Climbing the Walls

American Fitness, March, 1998 by Keith Rockmael

Would-be Sir Edmund Hillarys build self-confidence with the ultimate indoor adventure.

In a city known for its trendy health clubs and juice bars, Los Angelenos, as well as others across the country, have discovered a new vertical sport--indoor rock climbing. It offers a more controlled environment with varying difficulty climbs and optimum climate conditions.

Serious indoor rock climbing takes place in huge warehouse-like rooms, two or three sides of the walls filled with multi-colored hand and foot holds. The walls tower to 30 feet or higher. While some slant at various degrees, others shoot straight up, and a few have an overhang that climbers deem "way vertical." Some walls appear impossible to climb, unless you happen to be Spiderman. But after a few scaling attempts, you feel like a super hero.

The equipment needed to scale a wall is not as much as you might think. Most rock gyms provide the necessary items--harness and shoes. Some shoes are slip on, while others have laces. Either way, their rubbery consistency allows them to fit snugly to sockless feet. As climbers head up a wall, the tight black and neon-colored shoes look something like what Batman's partner Robin wore. Maybe the shoes won't help in crime fighting, but they provide stickiness. The soles offer an ultra sticky, rubber surface that helps grip the walls. Lots of beginners use sneakers, though. Some experienced climbers even scramble up barefoot.

The traps, hooks and ropes of the harnesses snake around each climber to prevent a nasty fall. They take only a few minutes to attach. A belayer (the person who helps secure you with a rope and supervises your climb) double checks the equipment. Typically, climbers represent a cross section of ages and cultures--you'll see lawyers, students, kids, moms and seniors.

As with any sport, it is a good idea to warm up. Mark Torabayashi, manager of L.A. Rock Gym in Hawthorne, California, suggests stretching out, or even getting on an exercise bicycle "just to get the juices going." For climbers who want to do a pre-climb, Torabayashi recommends "The Boulder." "It has four traverses around it, and starts out easy," he says. "It has numbered hands, and you can use any feet you like to traverse around it. You get to warm up your fingers that way, since these are all jugs (large hand holds) that feel comfortable. That's probably the best way to warm up and what most people do when they come in here."

Before you start, check out the decimal rating system labeled for each climb. Each wall consists of several climbs, colored with various jugs, edges, pockets and buckets. Unless you happen to be a super daring person, start with a low-numbered climb.

Before the physical climbing takes place, it is a good idea to have a mental image of where you'll go. A good belayer will communicate what hand to place where, and what the next foot move should be. Like in chess, anticipating the next move becomes vitally important.

Many climbers dab some chalk on their hands so sweaty palms don't cause a slip. Then the fun starts. As one young girl said, "Just grab on and climb up. You need to be strong and have a lot of patience. And don't look down."

Beginners tend to think about getting to the top by primarily using their hands. Not using the more powerful legs enough appeared to be a constant bugaboo. Often, climbers get stuck and one of three things usually happens--1) the belayer signals what hand or foot hold to step on or grab, 2) the climber "cheats" by grabbing or stepping on a different colored hold, thus doing a rainbow climb (using various colored hand holds), 3) the climber loses his or her balance and falls. The third option sounds the least appealing, but it is actually no big deal. When a climber loses contact with the wall, the belayer maintains hold of the rope that goes through the harness. The climber ends up dangling in the air for a few seconds then reestablishes himself or herself on the wall, or signals to be lowered down. Of course, it's a lot more satisfying being lowered down after reaching the top.

Even after a successful climb, a beginner is likely to experience tired fingers and joints. He or she might even feel muscles they haven't used in a long time. A first timer, climbing for an hour, might feel the next day like someone who ran several miles or lifted weights after a long layoff.

People use the climbs as an aerobic workout by climbing up and down several times in rapid succession. It definitely gets the heart pumping. Even if you don't race with squirrel-like abandon, the experience is likely to tire you. Climbers walk out exhausted, but with big smiles. Today, a 30-foot indoor wall; tomorrow, maybe Mt. Everest.

Indoor Climbing Lingo

Like snowboarding, indoor climbing has its own terminology.

Belay--Procedure of securing a climber by use of a rope.

Jugs--Big holds similar to jug handles that are comfortable to your hands.

Yosemite Decimal System--Rates the difficulty of the climb. The easiest is 5.0, and most difficult is 5.14 . An intermediate climb is rated as 5.06-5.08.