When I tell people that I enjoy going climbing, a look of horror tends to pass their eyes. The look then gets worse when I go on to tell them that there are no helmets and no safety ropes keeping a climber up.
There seems to be this idea that climbing is a dangerous activity, in which I will surely end up getting hurt. What people don’t seem to realise is that yes, outdoor rock climbing and bouldering can be extremely dangerous (just look at Neil Morrissey’s finger on last weeks Bear Grylls Mission Survival), but indoor climbing centres are not only extremely fun, but they are also extremely safe.
Before climbing at Bristol’s TCA (The Climbing Academy), you have to watch an 8-minute safety video and then answer a quiz to ensure that you know how to act safely on the wall and around other climbers. I’m sure that this is the case for the majority of centres around the country.
The most important thing about climbing I believe is that your safety depends on you.
It is up to you to warm up before you climb, it is up to you to know your strengths and weaknesses, and to know when enough is enough and it is up to you to be aware of your surroundings, and to respect the space of other climbers.
As long as you act in a safe and responsible manner there are hours and hours of fun to be had on the walls.
One of the most satisfying things about indoor climbing is progression. Every time you climb, you become stronger and learn to move your bodies in different manners, making it easier to complete the climbs you once found hard. The best feeling is being able to complete a higher level of climb than you’ve ever managed before.
When you are first getting into climbing, it is likely that you will ache for few days after, but the more you get use to the new kind of exercise the more your body will respond in positive ways.
It’s a great sport for toning and building your arm muscles and a great way to tone your back as you are using the majority of muscles in your body to complete tricky and complicated climbs.
This is a truly fantastic sport to get into as you not only use your body, but also your mind as you have to puzzle solve to work out the best way to get up the wall and complete the climb.
I would definitely advise anybody looking to try a new or unique sport to give indoor climbing and bouldering a go as it is not only reasonably prices, but it’s a huge amount of fun.
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