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Watching climbing at the Paris Olympics, it seems like a sport that is simply not possible for the weekend athlete. The speed, strength and dexterity with which competitors scale the walls seems impossible to match. (Read this also | Heart health alert amid new guidelines: 5 expert tips for a healthy heart,
think again.
Climbing on television can look scary, whether it’s with or without ropes. Whether it’s watching “Free Solo” or a roped climber climbing one of the world’s highest peaks, one thing is clear: This is not for the easily frightened. That’s not the climbing we’re talking about here.
“Climbing is a great workout for your entire body, from your fingers to your toes,” says Eric Horst, who runs the website TrainingForClimbing.com. “The beauty of a climbing gym is that you have a very controlled setting where anyone can come in and train in climbing and start climbing walls within the first hour.”
Recreational climbing isn’t much different from Olympic climbing. Don’t worry, you won’t have to hang your fingers at an awkward angle – at least not at first! There’s a level of climbing for everyone.
Making a commitment is the hardest part of getting started
There are over 600 climbing gyms in the United States, so there is plenty of room to get started. Gyms offer roped and ropeless climbing for beginners. Whichever you choose, you can be sure you will get a good workout in a short amount of time.
“The advent of indoor climbing walls has changed accessibility, so it’s easier for people to get involved and participate in sport,” said Nick Draper, a professor of sport and exercise science at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. “One of the things that limits people’s activity is accessibility.”
New climbers can start with bouldering, climbing without ropes on short walls up to about 15 feet (4 1/2 meters) that have padded floors to make it easier for them to land if they fall or jump down. Another option is top rope climbing, in which the climber is tied to a rope and a partner supports them. Top rope walls are typically 40 to 60 feet (12-18 meters). The more advanced method is lead climbing — a climber clips their rope into protection called a quickdraw, so they can survive a long fall — and, of course, there’s also outdoor climbing on real rock.
Going to a climbing gym for the first time can be intimidating, said Evan Barcinal, general manager of Reach Climbing & Fitness in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania.
“The biggest thing is to take that first step and commit to it,” he said.
Barsinal recommends taking an introductory class such as a top rope belay lesson. You’ll be taught how to properly put on a harness and tie your figure eight follow-through knot. He adds that you learn “how to belay properly, how to handle your rope, so your partner can climb or descend safely.”
But if you don’t want to mess with ropes or prefer to stay close to the ground for the first time, you can try a boulder wall, he said. Most gyms provide information on how to fall properly so you don’t hurt yourself.
“The nice thing about bouldering is that because it’s so low to the ground, a lot of the times you’re relaxing, you’re actually walking around and talking to people, so it’s kind of like a community atmosphere,” he said.
The main thing is to start where you feel comfortable. Climbing gyms make it easy to work up to your level. Draper suggests starting on low-grade climbing walls with bigger holds.
He advises new climbers to, “Start very steady and work your way up to building your muscular endurance and flexibility.”
It is a full body exercise
Horst has made more than 400 first ascents during more than 40 years of climbing – the first time a climber walks a route or reaches the top of a mountain. In his books and seminars, he emphasizes the benefits to your physical health.
Even as a beginner you’ll feel the effects of climbing several times a week—and not just in your fingers and arms.
He said climbing “physically works most of your body in many different ways.” “When you have to grab a small hold and pull really hard, there are elements of strength. Then when you climb a long route, there are elements of endurance, and you get excited.”
He added: “Just get on a climbing wall, especially one that’s slightly overhanging — it only has to hang about 5 or 10 degrees — and that really starts to demand that your core come into play to get your body into the proper position.”
For those who are afraid of heights, sport mountaineering in a controlled environment also has mental health benefits.
“It’s a mental skill that involves fear management and stimulus control, trying to relax as much as possible and control your breathing,” Horst said.
The exercise you get from climbing isn’t just for the young and already fit. It’s an activity you can participate in even as you get older.
“As we age, our upper body function decreases, so climbing gives us an opportunity to develop and maintain those upper body muscles,” Draper said.
Climbing is a social sport
Rachel Chalik, who started climbing 10 years ago but has only been climbing consistently for the past year and a half, enjoys the camaraderie at the gym. She loves the support she receives when she successfully completes a climb at the gym, but it builds community even more when she has a confident partner to lean on when she can’t. It makes the pain of failure lessen a little.
“The beauty of this sport is that people are incredibly supportive of each other, whether it’s a newbie who’s working on his first V1 problem and finally solving it, or an experienced climber who’s sent his first V8 into the gym,” said Chalik, who climbs at the Philadelphia Rock Gym in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, referring to a scale that ranks the difficulty of boulder problems.
“The excitement for each other is very genuine, because everyone knows how difficult it is to further improve one’s abilities in mountaineering,” he said.
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