It doesn’t take a long, planned excursion to a far away place to actively pursue adventure, and with rock climbing it may be only a short drive across town; in your Jeep of course.
[Not a valid template]Rock climbing is not just an adventure activity but also an increasingly popular sport that provides excitement and a total body workout. Rock climbing has become so popular that you don’t even have to live in the mountains to participate. Many cities across the country now offer indoor climbing gyms that mimic the same challenges that you would find in a natural climbing area.
Rock climbing began in the United States after several European climbers brought it over in the early 1900’s. Many popular areas of the western U.S. were discovered by these early climbers, and the sport has developed into a world-wide activity among people of all ages and abilities. This article offers an overview of the sport and the gear that will enable even the most timid of adventurers the opportunity to engage in an addictive and enjoyable activity.
First of all, most people associate climbing with images of vertical walls of rock with thousands of feet of air below a climber, hanging by a tiny rope. However, with the proper gear and knowledge of essential safety measures, the sport offers a controlled and challenging workout with rewarding benefits. Just like any sport, you must learn about the gear and practice the techniques to have a truly enjoyable experience; one that will definitely have you crawling the walls.
LEARNING THE BASICS
One of the fundamentals of climbing is that it isn’t just about strength. In fact, I would dare to say that climbing is about fifty percent strength and fifty percent flexibility and balance. I explain to people that typically if you can climb a ladder then you can climb a rock. You just simply move one hand up and one foot up at a time while balancing your body in the proper position. Of course, upper body strength plays a huge role in climbing but most of the time you want to focus your strength in your legs and use your hands for balance and movement across the rock.