Website Rock Climbing Equipment And Techniques example essay topic

The Activity of Rock Climbing Introduction One of the main attractions of climbing is the extraordinary richness of the possibilities. As children, we begin to climb on stairs and furniture, and then progress to playground equipment, fences, trees, and even small boulders (Loughman p. 1). Rock climbing has changed greatly throughout the years with new gear, a greater diversity in style, and an expanding population of climbers, making it one of the fastest growing recreational activities out there, expanding in all aspects (A Collection of Thoughts On Climbing). The Basics of Rock Climbing Essentially a subset of mountaineering, rock climbing involves scaling rock faces ranging in height from tens of thousands of feet to merely a few inches off the ground. The activity of rock climbing has many subsets itself, all defined by the type of activity in which the climber chooses to engage in. It ranges from the simplest form called bouldering, which requires no equipment as well as no height in the mountain, to top roping, which requires all equipment and someone there to help make sure the climber is safe from falling at heights reaching anywhere to tens and thousands of feet.

As the popularity of the sport keeps growing, rock climbing is becoming not just a recreational activity, but also a way towards self-fulfilment (Rock Climbing). The Make-up of Climbers The majority of climbers can be divided up into two groups, Novice and Intermediate. Novice climbers would consist of people who have not climbed in the past to or have very little experience. This group of people are looking to try something new and have a good time. Intermediate climbers would consist of people who have climbed before but do not have the proper knowledge, skill, or gear to go out on their own. This group is looking to do more climbing than those in the novice category (3.0 Business Environment).

The industry itself is thought that it may continue to grow because rock climbing has started to become a mainstream activity. It is no longer looked at as an activity for the elite. With the opening of indoor climbing facilities, anyone can climb (3.0 Business Environment). Climbing is a recreational activity that is still male dominated (Loughman p. 12).

There are still more males today, but it is something that could be described as being better suited for women. Weighing a lot is something that is not very productive when it comes to climbing. Many climbers would agree that when it comes to climbing, makes are more muscle orientated, whereas a female is more fixed on finessing their skills (Climb Up). On the average, women are not as strong as men; in addition, they are not as heavy so they don't require as much strength when climbing. Smaller people also have a larger strength to weight ratio, which counts in climbing. At higher levels, women must believe that they can climb as well as any man (Loughman p. 12).

According to North American Sportsman the percentage of women climbers is up. They range anywhere from the ages of eighteen to seventy, but are primarily between the ages of thirty-one and fifty. The make up of the women who climb are college educated and the numbers are equally divided from being single or married. According to Adventure Travel in Canada in 1993, forty-five percent of climbers were couples, while the second largest segment was friends with twenty-nine percent. Solo travelers, families, and businesses made up fifteen percent, eleven percent, and five percent respectively.

The typical climber was predominantly male adding up to about fifty-four percent, between nineteen and fifty years of age, with thirty percent traveling with friends or leisure groups (3.0 Business Environment). Motivations Behind Rock Climbing Motivation for the first difficult rock climb of which there is any record was Do mp Julian. He climbed up Mont Aiguille in 1492 because he was ordered to do so by his king. A century later Dr. Conrad Gessner was determined to climb high hills every year for exercise and the delight this gave to his spirit.

There is a huge difference between feats of the past and today, but motives are no clearer than Julian and Gessner (Gardener, p. 9 (forward) ). Everyone is motivated to climb for different reasons and as they become more experienced in the activity these motivations may change. Some may not understand the reasons or describe what it is that motivates them, but they experience something when they climb, and feel obligated to keep doing so. For some, climbing can be like dancing. It can bring a joy of self-expression and movement or just merely exercise (The Rewards of Climbing). It can also be anything from being a way to convene with nature (A Collection of Thoughts on Climbing) to being a stress relief (The Rewards of Climbing).

While climbing, one may be wrapped up in a mental dialogue about ones self. One may lace a misleading concept of themselves from personal history and personal insecurities. This collection of concepts created allows for a false sense of identity, which is our ego. But, sometimes climbing gives one a taste that goes beyond the ego (The Rewards of Climbing). Some experience flashes of peace and harmony while climbing. Climbing can take people to a wide array of the many beautiful places offered by our Earth.

When climbing these places are seen from an entirely new perception and with a new sense of appreciation. Climbing takes people to the mountains, the seashore, and the heart of the desert or into a deep forest. For the duration of these times, people experience true adventure as well as solitude. It can best be said in the article The Rewards of Climbing, that: When we go climbing, we return to a world undomesticated by artificial routines and pretensions.

Most of us get into the habit of sleepily taking our world for granted. Climbing interrupts our usual world. Trees look different from hundreds of feet up. The whole landscape unfolds from a higher vantage point. The change in perspective allows us to have a different view on our lives as well.

When faced with such an atmosphere, it can also bring much relief to any stresses that one may be faced with. Rock climbing is almost meditative in the fact that it forces people to forget about everything else going on in their lives and focus completely on the task at hand (A Collection of Thoughts on Climbing). It is a peaceful, quiet activity, which is rarely interrupted by the distractions of daily life. When one is balanced on tiny holds, a lapse of concentration could send them plummeting to the ground. This is why climbing brings one into the present moment and in the struggle for survival, petty concerns of life shouldn't be a focus (A Collection of Thoughts on Climbing).

Instead it focuses on the moves of the climb itself, mentally challenging the climber to figure out what move to do next, it is a lot like solving a puzzle or playing chess. Learning to focus and act in the face of fear gives the climber the power to respond in situations when others simply panic (The Rewards of Climbing). Climbing offers an escape, or perhaps it would be better to portray it as a relaxation, from everyday worries of individual relationships, money and jobs (Gardener, p. 50). Besides the intense mental concentration, it also provides an intense amount of physical demand. Climbing is a stretching, strengthening exercise that tones almost all muscles in the body. With the lack of jarring, it tends to be good for backs and worn out joints.

The approach to climbs may provide a good cardiovascular work out as well (A Collection of Thoughts on Climbing). It helps improve hand and finger strength aerobic endurance and anaerobic capacity, which are all necessary for climbing (To the Top: Take Your Fitness Program to New Heights With Wall Climbing). Most climbers are pleased with the changes that it allows to take place in their bodies, which include better muscle tone, weight loss, and a general sense of wellness (A Collection of Thoughts on Climbing). Rock Climbing and Its Variations Bouldering. Bouldering is a new form of climbing that has been around forever, but is just going mainstream in the past few years.

When bouldering the climber does not use the typical climbing equipment, in fact, there is no equipment used when performing this part of climbing. The tallest boulder courses typically range from around four feet to twenty-five feet (So You Wanna Be a Rock Climber). Instead of climbing vertically, bouldering is done by climbing horizontally. It allows for hand and foot techniques to be worked on and increases strength for other climbs (To the Top: Take Your Fitness Program to New Heights With Wall Climbing). Bouldering is a justifiable type of climbing and harder bouldering problems are just has tough as other kinds of climbing challenges (So You Wanna Be a Rock Climber). It acts as a way to train for longer climbs, but is more than just preparation for other forms of climbing; "it is a recreation and art complete in itself".

It is while bouldering that the climber is able to be creative and invent moves that are not required by the terrain (Loughman p. 6). It has similarities to Free-Soloing except for the danger part of it (So You Wanna Be a Rock Climber). Free-Soloing. Free soloing is a method of climbing used by those who are a little more daring (Free Climbing). When someone is to free solo, they are not using any ropes or means of equipment. It is just the climber and the rock face.

Free soloing is not for beginners, as has a higher level of demand on the rock climber because they need to look at each of the steps they must take on the rock cautiously and carefully, as there is no one with a belay to rely on in case of a mistake (Loughman p. 10). There are also two main sub parts of free soloing. There is something called top roping, and another technique called lead climbing (Rock Climbing Equipment and Techniques). These methods both use more technology than something like bouldering and free soloing.

In order to understand the next techniques being discussed, it is important to be aware of the terms of the technology being used for these methods. So, how has technology helped the sport of rock climbing and allowed climbers to scale incredibly dangerous rock faces safely? Well, the main way is through equipment. Rock climbers use many types of safety and climbing equipment. The most important is probably the rope.

Ropes made from synthetic fibres are exceptionally strong - the 9 mm thick rope holding a Couch has a secure working weight of 1,700 kilograms. Additionally, ropes are now made with some 'give" so that they can stretch. The rope on Couch could stretch to eight to ten percent of its original length, meaning that if a climber should fall, the rope would stretch a little and minimise the force exerted on the climber's body when it comes to a halt. However, ropes have to be attached to something else, and this is where chocks and carabineers come in. Chocks, also called wedges or wires, are hammered into small cracks in the rock face. Carabineers, clip-like devices, are attached to the chocks, and the rope is threaded through the carabineer.

If a climber happens to fall from the rock face, the chocks embedded in the rock will stop their fall (provided they are embedded in the rock face securely). If a climber is climbing with a partner, the partner on top of the rock face may often have a rope attached to them, assisting their partner to climb. Often this person will also have the rope threaded through a belay device. This simple little gadget prevents a climber from falling too far through the simple use of friction. The greater the friction on the rope, the quicker it will be brought to a halt (The Technology of Rock Climbing). The next two methods to be discussed use many things with regards to rock climbing technology, as they are not done with out equipment.

Top Roping. The technique of top roping is when there is an anchor at the top of the climb that is made primarily loops of rope, which are connected to various carabineers securely attached to the rock. The other carabineers are attached to either pieces of protection, wedged into a crack, or bolt that other climbers have drilled into the rock. At the other end of the rope there is someone called a belayer (Rock Climbing Equipment and techniques) who assumes a braced or anchored position above the climber. This person will take the slack that is developed as the climber gets higher and higher up. Another way for the belayer to stand is at the bottom of the climbing route.

The rope will run from the belayer, through a pulley like anchor point and back down to the climber (Loughman p. 7). This is so that if the climber happens to slip, the belayer has a device to stop the rope and prevent the climber from falling, making it completely harmless to them (Rock Climbing Equipment and techniques). In order for top roping to happen the website Rock Climbing Equipment and Techniques says the following: 1. There must be a safe way to the top to set the anchor before the climber starts.

Most popular top-roped climbs have an easy way to hike to the top. 2. The climb may be no longer than half the length of the rope; when the climber starts, the rope must cross the full length of the climb twice. Lead Climbing.

In lead climbing there are also two people involved. There is a leader and a follower who go up the climb in pitches: when the sections that are being climbed are actually shorter than the rope itself. To start, the leader climbs the first pitch, and while doing so they wedge pieces of protection like bolts into the rock attaching the rope to these with carabineers. They also use cracks that are conveniently placed for them to use.

While attaching it they use a technique called a "quickdraw". It is where there are two carabineers attached with a loop of webbing, which is used to fasten the rope to a piece of protection. One carabineer is attached to the loop on the piece of protection; the rope is passed through the other. This provides some separation of protection a rope, allowing the rope to twist without dislodging the protection, pass more smoothly past the protection, and go more directly up the climb.

The leader has a very dangerous job. Unlike top roping where if there was a fall it would not be very far, the person may fall a distance twice that of the last piece of protection before the rope can even begin to help them possibly hitting the rock on the way down. Once the leader makes it to the top of the pitch being climbed, they anchor themselves at this point and become the belayer for the follower, who removes any of the protection attached to the rock. When the follower is done, they have both completed the pitch and have their equipment and are ready to start the next pitch (Rock Climbing Equipment and Techniques). In order for lead climbing to occur there must be two things available in the setting. According to the website Rock Climbing Equipment and Techniques the two requirements from the setting are: 1.

There must be places for a belayer to be secured to the rock ('belay stations') spaced no farther than the length of the rope. Most popular lead climbs satisfy this. 2. There must be places to attach the rope to the rock. In rock with many cracks, protection, especially S LCDs (spring loaded camping device), can easily be used. Occasionally on smooth rock, other climbers have drilled permanent bolts into the rock that can be used with a quickdraw to attach the rope to the rock.

Skill Levels. "Much like the rating for white water rivers, climbing and mountains have ratings too" (Backpacker). Climbing is divided up into five classes and goes as follows according to Backpacker Dot Com: Class 1- Off trail hiking and scrambling on a gradient. A good example would be hiking up a moderate talus field. Class 2- Steeper than class 1 and may involve the use of hands for stability. Class 3- This is getting into moderately exposed terrain that requires some climbing skills and possibly a rope.

Class 4- Climbing skills of at least an intermediate level needed for travel on fourth-class terrain. Class 4 is steep and exposed with ledges and plentiful holds. Ropes, belays, and knowledge of usage recommended. Class 5- Rock faces near vertical to over hanging.

This is where technical climbing begins. Class 5 is also subdivided into decimal ratings for clarity (1-14). The higher the decimal number the harder the climb. Letters (a-d) after the decimals on the higher ratings indicate a further subdivision dependent on difficulty. Beyond this point of difficulty lies another form of climbing known as aid climbing which is extremely technical both in practice and definition. Support for Rock Climbers Clubs play a major role in the early development of rock climbing.

Clubs attract more than their share of beginners and a great deal of time is spent instructing beginners in the aspects of belaying and rappelling. If one does not have friends that climb, or money for a climbing school then a club may be just what they are looking for. There are a few clubs that are offered to residence of the Thunder Bay area, including the Thunder Bay division if the Alpine Club of Canada, and the Lakehead University Rock Club. The Alpine Club of Canada- Thunder Bay Section. The Thunder Bay section is involved in community projects such as Project Peregrine, O BEEK and the Annual Bluffs Clean-up. Run entirely by enthusiastic volunteers, the section provides a number of outdoor skills and leadership development opportunities.

They welcome everyone from beginning to advanced climbers and scramblers. As one of the most active sections, they host a number of events including rock and ice climbing clinics, weekend climbing trips, and high-angle rescue courses (The Alpine Club of Canada). The club also provides a website with numerous links to climbing locations within the Thunder Bay area, as well as an events calendar for climbers to find out about any events that are being put on. Lakehead University Rock Club.

Lakehead University also has a climbing club. It offers support for all of those people who have questions about techniques and training, and equipment both new and used, as well as links to various manufactures. It also provides guides to the Thunder Bay area, and various resources to anyone who is interested in climbing or has questions. If you are a beginner it helps explain various techniques used and how to start off even providing a list of various climbing terms. It also supplies links to places in the area to climb and even how to pick up a good pair of used climbing shoes for cheap.

For the more advanced climber it offers where to pick up new equipment and gives the climber links to various places that could give them the challenge of a lifetime (LU Rock Club Home Page). Trends in Climbing According to Sport Participation Trends, there has been a thirty-two percent increase in the amount of climbers in seven years and over eighteen percent of the people who recreate outdoors have at least climbed once. Due to the increase in the popularity of the sport, more and more people are joining clubs and indoor rock climbing facilities so they can get an idea of what the activity is all about. With the amount of people who are joining these clubs and facilities it allows for more and more to open in various regions as they are also used for fitness purposes too. According to a study commissioned by the Outdoor Industry Association, four point seven million people go trail running more than once a week.

The same study showed outdoor enthusiasts are involved in multiple activities. For example, of those individuals who enjoy hiking seventy-eight percent are also rock climbers (Backpacker Dot Com). The increase in the participation of the activity could be linked to many reasons. Technology has increased greatly over they years making equipment much safer than it has been in the past (LU Rock Club). There is also ethics set up for climbers so that the rock faces are preserved, and the environment can stay as natural as possible.

The Alpine Club of Canada also helps keep various areas clean with the help of their numerous volunteers (Alpine Club of Canada). Conclusion The activity of rock climbing and all the subsets are growing rapidly in popularity with all age groups and gender. It not only provides a good physical work out, but also helps relax and focus the mind away from everyday life soaking us in peace and beauty (The Rewards of Climbing). As the activity grows in all aspects there are numerous clubs and organizations that one could get involved with improving the quality of climbing for all people. As quality is improved, more and more people get involved and will see that climbing is one of those rare things whose scope and closeness goes further than our dreams (Long & Middendorf, 1994, p. 119).

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