Rock climbing at Mission Cliffs
Annie and Jay took me to Mission Cliffs on Saturday. It was great to be rock climbing again, but my body let me know how long it’s been. The first wall I climbed was no problem, but I felt exhausted for each one after that. I also remembered halfway up that I’m afraid of heights—it’s not a good place to be, especially with holds the size of quarters. What this really means is that I need to hit the gym more—mainly to work on cardio. I get bored running and only like to bike from point A to point B, but if I’m spent after an hour of climbing, something’s not right. We ended up staying for a good four hours—Jay’s new nickname is spider.
Check out the photos taken that day.
I don’t mean any disrespect if you’re an experienced climber and just haven’t been in a while so if you’re not, here are some easy tips to help you get back into it:
- stretch before you climb (definitely stretch your back and arms)
- pace yourself between and during climbs
- breathe evenly when possible while you climb (you won’t believe how easy it is to end up holding your breaths without realizing it)
- ladder-climbing principle: use your legs when possible to help push instead of relying on your arms to pull your weight
- keep your arms straight (best) or folded in (second-best) as often as you can; bent at the elbow at 90 degrees uses the most amount of strength and energy
- if you pause during a climb, try shaking out your forearms alternately and above your head; this and gravity will help cycle the blood (and oxygen) in your arms
- an energy drink or hit of coffee a little bit before climbing can give you some extra pep
Try a couple of these tips at your leisure and most importantly, have lots of fun.
@Victor — By no means am I an experienced climber, so your tips will go a long way. Thanks!