Climbing Mount

“Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” – Anatole France

General

If you decide to do an activity such as going on an organized trek you will usually find that there are several different companies offering the activities. When you make your decision do not only decide based on price, there may be big differences in the quality of the equipment and the food and how much the local porters get paid. Ask for references from other travelers. Sometimes you find that even though you book with one company they pool their customers with customers from other companies in order to make more money. If this is a problem for you then ask before you book.

Make sure that you are physically prepared for the activities you plan to do, bring the right equipment or rent it locally. Make sure you have enough water and food and beware of the sun.

Rock climbing

Rock climbing is a good way to get some adrenalin going. In most countries there are local climbing clubs that usually can assist you with advice on where to go. Or they might come along as climbing partners if you ask them. If you do not have proper training and do not know how to handle the equipment securely there are usually commercial companies offering guided tours on beginner routes.

If you end up climbing in areas rarely visited you might want to check when the area was last rebolted. Bolts are affected by the wear and tear of water, especially if they are close to the ocean.

Note that different crags have different rules of what protection to use. In some places chalk is forbidden too. Make sure to stick with the local climbing rules.

A good place to find route maps (topos) on the Internet is Wikitopo.

Personal Experience – The Mont Blanc Misery

I was in Chamonix and decided to climb Mont Blanc. As this was not part of our schedule we were in a rush to bring something to eat with us. We brought some cans of food but as we were pretty tired on our way down there was not enough time to stop to cook it. Sandwiches or energy bars would have been more convenient. Preparing alpine climbing is a must as the risk increases when you get tired and hungry.

Trekking

Trekking in the mountain gives you fresh air and builds your character at the same time. When you trek to higher altitudes the air pressure gets lower. At sea level the oxygen percentage is about 21% with an air pressure around 760 mmHg. As you climb higher the oxygen percentage remains the same but the air pressure gets lower. This means that your body gets less oxygen with each breath. You will lose your breath and get more tired than you perhaps anticipate.

At 6 000 ft (1 828 m) the air pressure is 609 mmHg. At 12 000 ft (3 658 m) the air pressure is 483 mmHg. At 18 000 ft (5 486 m) the air pressure is only 380 mmHg.

People are affected differently at high altitude. Already at 3 000 meters you can get a severe headache. It is important to listen to you body as you can get brain oedema and lung oedema if you keep on pushing on to higher altitudes.

The usual recommendation is modest altitude gains of not more than 300 meters per day above 3 000 meter and to spend 2 nights in the same place every 1 000 meters.

Another thing when you are at high altitude is that water boils at a lower temperature than at sea level. You may therefore have to cook food for a longer period of time.

The temperature can change drastically during the day. It may be freezing cold in the morning, extremely hot during they day and cold at night again. If you change altitude it gets colder the higher you get, around 10 degrees Centigrade (=5,5 degrees Fahrenheit) per 1 000 meters. As an example, if you start out at 10 degrees Centigrade at sea level, this can mean a temperature of -20 degrees Centigrade at 3 000 meters. The chill factor from the wind can make it even colder.

Plan your trip accordingly and allow plenty of slack in your schedule to be able to get down before dark.

If there is snow it is important to wear alpine sun glasses to avoid getting snow blind (or a severe headache).

Scuba diving and snorkeling

Going under water gives you new perspectives of the world. If you intend to get your diving license abroad it makes sense to do some research beforehand. Try to go for the two big certificates: PADI or CMAS.

Renting equipment has it pros and cons. On the upside you do not have to carry your own heavy equipment all over the world. On the downside the rental equipment in many parts of the world is rather poor. Bring your own mask, snorkel and dive watch as a minimum if you intend do some serious diving.

The quality of dive companies and liveaboards also differ greatly. In Australia it is usually very well organized and the instructors show respect to the sea and its inhabitants. In other places dive masters start chasing fish or bend up corals just to show you something “extra”. Do not encourage this behavior. Other people want to see the stuff too!

In some places, such as the Red Sea, the snorkeling is almost as good as the scuba diving. Even though scuba diving increases the chances of seeing “big”animals.

Personal Experience – The Zanzibar Snorkeling Zest

I was staying on the east coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania. I was going for a dive with a bunch of people, but before we got to the dive site we spotted some dolphins nearby. The boatman took us there and I was so eager to get into the water that I forgot my fins. Meanwhile the other people had entered the water and were swimming towards the dolphins. Back on the boat the driver said: “Do not worry. The dolphins have moved. I will take you there.” When I jumped into the water the second time I was all alone with 8 dolphins for a few minutes before the rest of the crowd came and scared them away for good. Magical.

Riding

Horseback riding is fun. And camel riding too. Being a novice is usually not a problem. If you are a skilled rider you might find rental horses non-responsive and pretty dull. This is what happens when hundreds of kids pull them in the ears all day.

If you are going on a longer tour, make sure that you get a proper inspection of the horses, camels or whatever you are going to ride.

Personal Experience – The Jaisalmer Jeopardy

In Jaisalmer, India we signed up for a 3-day camel tour out in the desert. We paid a bit extra to get “premium camel” and “premium food”. Well, it turn out my camel (nicknamed Ernst) were the slowest one in the Rajastan desert. And the special food – served every lunch and dinner – was Alu Gobi, which is a mix of potato and cauliflower. Probably the cheapest they could offer. So, it makes good sense to try to check what you are really getting if possible. Or talk to other backpackers or just browse the web.

The basics of rock climbing start with footwork. Knowing how to place you feet when climbing is necessary as missteps can lead to any number of disasters. Following a few basic tips to get you started, you can ensure you have the proper footwork techniques down and avoid any future missteps.
Shoes
Having the right shoes is essential to learning how to climb. You wouldn’t try to learn how to mountain bike on your six-year old cousin’s Huffy so why attempt climbing rocks with tennis shoes. Make sure you spend the right amount of time trying on shoes and getting the exact right fit for your feet. You want a small bit of room but not too much, or you won’t have the sort of control you need over the surface. If your shoes are too small you’ll be putting your toes directly on the edge of each rock you try to step to.
Keep those shoes as clean as you can as well. Make sure to wipe them down every time they’re used and let them air dry, brushing out the deeper stains and any interior dirt. You don’t want any foreign bodies invading your feet while trying to climb.
Physical Strength and Flexibility
You’ll need to be a moderately strong person to successfully climb. Building up leg strength is as simple as leg presses and cycling in the afternoon. Before anyone starts climbing, they should consider bulking up a bit. The foot strength will come in time.
Stretching and achieving a suitable level of flexibility is important as well. You want to make sure that you can handle the agile moves and stretches you’ll be performing with your feet
Looking For Footholds
One of the most important parts of basic footwork is knowing where to look for footholds. You want to make sure you have a basic idea of where they are even before you start up the route. You’ll only see a few from the ground but even those few will help you get started. Knowing where good footholds are and keeping track of them makes the entire process easier. It keeps you from slipping because of exhaustion and deteriorating hand holds.
Check out the footholds before you use them as well. Know exactly where it is and what it is looks like before putting your foot in it. You want to carefully watch and feel out the perfect spot to put your feet while climbing to keep from slipping. Once you step into a foothold put a little pressure on it to ensure it stays put and your foot doesn’t skid loose. That pressure acts as the force holding you in the foothold. Don’t let it go.
Once you’ve gotten used to finding and feeling for those footholds your shoes will do a lot of the work for you. They’re specially built to seek out those footholds and hold them well. Knowing how to find a good foothold and where to set your foot makes the entire process much easier.
For those just starting out in climbing, foot work is the most important thing you can work on right away. Once mastered, footwork becomes second nature to the best of climbers and allows you to better enjoy the overall sensation off scaling a perfect route.

It ended up being the best July of weather I can remember and I was living in the wettest part of England working a summer job in a hostel perched on a mountain, with more free time than I knew what to do with I set about becoming an expert climber..

Each day I would spend a couple of hours in the indoor climbing centre, my job at the hostel meant I mainly did breakfasts and dinner and between I had upto 6 hous to do whatever I wanted..  So began my introduction to climbing.  My first attempt was to do some low level bouldering, with no safety crash pads and little skill I soon realised it certainly wasn’t as easy as it looked. After a frustrating couple of hours of struggling to complete the most basic of moves.. I resigned myself to the fact that I was not ready for real rock.  Luckily in Keswick there was an indoor wall, with only half an hour journey from the hostel I had plenty of time to get there and back.. So I did, just about every day without fail for 3 months.. It bacame my saviour fom the general boredom of the job, I managed to push myself each day and make some good progress. Shortly before the summer was over I took a trip down to the boulder which had defeated me.. Hands dipped in chalk primed and calloused  I grabbed at the rock face and with ease began to make my way around the huge boulder, I traced the chalk marks of previous climber’s hands and followed the routes that they had established, then I deviated stretched out to a ledge and pulled myself up to the top of the boulder.

You never get time in normal every day life to dedicate yourself to one task with no real distractions and it amazed me just how emersed and focused I became. But if I had only had the chance to train on real rock features inside I think I would have progressed even faster. So ayear later I returned to the boulder took some casts and copied the real rock features.. This was the birth of Mock Rock climbing holds. A summer job that evolved into a  part-time business and now a career.  I wish I had discovered climbing when I was younger, so it is my mission to get a climbing wall in every school in the UK. Mock Rock climbing  holds try to capture that spirit of fun and adventure that led me to discover the sport I was born for, If by selling cheap and innovative climbing holds a few more people discover this life changing hobby, then that makes my job worthwhile.

Mock Rock Climbing Holds  UK

So, you have finished construction of your climbing wall. Once the woodwork is complete, it is very important to go on to the final phase of your climbing wall, i.e. painting and final finishing. Your wall should look like a mountain face and should be safe to practice on.
You can sand the surface, which you want to be painted. Remove any sharp edges in your ply joints and also around your drill holes by sanding them with a sanding machine or manually. Then apply a coat of primer to the wood. You can also apply latex primer if you want the wood to have a genuine sand or rock like finish. Primer helps the paint to stick well with the wood and hence prevents chipping and bubbling. If your wood is wet, then you will have to dry it first before you can start applying anything on it.
Mildew can also be removed from wood by applying bleach mixed with water at a 1:4 ratio. You can use any exterior paint for your climbing wall and since most of them have a fungicidal agent added to the paint, it should prevent further mildew attacks from taking place. To protect any non-painted surface or the floor, cover them with old newspapers or cloth or apply tape on it.
If you are planning to provide a sand like finish to your climbing wall then you can add sand to your paint in the ratio of 1:10. Since sand settles down very fast in your paint pan or container, you will have to constantly keep on stirring your paint mixture before every application. You can also change the sand to paint ratio to achieve a different finish. Also, you can use golf tees to plug in your T nut holes so that the primer and paint does not go into the threading of your T nut.
If it does, you will have a hard time fitting your holds. The final touch is bolting on your holds and jugs to your wall. You can use different footholds at the bottom of your wall, but as you progress higher, you will require very few and none at the top. As per your climbing skills and the construction of your wall you will require some jugs at the bottom and some at the top of your wall. You can buy an entire ready made set of plastic or wooden holds which just need to be bolted on to your wall. Buy one according to the size of your wall and the number of holds required.
You will also require a good mattress, which breaks your fall without breaking your bones in case you slip and fall. The mattress should be around 10 to 12 inches thick and should not only cover the entire base of the wall but should also extend away so as to cushion your fall if you slip while swinging from one hold to another. Your final finished wall should look like a genuine rock wall for you to get into the real mood of rock climbing.
So, once your climbing wall is ready, go in for a test climb. Then call your friends and neighbors over for a rock climbing competition and have fun. Arrange rock climbing related theme parties. Happy climbing.