"The best thing about climbing rocks is that it doesn't pretend to be anything useful".
- Royal Robbins, climbing legend
I personally think he forgot to include the part about how it's a ridiculous amount of fun, but we'll forgive him for that because he's absolutely right. Climbing might be one of the most useless sports I've ever tried: there is no other goal than to get to the top.
Last March, I decided to join a new fitness facility. It was right across the street from where I was doing my internship, the student rate was super cheap, they had more group classes than I could count and they offered various courses such as dance, tennis or even rock climbing. They have a massive outdoor rock climbing facility and so many times I caught myself gazing out the lab window to watch the adventurer on top, and one day, I decided that I needed to try it myself.
And that was the beginning of a serious addiction.
To this day, I cannot quite pinpoint what exactly it is about the sport that has me so hooked. As we've already discussed, it's pretty much useless, but yet, the sheer satisfaction of climbing is absolutely intoxicating. Perhaps it's simply the primate in me, but I'm convinced there's more to it and I'm going to try and spell it out for you.
1. It demands strength. But not just physical strength. Yes, you need to be physically strong to push for those moves, but I actually think the sport demands a great deal of mental strength. The fear of falling is real. I wouldn't say I'm afraid of heights per se, but there is something that being meters above the ground awakens in you. I suppose it's a bit like swimming in the ocean. You'd be a fool to not be a little bit afraid of the ocean, and the same goes for rock climbing. If you can climb that wall without a shred of fear in you, you should probably make an appointment with your doctor because that's just not normal. But on the other hand, the fear itself is completely unjustified. If you have proper equipment and a belayer who is doing their job, you have absolutely nothing to fear. Despite what some might think, it's a really safe sport. Overcoming this "logical" fear of climbing with actual logic is a lot tougher than you think and it's definitely part of the strength equation that makes me love the sport so much!
2. It's a puzzle. As I alluded to, rock climbing isn't all about strength. A lot of the sport is seeing the moves. If you're relying on brute force to get through the route, you're probably doing it wrong. One of my favorite things to do is watch experienced climbers. The way they move through the route is like a dance. They're so graceful and so strong but above all they often approach the route in a way I would never have thought of. Sometimes all you need to do is step back and envision your movements in order to successfully climb a route and I think this physical puzzle aspect really adds to the enjoyment.
3. It demands strength. I know I just discredited this point in the two above it, but rock climbing does require a great deal of physical strength and I love it. I have no evidence that this is as much of a workout as pumping iron in the gym, but I can definitely tell you it's infinitely more fun. I imagine making it to the top of a physically demanding route is much like reaching a new weight in the gym. You feel like you're on top of the world and like nothing can stop you. You muscles are aching, your heart is pounding, and you love your body for allowing you to achieve what your mind wants. It's a pretty cool feeling.
4. It's a great community. Not only do you have to fully trust the person on the other end of the rope, you get to know other climbers, which I happen to think is pretty cool. I've had many opportunities to practice my Dutch as I chat with other belayers while their partners climb, but I have also had the opportunity to face challenges with these complete strangers. I think it's really fun and inspiring to study route with someone you don't really know and cheer for each other as you push through. I'm sure it's much like other sports, but I love the sense of friendship that you all share simply because you have climbing in common.
5. Perseverance. You've tried and tried and you want to give up, but there's this tiny little voice in you that keeps saying "try again". To successfully climb, you need to persevere. I promise, you'll want to give up. Your hands will literally hurt right down to your fingertips, but somewhere, there's something pushing you to keep going. I think this ties greatly into my love for running. I love competing with myself and beating my own records. The same goes for climbing. You can push your limits, there is always room for improvement and you just need to keep going.
I could continue listing the things I love about climbing (which honestly includes the callouses on your hands and the foot cramps from shoes that are too tight which you'd naturally think are negative points), but I think I'll leave it there. Bottom line is that I think this sport is the bees knees. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about climbing! Since the weather has gotten cooler, we've retired to indoor climbing for the winter months and I've actually taken quite the liking to bouldering. This is like climbing but not as high, without a rope and is even more of a puzzle. In fact, boulder routes are actually referred to as problems because the whole physical puzzle aspect of it is amplified. I absolutely love it and would encourage every single one of you reading this to give it a try. Perhaps you'll love it or perhaps you'll hate it, but regardless, it'll be a fun day of physical activity and I'm pretty sure you'll see at least one person who inspires you.
