Climbing: An Adventure for the Mind & Body
Thank you to Marianne Greene for her contribution and putting this blog together!
Before I started rock climbing, I always thought of it as one of those activities that required a massive amount of upper body strength. As I dipped my toes into the climbing world I quickly realized that it is a sport that demands so much more – a wider array of skills than I could have imagined. Climbing has been my preferred activity for years, and as a result I’ve noticed an improvement in both my physical and mental abilities.
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
Mobility
Mobility seems to be one of those things that everyone loves to avoid, at least, until they can’t get away with their avoidance any longer. Climbing has been one of my biggest motivators to improve my own mobility, and for me, newfound mobility meant being able to stretch that little bit farther to get my foot on the next hold. With that improvement I have had a lot more fun getting to the top of climbs and have avoided injuries that may have happened had I not been quite as mobile.
Improving mobility has clear advantages!
Strength
Like I mentioned, it does go without saying that climbing requires a ton of strength. There is a video of one of the greatest lead climbers out there, Alex Megos, pulling a whopping 72kg with his fingers alone (that’s 158lbs)! Climbers need to have strength throughout the entire range of motion for all their joints, otherwise they would get themselves into precarious positions out of sheer necessity without the ability to get themselves out.
Strength certainly doesn’t hurt…
Power
In high level climbing there is a huge need for power. Power is the combination of strength and speed, resulting in an explosive movement. Sometimes the only option from hold A to hold B is to jump, or “dyno.” This technique has been increasingly more common in the competitive climbing world and, as such, athletes have been training their power now more than ever before. In this case, a climber’s ability to generate power relies on their flexibility to get into an advantageous starting position, strength to generate movement, and speed to accomplish that movement quickly.
Power: a combination of strength and speed
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”
Balance
Whether standing on big, step-like rock edges on the side of a mountain (like me) or teetering on the smallest of plastic holds (like the two Japanese Olympic medalists below), climbing is all about finding the perfect weight distribution to keep yourself on the wall. Over time, I have found that my balance on the wall has improved significantly as I learn the best way to maneuver all my limbs to find that equilibrium sweet spot.
Imagine trying to work your way out of this position…
Endurance
When I think of endurance athletes, I typically think of marathon runners or cyclists or rowers. It turns out that climbing is an endurance sport as well. Climbers often talk about “the pump,” or the feeling of intense fatigue in their forearm muscles after a sustained effort on the wall. Once that pump sets in, it is only a matter of time before the muscles stop flexing and the fingers uncurl from the holds. Much of a climber’s training revolves around building the endurance to delay the onset of the pump and therefore extend the time they are able to keep grasping upwards.
All this seems intimidating, and it is! These photos are of world cup climbers – the best of the best. The great thing about climbing is that you can start anywhere. Bouldering and rope climbing gyms have routes for all abilities, and the outdoors offer the widest variety that caters to new and veteran climbers alike.
Best of all, through climbing I have gained an improved sense of self efficacy – no one else can keep moving upwards for you. I have found that climbing requires a pretty strict focus, and as a result, all of the running to-do lists or worries tend to vanish from my mind. While on the wall I have learned countless times that mindset can make or break the route, and a little bit of determination can go a long way.
Photos courtesy of the International Federation of Sport Climbing
Thanks again to Marianne! An excellent contribution to our blog - we all wish her the best of luck on her future adventures!
