Although heights can sometimes be terrifying, it can also turn out to be exciting! Climbing has become one of the most phenomenal extreme sports out there gaining more and more enthusiasts worldwide. The sport started out in France, it was introduced in the late 20th century by French climbers placing bolts on challenging vertical surfaces. Later on, it has spread in many different countries such as Australia, Korea, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States.
Inspired by traditional rock climbing, it retains the thrill and excitement of going against gravity. Basically, the vertical surface mimics the rocky vertical terrain by placing stable anchors and protective bolts. This sort of setting guarantees safety along the course making it eligible for free
climbing activity. Consequently, enthusiasts get to take advantage of the thrilling heights less the risk.
Enhancing the safety level is the set of protective gears utilized along the process. These consist of dynamic rope, quickdraws, belay device, safety, harness,
climbing shoes, and chalk bag. Dynamic ropes along with the harness act as the carrier component. Quickdraws and belayers are responsible for ascending and descending functions along the rope. As for traction tricks, the climbing shoes and chalk bag provide strong surface grips. Most likely, sports climb ranges from 12 to 36 meter so these components will surely come handy all along.
Sport climbing was initially developed for leisure activity until it became literally competitive. As a matter of fact, competitive sport climbing was initiated in Europe exclusive to Soviet competitors. Climbers compete either in terms of speed or difficulty in climbing walls meticulously built for the purpose. In the present, it is being administered by the International Council for
Competition Climbing led by the national body found in the United States.
Speed event is characterized by two identical tracks where two climbers race back to back. The X-Games, in particular, make use of 60-foot wall as the main track. A buzzer is placed at the topmost end of the track to easily determine the winning competitor. Upon reaching the top, the winner is expected to hit the button quickly. This event goes on progressively until the successful climber gets to grab the title as in a typical tournament.
Difficulty event, on the other hand, is more than a test of speed given the tough vertical terrain. More often than not, the track is comprised of 40-foot rough vertical wall alongside 20-foot overhang. Climbers are given the discretion to pick the track they are likely to take as the level of difficulty varies. In effect, the winning climb is based on the height achieved at a given time considering the level of difficulty involved in climbing the chosen path.
Apart from sport climbing, there are many other competitive climbing competitions. One is bouldering in which climbers deal with ascending boulders and small outcrops. Ice climbing comes as another variety using hard snow formations as the climbing track. Some other climbing grounds include buildings, canyons, cliffs, mountains, etc. Nonetheless, climbers are expected to observe precautionary measures for safety purposes.
