🧗♀️ So you want to climb indoors? 🧗♀️
Let me teach you a few things!
“The best part of climbing is when it all clicks and gravity ceases to exist.” – Chris Sharma
What is indoor climbing?
Indoor climbing was born from climbing outdoors. Climbers wanted a way to train without having to rely on ideal weather conditions. Climbing gyms have come a long way since their early beginnings. Today, gyms have routesetters who arrange holds in unique ways to train various climbing techniques. Climbing routes are color-coded by holds or colored tape. To a climb a route, you only use the holds of the same color. Let's dive into the types of indoor climbing.
Types of indoor climbing
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Bouldering
Bouldering is climbing that stays relatively close to the ground. It's the easiest entry into climbing since you only need climbing shoes, a chalk bag, and chalk. Gyms have thick padding to cushion the impact of falling from the walls. Bouldering routes are known as problems. Bouldering may seem easier because the routes are shorter, but don't be fooled, problems often focus on powerful and dynamic moves.
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Top Roping
Top roping is climbing with a rope that is wrapped around a beam at the top of a climb with both ends dangling on the ground. In most cases, top roping requires a partner, but some gyms have auto-belay devices. The climber wears a climbing harness with the rope tied in and the belay partner secures the other end on their own harness and belay device. As the climber moves up the wall, they create slack on the rope and the belayer will take slack off from the rope with their belay device. A belay device allows the rope to pull through but not slip out. Once a climber is done, the belayer can gently lower the climber.
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Lead Climbing
Lead climbing is climbing with the rope starting from the bottom and clipping in as the climber moves up. The climber and belayer tie in the same as they would in top rope, but the climber must clip in the rope to evenly spaced points on the wall as they go up. Each clip serves as a safety net in case the climber falls. Lead climbing requires extra training for both the climber and belayer.