Rock ClimRock Climbing Myths Dispelled

The truth is that climbing equipment (ropes, harnesses, carabiners, etc) undergoes rigorous safety trials before
finding their way to your local REI. The strength of some of this stuff is simply amazing and you’d be shocked at
how much of a load a finger-thick length of rope can actually withstand. Since we’re dispelling myths, though,
let’s keep this honest… any equipment, ill-treated, could return the favor. Carabiners bashed repeatedly against
rocks can develop fractures that weaken them. Frayed ropes can fail (and they have). The same applies to
harnesses. If you decide to try climbing after reading this article, GREAT! Just remember to always treat your
gear with the respect it deserves. Your life depends on it. I don't know what that girl in Cliffhanger did to her
harness for it to peel apart the way it did, but it had to have bordered on criminal neglect.

Those who are interested in climbing because they have a death wish need not apply. While it appears massively
dangerous on the surface, climbers are some of the sanest and most safety conscious people you’ll ever meet.

Having a rope and a belayer (explained later) doesn’t guarantee your safety. People do get hurt or die - even
when roped off - for numerous reasons and most can be chalked up to human error. Safety equipment is not a
substitute for safety consciousness.

For you burly men out there thinking it can't be that hard because woman climb (and climb hard) I challenge you
to prove your theory. Women make excellent climbers not because the sport is easy (trust me, it isn't) but
because climbing requires more than brute strength.

Power (at the right time), strength (of the right kind), balance and flexibility are equally important. More so,
knowledge of when to apply what goes a long way to making a good climber. Efficiency is the key and women
are naturally more inclined to rely on efficient, economic methods. Why? As men, we instinctively apply brute
force to most physical challenges. That’ll get you up a ways, but the strongest man in the world can still only get
so much oxygen to their arms before pumping out. A woman, on the other hand, is naturally more inclined to do it
right. That is, they climb with their feet first. Learn to do that one thing and you’ll be miles ahead of your novice
competition. It is so important, in fact, that it merits repeating. Climb with your feet.

If your total experience with climbing has involved movies like Cliffhanger or K2, prepare to have some
preconceptions shattered. For example, there’s no such thing as a bolt gun (sorry, Stallone fans) and if there
were such a thing you’d be unlikely to ever lay a hand on one. The realm of bolting routes is a world
inhabited by pros and pros are made over years of time spent on rock and miles of vertical surface climbed.

The climbing community neither encourages nor wants suicidal maniacs in their ranks. Fatalities do nothing but
harm the sport through bad press and stricter access regulations to choice locations. Approach this sport as you
would any potentially dangerous activity. Study it, learn under a mentor (preferably take some classes) and
always think safety first.

Those scenes in movies in which a climber scales hundreds of feet up a blank face without a rope are greatly
exaggerated. It happens, yes. There are an elite few who actually fly without a net, but this type of climbing
(known as free soloing) is reserved for those with near super-human skill and superhuman mental control. While
arguably insane, free-soloists are also good beyond words. They make a conscious choice to take this ultimate
risk knowing their limitations. The very fact that the climbing community stands divided on the merit of
free-soloing should tell you that it isn’t a common or universally embraced activity. It resides at the far end of the
spectrum. That there are not more fatalities in the free-soloing community stands as good evidence that these
people know their limits and climb within those limits. They simply do so knowing the penalty for failure is
absolute.

Yes, there are times when power is what it takes to get you through a portion of a route. As already stated, it is
far more common for technique to be the essential element. The one universal constant, however, is your brain.
Every route that even approaches your skill level will require the ability to plan your moves, control your
breathing, consider your alternatives and focus with precision. Climbing is, first and foremost, a head game and
that's what makes it so appealing for a desk-jockey. You simply can't bring your work to the cliffs. You have to
live in the moment when you climb. Let your mind wander to an upcoming proposal or a past performance
evaluation and your climbing will suffer. The sport demands attention and if you do it long enough your brain will
naturally remove those distracting elements. Climbing will truly help you leave your job where it belongs...at the
office.