Climbing For Beginners

Climbing can be intimidating and discouraging at first but it will eventually turns out to be an easy ride as you get more involves, so starting is the key.

Besides, climbing should not be an exercise one will want to stay away from, because of the great benefits that come with which include - prevention of chronic diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, boost of mood, improvement of your cognitive abilities and many more.

So if you don’t see any reason to engage climbing, engage it for the sake of aforementioned benefits. Not even with these prevalent cases of depression and suicide-engaging climbing gives you the opportunity to be free from depression and suicidal thoughts.

However outdoor climbing can be more stressful and demanding but there is an option of gym climbing, is possible you’ve not heard of it.

Gym climbing can really get you started with climbing, it is easy to access in respective of the weather and it allows you to do the climbing without owning climbing gear for there is a provision to rent climbing gear at the gym.

You will also receive training on how to climb and you will also be giving several precautionary measures as it concerns climbing, at the gym.

Tips on How to Get Started With Climbing

Getting started to climbing requires both physical and psychological preparation

Be determined: Determination comes first before anything can be achieved including climbing. Do not be daunted at the face of climbing, make up your mind and tell yourself you can do it because immediately you start allowing fear or doubt, then it will be hard for you to engage climbing, so be determined and courageous to face it no matter what.

My first climbing came with lots of fear and discouragement but I summon the courage and determination and it helped me to scale through, I can do it again and again now without fear in fact my first attempt made me fearless.

Talk to others about it: No one is an island of knowledge in this sport, you have to seek for advice and also tell others about your proposed exercise.

Apart from the advice or tips they will give, their words can create a feeling of déjà vu that will make you act as if you’ve done it before.

However, don’t talk to a person that will discourage you but to someone that has scaled through it and has much experience to share with you.

Persevere: Climbing comes with different route, and their difficulty differs from each other. If one route seems not to be climbable don’t stop or give up, persevere until you gain mastery over that route.

Start with easy route: It pays to take one thing at a time. If you do not want climbing to be stressful and challenging for you, begin with the easy route, and gradually your feet and hand will get firm as well as your muscles. Moreover, your skills will improve over time and you will gain more experience and you will able to engage difficult route.

Let your feet be your guide: Most climbers are more interested in holding on to what is in front of them so to continue their journey than concentrating on the position of their feet.

Make your feet firm on the rock or wall first, before you make your move because the only thin line between ascension and falling off is your feet.

Let your arms be straight: Do not keep your arms bent when climbing, keep it straight for easy navigation and convenience also try to keep your legs bent to make it easy for you to push yourself up with your lower body.

Employ a belayer: Get a belayer of the same body weight you can trust.

Climbing for the first time could be scary and fearful but getting a trusted belayer will make you feel safe, comfortable and also help you to move accurately.

You also have to learn the essential communication language so to go along with each other. The communication language is used in dialogue between the climber and belayer. The communication code used are “Lower”, “Lowering”, “belay off”, “off belay”, “climbing”, “climb on” and so on.

Also make sure you stay in tune with your belayer or whoever is climbing with you, and frequently establish communication with your partner-it makes you feel safe and comfortable

Essential Climbing Gears

You don’t get to climb without having the climbing gear. Here are the climbing gears to kick start climbing:

Climbing shoe: This is a well designed foot wear for climbing, it is packaged to provide support and also grant the climber to use small foothold effectively.

Climbing shoe are designed to meet various climbing need, from rock, rope to boulder climbing

Rope: your most important equipment is a rope. Purchase a very good rope and when purchasing considers the thickness and the length, don’t buy thinner ropes or short rope.

You can as well purchase a rope bag alongside the rope to help keep your rope from dirt.

Belay device: A piece of mechanical device used to control a rope while belaying. It is designed to allow the belayer do their job with little or no physical effort thereby improving the safety of the belay for the climber.

Although there is a technique to the use of belay device which can be learn at the gym before heading outdoor.

Climbing harness: climbing harness is an important safety equipment for a climber.

A climbing harness will secure you to a rope by attaching the rope to the harness through figure eight follow through knot and get protected with a stopper knot.

However, before putting on harness, it is imperative the utilizer urinate before using the harness because, once it is put on it cannot be removed.

Chalk: chalk will help keep your sweaty hand dry while climbing. Therefore it is good to go along with a chalk bag.

Others include, knee pad, first aid kit, quickdraw, food and water, and belay glove.