Rock climbing is one of the most fun and exciting sports, and it is something that anyone can do. The sense of achievement that you get from scaling to the top of a rock face is incredible, and rock climbing can help you to build functional strength, as well as improve your confidence.
Rock climbing can be intimidating at first, but if you are reasonably fit and have the right equipment (as well as a good instructor) then it is something that you can do safely. A lot of athletes use rock climbing to improve their grip strength and their upper body strength, and as a form of active recovery.
There are a few different subsets within the sport of rock climbing, including bouldering, outdoor climbing and indoor climbing walls. It is a good idea to start with the indoor walls – these have artificial holds screwed into the walls, and color coded so that you can follow preset routes of different difficulty levels. This removes a lot of the confusion and stress from rock climbing, ensuring that you can practice the basic skills without worrying about getting lost partway up the climb. You will be able to rent safety gear, and you will have a rope attached to you at all times, so if you slip or fall you will have a controlled descent.
A lot of experienced climbers prefer indoor climbing to outdoor climbing because you can move the grips around to produce an almost infinite number of challenges, and you can enjoy the sport regardless of what the weather is like. In addition, most indoor climbing areas have more than one face, so an experienced climber can bring a novice around with them and they can both have fun, picking routes that suit them the best.
You would usually pay per visit when climbing indoors, which can work out more expensive in the long run than buying your own gear and climbing outdoors, but it is a flexible and fun option and it allows people to try out the sport without having to worry about paying out for expensive equipment that they may only use a couple of times before getting bored with the sport.
If you are interested in trying rock climbing, contact an indoor climbing center today and ask them if they offer equipment hire and lessons for beginners.