sustained holds. A boulderer’s footwork is also important, and it’s necessary to have a stable base of support in order to maintain balance as you move. The core and obliques are also important for stability. Boulderers use a range of hand and finger exercises to strengthen their hands and fingers.
While some boulderers choose to train alone, it’s best for beginner and intermediate climbers to be in a group of similar ability when training. This helps them learn technique and motivates them to push themselves to the next level. When training alone, boulderers should bring crash pads to protect themselves in case of a fall. It’s also important to be aware of the environment around you and follow any rules and regulations regarding parking, group size, etc.
In order to get stronger, boulderers should start off slow and progress gradually. Then they can try to break through a limit, or “redpoint.” Once a climber has reached their redpoint, it is usually a good idea for them to continue to train hard for several weeks. This will help them to keep improving while staying strong and injury-free.
Getting stronger for bouldering is simple, and it involves a variety of exercises. For example, foam rolling can help loosen tight muscles and prepare them for the demands of the sport. Adding exercises like push-ups and shoulder presses can also increase strength through different planes of motion and improve grip and mobility.