Archive for February 2nd, 2009
Beginning Rock Climbing
I decided this year that I was going to spend more time focusing on things I enjoy and less time obsessing over things I hate. As part of that, I signed up for the Beginner Rock Climbing Course at Planet Granite. So far, I’ve completed the first two weeks of the course and it’s been pretty fun.
During the first week, we focused on climbing safety. We learned how to get our harnesses on, how to tie in as a climber, how to tie in as a belayer and how to communicate with the climber/belayer during a climb. We also did a little bit of climbing, mostly to let ourselves get accustomed to belaying in preparation fo the belay test we’d all have to take.
During the second week we left the harnesses and the ropes to go hit the boulders. Bouldering is nice because you can climb solo, meaning you don’t need to find a partner to accompany you to the gym to get in a workout. We did some more safety stuff (learning to spot a climber, learning to jump/fall off the wall) and then proceeded to do some climbing. I completely burned out my arms during my first bouldering session, leaving my forearms and hands tired and sore for the next two days.
I’m really enjoying it so far. I was mostly looking for a gym experience that didn’t simply involve picking up some weight, setting it down and repeating. In that regard, rock climbing has been perfect. I can climb several different routes and get in a good workout without it feeling like a workout.
As for Planet Granite, I went to the one in Sunnyvale. It’s a really nice, huge facility that includes the bouldering walls, higher climbing walls, a full gym, locker rooms and yoga classes. It’s a bit more expensive than a normal gym membership ($70/month), but I think it’s worth it given everything that’s available for you (yoga classes are free with membership).
I have two more weeks of class left and when I’m done I’m pretty sure I’ll get a membership and then cancel my Gold’s Gym membership. Climbing has just been much more fun. It feels more like a sport or playing on the playground (the fact that there are always kids there helps it to feel more like a playground).
Give it a try, I think you’ll like it. Here’s some video to give you a taste.
1 comment February 2, 2009
