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Rock Climbing Styles

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:47:58 +0000

Rock climbing can be divided into two main types i.e. indoor and outdoor rock climbing. There are a variety of styles of rock climbing. Two of the most common styles are: The Traditional and Sport style. Rock climbers use other styles too. Most of them prefer to use the style that suits them the best. This article will provide you with the different styles of rock climbing and its features.
Traditional style:
Traditional rock climbing is also commonly known amongst climber as trad climbing. A traditional rock climber is known as trad climber. This style involves exploration and establishment of new routes. This style requires a lot of skill including self control, gear placement, route finding, down hill climbing, etc. This style came into existence before the sport style of climbing. This style is unaided with permanent anchors to help while ascending. It is more physically and mentally challenging than sport climbing. A trad climber uses a rope and places nuts and hexes in crevices to ensure safety.
Sport style:
Sport style of climbing unlike traditional climbing lets the climber use permanent anchors for protection. These anchors are fixed to the rock face to assist the climb. Sport climbing requires gymnastics abilities, endurance and strength. Sport climbing is safer compared to traditional climbing. The gear too is different. It includes bolts and quick draws i.e. a small sling, which has carabiners on both ends. Sport climbing can be both indoor as well as outdoor. Indoor sport climbing developed because climbers wanted to practice climbing throughout the year.
Bouldering:
This style of climbing requires the climber to have great strength, endurance and concentration. The climber needs to use all these skills to work a way through the boulder route. This style is more dangerous and requires experience. This style is practiced indoors as well as the outdoors. While bouldering, climbers usually do not get their feet a couple of feet above the ground surface. Bouldering does not include any ropes or belay placed at the bas of the cliff. The only gear required for this type of rock climbing is shoes, crash pad and chalk. Bouldering involves a series of problems known as routes. These routes are series of moves a climber needs to practice over and over again. Additional moves will increase the challenge. It is advised that bouldering should not be done at great heights.
Solo style:
The solo climbing style is the most dangerous style of climbing. It is also considered by most of the climber as the freest style of climbing. This is so because the climbers climb alone i.e. without any partner, protection or rope. This style of climbing is best left to the experts. The main aim of such a climb is to reach the summit.
Ice climbing:
As the name suggests, this style of rock climbing includes climbing on ice. One does not need to be told that it is going to a cold climb. Ice climbing means climbing a vertical wall of ice and this ice wall may be formed by a frozen waterfall. The tools required for ice climbing are quite different from the tools used in the other styles of climbs.

Learn To Climb On Snow Or Ice

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:24:56 +0000

One of the most dangerous, yet exciting sport is ice climbing. It’s actually an offshoot of mountain or rock climbing; the only difference is everything around you is covered with ice. People may wonder why others would want to engage in such a sport and risk their lives when there are less dangerous and less expensive sports.

Most people wouldn’t understand, but for a climber, climbing on ice provides a feeling of independence. When you’re out there in the snow, with temperature very well below zero, you get to free yourself from all the tensions and problems of the world. It is important to know that climbing on ice isn’t for everyone, thus, not everybody who goes out in the snow to climb will appreciate the sport.

If you’re thinking of going on an ice climbing adventure, you need to learn the basics of climbing. You just don’t go ahead and climb. It could risk your life, or the lives of your companions. Climbing on ice is a serious sport, and you need to invest, both in terms of time and money.

There are several schools which offer crash courses on climbing. They give you an overview of how it is to climb. They teach you the basic know-how and offer to guide you along an easy ice climbing expedition. Even if you want to take this sport as a one-time adventure only, you will still need a guide during your trip.

Enthusiasts make ice climbing a lifetime pursuit. They allot several weekends during the winter just to travel to places and climb the ice. Not only is the travel expensive, but the gears are also quite pricey. If you want to climb steep ice slopes, you need gears such as crampon and ice axes, on top of the usual rock climbing gears.

Before you try climbing on ice, some may suggest that you practice climbing on dry rocks in the summer. You should be able to master the necessary skills of rock climbing such as belaying and tying ropes. In this way, once you venture out on the snow, you can focus on working your way with the ice.

The basic ice climbing gears are crampons and ice picks. These are sharp claws made of steel. With their help, you should be able to climb up a 40-degree ice slope without slipping. You also need belaying devices such as ice screws, harness and carabineers. Helmets and boots are also must haves of an ice climber. Of course, responsible climbers should bring with them some first aid kits, extra food and warm clothing.

As an added tip, don’t go buying cheap ice climbing tools. Remember that these are the only things keeping you from falling. If you can’t afford to buy good gears right now, then save your money until you can. When you’re hundreds of feet above the ground and you’re hanging on ice, you’ll be grateful you got yourself good ice gears.

Ice climbing is definitely not for the faint hearted. It is a physically challenging sport. Not only will you need a pair of strong legs, but also good lungs. When you climb, make sure that you know your companions enough to trust them with your life. There are ice slopes that can’t be climbed by individuals. Steep slopes require a group’s collective effort.

Aside from physical strength, you’ll also need good climbing techniques to climb up the ice. In high altitude, the air grows thinner, thus, you should make your moves as smoothly as possibly to conserve your energy. Ice climbing classes will cost you several hundreds of dollars, but what you learn will be priceless.

The sport really requires an ice climber to take huge risks. Any wrong move can cost somebody’s life. There’s no way of accurately predicting the weather. Nobody knows when an avalanche is coming. And if the group’s not familiar with the terrain, the snow could blot off the trail and you might find yourself lost in a mountain of ice.

But if the group gets to the top safely, there is no feeling more satisfying. The peak provides a picturesque view of miles of unspoiled vast mountains. And as an added bonus, having shared the dangers and risks of ice climbing, the group feels a stronger bond between them.

7 Ways to Not Get Burned Out on Rock Climbing

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:57:03 +0000

Do you find yourself getting burned out on rock climbing? Year after year I see all kinds of people join our climbing community and become completely addicted to rock climbing. It doesnt take long though for a lot of these climbers to get burned out.

It is kinda strange they become so psyched and all of a sudden you stop seeing them around the gym and at the crag.

Well have much contemplation and application I have finally figured out how to stay totally psyched on climbing without ever getting burned out.

First what is it that burns rock climbers out?

The two biggest reasons that climbers get burned out are a lack of variety in their climbing and the fact that they never take a break from rock climbing.

So now that we understand that let me give you the 7 ways to not get burned out on rock climbing.

1. Climb with rock climbers that are motivating you and that you have fun with. It is essential that those you climb with motivate you and make climbing fun for you. Nothing is worse than climbing with someone that is constantly complaining and killing your psyche. I also find that I like to climb with people that like to joke around a lot. It makes it a lot more fun for me.

2. Get out of the darn gym. I know gym is great you have the project in there but a lot of people become burned out because they are gym rats. Get your butt out of the gym, get out in nature and climb outside. I do not care how far from the crag you are I used to have to drive 6+ hours one way to go climbing outside. Trust me just do it.

3. Take a road trip. Getting out to new areas can not only be motivating but a great time to meet new climbers from all over. One of the best things about road trips is the experience. When I lived in Florida road trips are what kept me sane as a climber. Oh and by the way you do not need to go to a different area every time but I recommend mixing it up.

4. Try different styles of climbing. A lot of the climbers that I see who are not psyched on climbing anymore were just boulderers or sport climbers. Mix up the styles of climbing try trad climbing, go bouldering, or go clip some bolts on a few sport routes. Whatever you do mix things up that way when you are not to psyched on bouldering you can just go trad climbing. Or if you need a change from trad climbing go sport climbing. I promise this will help a ton and that is why I do everything from bouldering, trad, sport, soloing, rope jumping and even buildering. It always gives me something to stay psyched on.

5. Take a break from climbing. I honestly think it is a really good idea to take at least 2-4 weeks of from climbing every year. Just take a break and do something else. This gives you a chance to refresh your mind and rejuvenate your body. I like to keep my body in shape by still working out 3 days a week and running 2-3 days a week as well, but stop climbing.

6. Keep yourself motivated by setting goals for yourself. Find routes or boulder problems that inspire you and that you want to climb. Make sure the line and the movement inspires you as you will most likely be on it a lot and if you are not inspired you will not enjoy yourself. Having these goals give you great motivation and an awesome sense of accomplishment that cant be put in words.

7. Finally just have fun with your rock climbing. Rock climbing is meant to be fun dont be all serious about it. Remember why you climb and stay with that.

So the next time you start to feel like your getting burned out on rock climbing put any of these 7 tips into practice and I promise you will get more motivated on climbing almost instantly.