We all have that expanding list of things you want to learn but don’t have the time. Rocking climbing has been one on my list ever since I moved to Utah. The time has finally come for me to cross learn how to rock climb off of my list. Sounds like an easy and fun challenge! I’m a pretty fit guy so all I have to do is join a gym, take some class and boom! I am now a rock climber. Simple, right?
Wrong. The catch is, there is always a catch, I will learn to rock climb using only the resources available to me online. I decided to start with the basics. Literally, I googled “rock climbing basics.” Turns out there are multiple different types of rock climbing to be involved with. Top-roping (or rope climbing), bouldering, and traditional climbing. Top-roping involves using higher walls and ropes, bouldering is smaller walls with no ropes, and finally traditional climbing is outdoors (not recommended for beginners) (Hughes, 2105).
For the purpose of learning this skill, I believe bouldering would be a fantastic place to start and work my way up to top-roping. Bouldering will allow me to experiment with some of the holds and being on a rock wall on a smaller scale and with less equipment to worry about. I can even use the rating system to judge my progress. The rock climbing rating system has a V0 to V5 scale with V0 being the easiest and V5.5 being the hardest. Or for top-roping 5.0 to 5.15 with 5.0 being the easiest and 5.15 being the hardest (REI, 2016). Using this rating system I can ask why, what if, how questions to become a better climber. Why is a specific wall harder to climb? What if I used a different hold or took a different route? As I become more experienced I’ll be able to ask better questions to improve my climbing (Berger, 2014).
Similar to any other sport, hobby, interest etc. rock climbing has an array of equipment used. Including shoes, ropes, belay devices, harnesses, chalk, carabiners, and helmets. While all of these are important when climbing, as a beginner I am not ready to sink my money fully in the sport. All of this equipment can be rented at most rock climbing gyms (REI, 2016). That being said I do want to know more about the equipment and different types of ropes, shoes, belay devices etc. and what situations they are best suited for.
The final piece I am learning about rock climbing is the proper technique. The proper physical technique uses a combination of both upper and lower body strength, focusing more on using your core and legs. Along with the physical technique, there is also a mental technique. Climbers often choose their route while they are still on the mat mimicking the holds they will use. These expert climbers are able to recognize patterns. As a novice, it will take me longer to pick the correct path and most likely, multiple attempts (Bransford, 2000). Specific paths require you to use only a certain color and breaking from the path is considered cheating (Hughes, 2015). No One likes a cheater. I would like to learn both proper physical and mental technique.
To recap this post. I will be learning how to rock climb over the next several weeks only using resources I can find online. I will start with bouldering, research different types of equipment, and learn proper physical and mental technique. In the end, if all goes well I will be scaling walls like your neighborhood Spider-man.
For part 2 click here or for part 3 here.
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References:
Berger, Warren. (2014). A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas. New York: Bloomsbury.
Bransford, J., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R. R. (2000), How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Hughes, L. (2015, June 15). The 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Go Rock Climbing. Retrieved July 16, 2017, from https://greatist.com/move/rock-climbing-tips
REI Staff. (2016, August 25). Getting Started Rock Climbing. Retrieved July 16, 2017, from https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/getting-started-rock-climbing.html
Alex Gorton 
2 thoughts on “A Climb to the Top”