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Rock climbing is a dangerous but thrilling sport that requires agility, strength and know-how. While there are indoor rock climbing walls where you can practice your skills and get a good work out, the fact of the matter is that outdoor rock climbing can be dangerous if you are not trained and prepared. If you are interested in learning how to rock climb, please read on.
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Introduction
- To become a skilled and agile rock climber, you need to understand the equipment necessary to climb safely. Practice is also required, in order to learn the techniques, movements and footing needed to climb straight rock faces.
Step 1: Different Types of Rock Climbing
- There are several different types of rock climbing, each one requiring a slight variance in skill and equipment needed to climb safely.
- Traditional rock climbers scale the side of cliff anchoring themselves along the way by wedging nuts and anchors into cracks in the cliffside.
- Sport climbers climb in much the same way as traditional climbers, however they have the advantage of a secured harness bolted into the rock face. Because of this, they climb faster.
- Free solo climbers do not use a rope, making it incredibly dangerous.
- Indoor climbers scale a manmade structure, using artificial hand and foot holds to climb their way to the top.
- Ice climbers scale frozen structures like waterfalls or glaciers the same way traditional climbers do rock faces.
- Boulderers climb boulders and occasionally the sides of buildings. They do not use ropes because they climb lower heights.
Step 2: Rock Climbing Equipment
- As with any sport, there is necessary equipment required to ensure not only the safety of the climber, but also to offer ease for the more experienced climbers.
- Climbing shoes: a good pair of climbing shoes should be tight and uncomfortable with a stiff rubber sole.
- 165 foot climbing rope: made from braided nylon fibers in kernmantle fashion, it should be able to stretch in high tension to slow and stop a falling climber.
- Carabiners: there are several variations of the carabiner, and all of them are used in climbing.
- Webbing: tubular nylon webbing is a strong, flat tube that does not stretch under pressure.
- Harnesses: used to attach oneself to their climbing rope, most harnesses are padded with a nylon belt.
- Belayer: belayers hold the rope in place when a climber falls.
- Hand chalk.
- A helmet
Step 3: For Beginning Rock Climbers
- When you are first starting out, you want to make sure you don't take on anything you can't handle. Rock climbing requires the use of muscles that you probably do not exercise on a regular basis, so until you get some practice and a few small climbs under your belt, don't go scaling something you are not ready for.
- Try an indoor climbing wall a few times to get a feel for the experience.
- Take a rock climbing instructional course.
- Take classes to learn how to properly use equipment.
Step 4: Basic Techniques
- One of the most important parts of your body as a rock climber is your legs. As you scale the lower rock face, you find places to grab on with your hands, but the majority of the work is done with your legs. Once you reach the smoother areas, where there are less places for footing, balance, agility and hand strength are required to get you to the top.
Conclusion
- Rock climbing is a dangerous sport, even when you have knowledge of the required skills, technique and equipment. Spend time learning about the different types of rock climbing and try your hand at an indoor wall a few times to see how you like it. If you do enjoy it, sign up for an instructional course and begin learning about the necessary equipment used by those who climb regularly. You will need to work on your leg, hand and arm strength, as well as core strength to maintain balance in tricky situations.
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