Some of the reactions I got when I first really got into climbing are “Why would you do that”, “Isn’t that dangerous” or “How is that even fun”.
Every time I would get one of these reactions from someone, I would invite them to come climb with me. One trip to the climbing gym would change their mind almost immediately. Almost everyone I take is always very impressed at the intensity of the workout and the enjoyment they got out of it.
It’s true that climbing is inherently dangerous, but in my opinion the rewards make it all worth it. I’m going to go over three reasons that make climbing special to me and hopefully convince you to at least try it out.
1) It Teaches Life Lessons
Yes, I said life lessons. Let me explain. When I first started going to my rock climbing gym (Summit Gym), I was hit with the shock of being new at something again. Improving my skills was very difficult and the gains were very, very slow.
But with each time I tried a route, it got slightly easier. And with each attempt I made, the easiest way to climb a route became clearer. It was exactly like solving a puzzle or a complex problem.
I had always heard that the first step in doing something was the hardest, climbing made me believe it. The first step in doing anything is getting over the mental block that you can’t do it, then you just follow the route to the top.
I also learned to be very persistent and patient from climbing. It sometimes takes me several attempts over the course of a few days to top a route. But after that, the route suddenly becomes easy, as if I’ve always known how to do it.
2) It’s A Great Stress Reliever
When I’m climbing, it’s not possible for me to think about anything other than climbing. I have to stay in the now to be able to perform.
I’m so focused on staying attached to the rock that my mind won’t let me think about anything else. All I can think about is where my foot or hand needs to go next, and how I can get in a position to rest my arms or keep my balance.
Because of this, climbing makes me forget all other thoughts or worries and subsequently makes me feel very present. This, in turn, relieves stress and almost always makes me feel a lot happier when I’m done.
3) It’s An Amazing Workout
After every climbing session, my whole body is in pain. Not the bad pain, the good pain, the pain of “I just accomplished something”.
That’s because to climb properly you have to use your entire body. It takes arm strength, leg strength, core strength, balance, flexibility and decent analytical skills to be able to climb successfully. Climbing gives me the best physical and mental workout I can ever ask for.
To summarize
These aren’t all the reasons why climbing is great or why I love climbing, they’re just the top reasons that I think most people can relate to.
There are so many other ways to get the rewards that I get from climbing, but for me I wouldn’t do it any other way. Give it a try, you might fall down and hate it – or you might fall in love.