Wednesday, January 2, 2013 - Article Assignment #2

Rock Climbing in the Great Indoors - David Brook

Rating ***

When winter arrives, most climbers head to rock-climbing gyms, but in David Brook's case, he is an indoor-climber only.  David is a local climber and provides you with valuable information about safety, equipment and basic climbing techniques.  You will want to try this for a fun and great winter workout.

This article helps you understand important points that you must know when indoor rock climbing.  The first portion of the article was addressing the safety aspect of rock climbing.  First of all, David states that falling off the rock climbing wall is actually not scary and is very safe and even fun when safety equipment is used properly.  The most important piece of equipment is your harness.  A good harness should keep you safe and fit comfortably around your hips.  Next, your rock climbing shoes should be at least one size smaller than your regular shoe size.  This is because tight-fitting shoes allow you to easily grip tiny rocks on the wall.  David also states that you should never climb at a gym that does not have safety instructors on-site.  Information is also given about safety ropes and being "top-roped" with your partner (belayer).  Tips are also given about using chalk on your hands because "sweaty hands cause falls".   David also explains basic techniques such as climbing with opposite limbs (opposite motion).  Finally, his last and maybe most important piece of advise is to relax.  He states that when a climber is tense they are more likely to fall off the wall.

I enjoyed this article because it was informative and interesting and I believe what I have learned in this article will help me in real climbing situations.  Also, I enjoyed this article because I can relate it to our climbing trips that we have done this semester.  Following the advice in this article, I think my next indoor rock climbing experience will be more successful!

I recommend you read this article before you begin indoor rock climbing because it provides all the basics you need to get started and helps you forget the fear of climbing.

Brook, David. "Rock Climbing in the Great Indoors". Ottawa Outdoors Magazine.  OttawaOutdoors.ca Online. Winter 2012.  http://ottawaoutdoors.ca/articles/climb/94-rock-climbing-in-the-great-indoors