Now that you've seen some funny photos and well just alot of photos, i think that its time to tell you about it. i will provide some awesome short facts about it and some pretty good reasons why you should take up climbing as a sport, alot more people do it than you think,lets hope i convice you:)
ok, Smith Rock State park near Redmond, Oregon is widely considered a rock climbing Mecca,hosting over 500,000 visitors annually. Thats ALOT! Hiking trails offer spectacular views of the surrounding area. You can spend 30 minutes walking along the river or a full day making a loop on trail systems that extend outside of
the park to Deschutes Land Trust, USFS and BLM land. Its amazing! The major rock faces are composed of welded
tuff (compressed volcanic ash) reaching a height of up to 550 feet. The picnic and campground areas sit on top of the rimrock, which is made up of columnar basalt. Its really a beautiful sight. you know that there are over 1800 climbing routes! thats alot of climbing! now before i started this i promised that i would try to convert you to climbing, well here it is.
1.It doesn’t feel like exercise.
For a lot of people, exercise involves repetitive motion – be it through some sort of cardio (running, elliptical, cycling) or strength-training (weights and resistance bands). But with rock climbing you’re always trying solve a fairly simple problem: how to get from the bottom of a wall to the top as best as possible. That being said…
2.It’s a great mental and physical workout.
Since every route is different, you constantly have to figure out where to best put your arms, legs, hands and feet, while gauging energy levels, distances, and your own personal skill level. At the same time you’re burning calories, toning your muscles and slowly help you get over your fear of heights. Rock climbing increases your strength, balance and flexibility while improving your risk-assessment and problem solving skills.
3.It’s incredibly social.
Everyone who rock climbs needs a belayer, which means you’re never alone. Since other people will often offer advice or encouragement, friendships are easily forged.
4.You can rock-climb year-round.
my dad loves snowboarding, but he can only do it in the winter when there’s enough snow on the ground. Meanwhile many rock climbing facilities are open year-round, including holidays, long weekends and even some early morning hours. In the spring, summer and early fall there are also plenty of spectacular places to climb outdoors, like Yosemite National Park.
5.You set your own goals.
Unless you’re competing, no one cares if you only made it halfway up a route. The important thing is you come back and try again. Maybe next time you’ll make it all the way up. And the time after that, you’ll find it a lot easier. It’s completely up to you.
6.Your training schedule is up to you.
Unlike team sports, you can pick whenever you want to go. Want to take a few days off for a vacation? Sure. Change to three times a week? As long as you have a belayer, why not? There’s no set schedule to tie you down or hold you back from whatever else you want to do.
7.You get to stare at people’s bums for safety reasons.
People-staring happens in every gym, but in climbing if you don’t do it properly someone can actually get hurt. Just make sure you also pay attention to the rope itself.
8.There’s a large variety of ages, abilities, body types, backgrounds and occupations.
There are couples at my gym who are in their 50s and wipe the floor off of people half their age. I’ve seen two below-the-knee toddlers. And at my gym, there’s almost an even split between men and women.
9.It’s relatively inexpensive.
An entry-level set of equipment (harness, shoes and chalk bag) can be as little as $150, or about the same cost as a decent pair of running shoes. Gym memberships are about $45-$50 per month.
10.There’s a great sense of accomplishment every time you go.
In a world where so much of the work we do is through computers, there’s something incredibly satisfying about physically making your way to top and then feeling empowered enough to do it again!
So, did i convince you to take up climbing or are you still mulling it over? its your choice, but from what you can see its alot of fun!
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