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The Activity of Rock Climbing Introduction One of the main attractions of climbing is the extraordinary richness of the possibilities. As children, we begin to climb on stairs and furniture, and then progress to playground equipment, fences, trees, and even small boulders (Loughman p.1). Rock climbing has changed greatly throughout the years with new gear, a greater diversity in style, and an expanding population of climbers, making it one of the fastest growing recreational activities out there, expanding in all aspects (A Collection of Thoughts On Climbing). The Basics of Rock Climbing Essentially a subset of mountaineering, rock climbing involves scaling rock faces ranging in height from tens of thousands of feet to merely a few inches off the ground. The activity of rock climbing has many subsets itself, all defined by the type of activity in which the climber chooses to engage in. It ranges from the simplest form called bouldering, which requires no equipment as well as no height in the mountain, to top roping, which requires all equipment and someone there to help make sure the climber is safe from falling at heights reaching anywhere to tens and thousands of feet. As the popularity of the sport keeps growing, rock climbing is becoming not just a recreational activity, but also a way towards self-fulfilment (Rock Climbing). The Make-up of Climbers The majority of climbers can be divided up into two groups, Novice and Intermediate. Novice climbers would consist of people who have not climbed in the past to or have very little experience. This group of people are looking to try something new and have a good time. Intermediate climbers would consist of people who have climbed before but do not have the proper knowledge, skill, or gear to go out on their own. This group is looking to do more climbing than those in the novice category (3.0 Business Environment). The industry itself is thought that it may continue to grow because rock climbing has started to become a mainstream activity. It is no longer looked at as an activity for the elite. With the opening of indoor climbing facilities, anyone can climb (3.0 Business Environment). Climbing is a recreational activity that is still male dominated (Loughman p.12). There are still more males today, but it is something that could be described as being better suited for women. Weighing a lot is something that is not very productive when it comes to climbing. Many climbers would agree that when it comes to climbing, makes are more muscle orientated, whereas a female is more fixed on finessing their skills (Climb Up). On the average, women are not as strong as men; in addition, they are not as heavy so they don’t require as much strength when climbing. Smaller people also have a larger strength to weight ratio, which counts in climbing. At higher levels, women must believe that they can climb as well as any man (Loughman p. 12). According to North American Sportsman the percentage of women climbers is up. They range anywhere from the ages of eighteen to seventy, but are primarily between the ages of thirty-one and fifty. The make up of the women who climb are college educated and the numbers are equally divided from being single or married. According to Adventure Travel in Canada in 1993, forty-five percent of climbers were couples, while the second largest segment was friends with twenty-nine percent. Solo travelers, families, and businesses made up fifteen percent, eleven percent, and five percent respectively. The typical climber was predominantly male adding up to about fifty-four percent, between nineteen and fifty years of age, with thirty percent traveling with friends or leisure groups (3.0 Business Environment). Motivations Behind Rock Climbing Motivation for the first difficult rock climb of which there is any record was Domp Julian. He climbed up Mont Aiguille in 1492 because he was ordered to do so by his king. A century later Dr. Conrad Gessner was determined to climb high hills every year for exercise and the delight this gave to his spirit. There is a huge difference between feats of the past and today, but motives are no clearer than Julian and Gessner (Gardener, p.9 (forward)). Everyone is motivated to climb for different reasons and as they become more experienced in the activity these motivations may change. Some may not understand the reasons or describe what it is that motivates them, but they experience something when they climb, and feel obligated to keep doing so. For some, climbing can be like dancing. It can bring a joy of self-expression and movement or just merely exercise (The Rewards of Climbing). It can also be anything from being a way to convene with nature (A Collection of Thoughts on Climbing) to being a stress relief (The Rewards of Climbing). While climbing, one may be wrapped up in a mental dialogue about ones self. One may lace a misleading concept of themselves from personal history and personal insecurities. This collection of concepts created allows for a false sense of identity, which is our ego. But, sometimes climbing gives one a taste that goes beyond the ego (The Rewards of Climbing). Some experience flashes of peace and harmony while climbing. Climbing can take people to a wide array of the many beautiful places offered by our Earth. When climbing these places are seen from an entirely new perception and with a new sense of appreciation.
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