Indoor Rock Climbing

This winter, I've been able to get outside quite a bit despite the cold weather. One of the things I'm most excited about, though, is indoor rock climbing. The sport is completely new to me, so I have a lot to learn, but I've quickly realized it can provide for a challenging workout.

Indoor rock climbing is a little bit more complicated than going out for a run, but there are only a couple of things you need. A pair of climbing shoes (they are super tight on your feet) and a harness are all you need at the place that I go, as they have several ropes set up to auto-belay you. This means you don't need anyone to be holding the other end of the rope as a machine does it.  As time goes on, I will definitely have one of my friends belay me (and I will belay them), but for the two times I've gone, we have all used the auto-belay ropes.

When we are on the wall, there are many routes marked and rated. This provides for one of the best challenges, as you have to be careful where you put your hands and your feet. There is also the option to just climb right up the wall without paying much attention to how each hold is marked, but I don't think I will be able to notice any improvement if I do it that way.

After going up the wall a few times, the tips of my fingers begin to hurt. It becomes harder to grip onto the holds, and the routes up the wall that I'm able to complete become fewer and fewer. My forearms feel very tired, and I'm ready to sit down. This tells me it was a pretty good workout. I hope to continue climbing, and eventually get to the skill level where I can do some outdoor climbing.