Indoor Rock Climbing
I went indoor rock climbing the other day (with jwrigley and nic), wow, what a workout! I hadn’t been climbing for a while, so I really did miss how intense the workout was.
It was great to see parents taking their kids there. Climbing teaches them confidence, inner strength and great for self esteem.
I climbed at http://www.hardrock.com.au/ in the CBD. Really well designed place.
What I like about rock climbing is that it engages all muscles and helps you work them out using full range of motion. It is very challenging.
So you want to try Rock Climbing? What to expect and require:
You will be inducted before your first attempt… this is a really important step. The instructor will go through the belaying process and safety procedures. Many places have inductors onsite, so you don’t have to book, but I would call ahead just to be sure.
You will need a climbing partner. It is good to have one person that you can completely rely on to be your climbing partner.
Where to aquire all the equipment required:
I strongly recommend not to buy the harness, carabeena, chalk bag, etc until you have tried climbing at least twice and have really enjoyed it. These are not cheap items but if you plan to go climbing often, it is better that you purchase.
I keep a “climbing bag”, which has all my equipment ready to go for climbing… makes life really simple and you never have to worry about forgetting anything… just add water (a bottle of water, that is :)). I also have a swimming bag, snorkeling bag, and gym bag - easy to get ready, don’t have to worry about a checklist.
Can climbing be done instead of training at the gym?
It is funny but the climbing centres are usually referred to as gyms :) Climbing is the equivalent of an awesome resistance workout, with a little cardio. So you will still need a bit of extra cardio in your training regime and if you add stretching at the end of a climb you are completely covered!
Happy climbing :)