Rock Climbing Tips For The Beginner

Dec 23rd, 2009  Posted in Articles |  No Comments »

Does Rock climbing thrill you? It is one of the most intense and adventurous sports. As a beginner you need to understand the basic techniques of rock climbing. The usual understanding about rock climbing is that you need lot of strength to start with, but this is not so. Rock climbing is all about moving decisively on a chosen path without losing control. Instead of thrashing and scrambling, you have to concentrate on reaching your goal.
Ensure that you are physically fit: If you are planning to take up rock climbing, you have to make sure that you are physically fit even before looking at any mountain. This is the basic requirement, as the more fit you are the safer your climb will be.
Choose the right gear that prevents you from getting injured: It is safe to go for a 5.11 tactical gear as it is recommended by most of the expert climbers. Tactical gear is very easy to use as well as durable. Ensure that you always wear a high quality multi-purpose belt to be on the safer side.
Being careful is the right way to avoid injuries: Though injuries take place very rarely, it is always advised to be more careful. Injuries are mostly due to carelessness and overexertion. Caution is the best option to prevent injuries while rock climbing. Stretching is the best exercise recommended for beginners. Start with a warm up to loosen up muscles and continue with the stretching exercises. This can be done simply by squeezing a tennis ball or using rubber bands to strengthen the hands and fingers. Even if you buy the prescribed gear for yourself, you have to keep checking the equipment regularly to prevent accidents. For example, check if the knots are loose or the equipment is worn out anywhere.
As a beginner go for easier routes: This is an easy way to practice without getting tired. While climbing, you should stay close to the wall for an easier climb. Straighten your arms and lean back when you are resting. Climbing is easier if you put more weight on your legs instead of your arms. Avoid dangling by your hands and use one foot at a time. There is no planned technique as such, but doing something that you are comfortable with is the best technique. It is not necessary that what works for others may be the best for you. You need to learn from your own experience.
Choose plastic boots instead of leather: Plastic boots are always better than leather boots. Plastic boots are warmer than the leather boots. They also prevent you from frostbites. Select a comfortable size.
Types of climbing: In traditional climbing you need to identify the routes and place your own safety gear. When you are climbing you can use combinations of stoppers, cams, hexes and pistons to protect yourself. Usually bouldering involves climbing free standing boulders and ropes are not used in this process. Always be careful when you are climbing down and keep an eye on the durability of your equipment.

What Are Climbing Holds

Dec 22nd, 2009  Posted in Articles |  No Comments »

By the end of the twenty-first century, rock climbing had reached high popularity levels as a sport. The sport that combines the intense activities of mountaineering and trekking had become a recreational activity accepted by the local populi. Besides, the sport is not limited to adults alone, even children can pursue it both as a hobby and career. In the United States alone, there are over 100,000 recreational athletes, and more and more people have started to develop an interest in it.
And why shouldn’t they? The sport is an all-round activity that requires an athlete to develop coordination between all five senses. The sport compels its athlete to be constantly vigilant and maintain a disciplined mental composure during the ascent and descent. Simultaneously, the sport however enjoyable it may seem, is not recommended for people with height disorders, especially vertigo. Even if an individual does learn the basics quickly, climbing a towering rock can be hazardous. The sport requires continuous surveillance under experts and coaches.
The first climb should be performed with proper safety equipment and guidance. The sport requires its students to master every involved aspect and to make it mandatory to use complex safety tools and headgears. Each of the equipment involved in the sport should meet with the required standards, as faulty equipment can result in injuries and wounds that could scar you permanently.
Many enthusiasts prefer pursuing rock climbing in the countryside, but not all people have the time and money to do so. For such individuals visiting a climbing gym or setting up a portable climbing wall should serve their purpose. Artificial climbing walls are created on a wooden or iron framework, and the holds are created separately. The holds are made of resinous or plastic material, with a stone or sand paper finish. The climbing holds mimic the feel and condition of a natural rock and each of the holds can be customized to create a difficult level.
For smaller walls the holds used are few and should be well placed, to duplicate routes of original rocks. For climbing such a wall, a climber would need strong hands and chalk. Chalk is a solvent absorbent and easily absorbs sweat and other liquids, offering a dry grip to climb. In case of taller walls, a single climbing hold could be a junction of many routes.
While purchasing the climbing holds, make sure you clarify whether the necessary screws, t-nuts and bolts are present. If they are not equipped, you may have to shell out extra money for the needed hardware, thus adding up to your expenses. Also, make sure the holds have been created considering the design of the wall. For instance, if you plan to outfit your 45degree steep overhand, you would have to make sure the holds accommodate the particular degree.
Climbing holds are usually sold as part of multi-piece kits, with every kit having a varied number of colors and sizes. Holds are available according to your necessities. They offer a comfortable grip and are ergonomically designed. You can also buy climbing holds that have a UV protection coating, which enables them to deal with the outside elements that could harm it.

Portable Rock Climbing Walls

Dec 22nd, 2009  Posted in Articles |  No Comments »

Rock Climbing is an urbanized form of mountain climbing. Even though the sport began as a recreational activity, it is considered today as the layman’s favorite recreation and offers its very own thrills. The roots of this sport lie in Europe, and it has over 100,000 athletes involved in it. These days, Rock climbing is considered as popular as baseball and basketball in the United States.
Rock climbing is the only sport that demands strength and endurance. It also requires co-ordination of all five senses and mental composure to evade injuries and increase speed. For many, the sport may seem easy, but rock climbing needs continuous guidance to move from the basics to the expert level.
Rock-climbing is habit forming; it is so addictive that sometimes you wouldn’t want a rock climbing session to end. In that case, enthusiasts seeking sessions on an hourly or monthly basis would run into financial trouble. This is where a comprehensive investment such as a portable rock-climbing wall would do well.
So, what is a portable rock-climbing wall?
A portable climbing wall is built with materials such as wood and iron. It offers its own set of belays and hooks arranged to represent actual climbing routes and their toughness. A portable climbing wall is of different types:
A Portable wall that has Stone-coated panels
This kind of portable will go easy on your pocket. The design is simple and includes well-defined angular faces. The panels have a sand coating and resin for added friction. This wall is considered the best for competition purposes as it can be constructed over large areas at minimum cost.
A freeform wall with a Stone-coat
This portable wall is for the more experienced climbers and includes coordinated angular faces. The frictional coating is a bit more superior and has a ‘higher bolt on hold’ per square meter ratio.
Portable wall with featured panels
Such a portable wall has the feel of a natural rock. Each panel of the wall is specifically designed with an even distribution of cracks, flakes and pockets. The interior system is 2-dimensional, taking up a smaller amount of floor space. The best aspect of such a wall is that the climber can himself decide on the placement of bolts and holds. This offers the user several different options of route on a single bolt line.
A Portable wall with a Digital Freeform
The most expensive among the four, this portable wall uses the design of a natural rock. This wall has many features and in certain areas includes hand sculpting in a three dimensional curvature. This wall is created on order and can be molded into any three dimensional shape. The shapes could include deep chimneys to big rounded aretes. The crack lines could be deeper with a bulging overlaps. The other smaller features included in this wall are pockets, slopers, jugs, and undercuts.
If you are looking for discount on a portable climbing wall, the best place to visit is a fair or festival where these walls are offered for testing purposes. If you are looking for a more-challenging make. you can browse the internet.

Why Rock Climbing Lovers Can not Get Enough of the Sport

Dec 21st, 2009  Posted in Articles |  No Comments »

Rock climbing has been associated with the thrill of adrenaline rush. It is a blood pumping extreme sport that is mostly left to seasoned climbers. To be a seasoned climber can see you married to training at every moment in time because it requires a highly fit person to endure all that it entails. Rock climbing involves conquering a natural or man-made rock usually in a  determined end which is a summit. A summit is a pivotal end where one usually aims at as the ultimate target usually it is the end of a mountain or hill.Rock climbing requires mental control, agility and great balance. There are special equipment however, used to supplement this sport.  It started in the last quarter of the nineteenth century in Europe. Rock climbing is mainly classified into two categories. Aid climbing and Free climbing.  With assistance from equipments like artificial hands and footholds aid climbing gained it’s popularity from 1920 – 1960. Free climbing is using your power solely to complete your target to reach your summit. Certain controversies stated that it was virtually impossible to conquer certain targets hence the provision for aid climbing.There are many styles of rock climbing the most common being bouldering. This is a free climb that relies on nothing but cushioned anchors called bouldering pads.  One finds the pads and makes a climb to the top. Another style is top roping. This is where a rope is carefully anchored to prevent falls while a belayer controls the rope. Other styles include lead climbing, free, solo and indoor climbing.Rock climbing has not been without criticism. People have pointed figures to the sportsmen and women that they leave a trail of environmental degradation. They say that by leaving bottles and other foreign equipment in places where nature has not been exploited is a major cause of pollution. Further more, they leave traces of human waste along the way. Critics have been quick to condemn the sport.Others say that some people can not handle why people constantly push themselves to the edge, and out of fear for the sport, they find it easier to condemn the sport altogether. One family recently confessed in confidence how, they look forward to the day their father will stop the extreme sport which has almost taken his life twice. That having been said, rock climbing lovers will not get enough and the sport is on top as ever.