Mountain Climbing & Bouldering: A Sport For Adventurers of the World
Last month, we touched on ways to get fit by hiking your way through some of the most beautiful trails in the world. This month, let’s explore another fun-filled adventure sport which fascinatingly gives you the liberty to practice it both indoors and outdoors.
Mountain Climbing & Bouldering—The Difference
Mountain climbing, or mountaineering, as it is popularly known, is mainly rock climbing with the use of ropes in any mountain ranges. In fact, hiking in the mountains, which involves quite a bit of stretching and rock climbing, is also regarded as mountaineering.
Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is mainly performed without the use of ropes for heights lesser than 20 feet and can be practiced outdoors as well as indoors. With the help of artificial boulders, the climber uses climbing shoes to scale the boulder walls. Indoor bouldering is the first step one needs to take to brace their skills for pursuing mountaineering in higher mountain ranges.
Why Mountaineering & Bouldering?
Do you really need a reason to go scaling sheer cliffs and mountain faces? To escape from your everyday stress and monotony? To get that adrenaline rush when you challenge yourself and overcome your fears? To learn a skill that lets you de-stress while keeping you fit? This activity lets you do all of the above!
Things to Keep in Mind
Mountaineering and bouldering is an intense and challeneging fitness sport, which means that a lot of practice, will power and preparation is required to perfect it. Here are some helpful tips to remember:
1. Be mentally and physically prepared
Training prior to adventuring out is the most important thing. This sport isn’t for the feeble! Since it involves strenuous physical activity, work on your cardio, flexibility and upper and lower body strength training. It’s also important to be mentally prepared for any situation.
2. Get the right gear
There is a large amount of gear necessary to begin mountaineering and bouldering. You need gear for navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first-aid, fire, repair kit and tools, nutrition, hydration, and emergency shelter on top of all of your equipment necessary to climb. The list is endless and it’s vital in your safety and survival that you have everything prepared and ready for all situations you may encounter.
Photo Credit: www.climbing.com
3. Concentrate on your footwork
Your feet play a pivotal role in the act of mountain climbing. Pay a lot of attention to sharpening your footwork to ensure its stable enough to help you keep balance while you practicing.
4. Identify the right rocks for your climb
This is something where only experience and practice can guide you. To identify the hard rocks and distinguish them from the fragile ones is one hell of a task. But this is critical in ensuring that you climb and land safely.
5. Plan in advance
Planning is key in a successful climb. Picking the right location and guide for your trip is crucial. You must also keep in mind that planning your trip back down the mountain is just as important as your route up. Plan for every instance that you may encounter so no matter what happens you’ll be prepared.
Now that you are all geared up for your first adventure, stay tuned as we explore some amazing aspects of mountaineering and bouldering in the coming days.
Have you gone mountaineering or bouldering? Share your experience and tips in the comments below!
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