From the gym to the outdoors
Climbing indoors prepare ourselves to the outdoor challence, but it can bring bad habits when we talk about confidence as you will not be prepared to the hard feeling of the real rock, the wind, the weather and to a real fall while you climb.
Por: XplorandoGuatemala.com
Leticia Núñez at KC/Xtreme Gym.
Picture: Héctor Roldán.
Indoor Rock climbing has gained a lot of adepts that limit themselves to train and climb inside the gym... We can fall into the trap too... each to his own but if you want the real experiencie I would say: learn, practice and then go outdoors for real rock climbing before you become a rat gym
One of the first things you will notice is the stamina and power... Climbing outdoors requires staying fit as you will walk maybe a long time to get to the routes.
Another aspect is the mental fear... you will be using more strenght when you make your move from gym to outdoors and you will notice how quickly you loose your power...
Different conditions
Peter rockclimbing at Jalapa.
Climbing on a windy route is intimidating and can be a real challenge. Besides, the gym is a controled enviroment, a close enviroment, while outdoors you will find veri different conditions:
- Routes are not completly vertical
- you can't see well the holds
- more stress
- we hold more time to the rock (contact time)
- some rocks can be really sharp
You need not to loose the nature in this sport: the adventure... So climbing inside a gym must mean this: training. Is not in any way a substitute of outdoor rock climbing.
Along our journey in this sport we will find a lot of great indoor climber with great level who will fail at climbing or leading easy routes outdoors, and if we are great climbers, wil will not make fun of them, will wil simply say: "you are missing the fun!".
