All about rock climbing
An extreme vacation decoration, an exciting sports discipline, a nerve-wracking hobby… All this is about rock climbing: you can do it for years, and you won’t get tired of it, because it opens up thousands of routes. The emotions from training in Kamenets-Podolsk are the same, from conquering the slopes of Olympos are completely different, and from conquering the Sinai are completely different.
It is important not to confuse mountaineering with rock climbing. These two types of extreme sports have been developing separately for a long time. The difference between them is already very serious – so much so that you can create a whole table of key differences.
| Mountaineering | Rock climbing | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Climbing to the top. | Overcoming one or several mountain sections, not necessarily at the peak, maybe even at the foot. |
| Places (points) for climbing | Natural origin only. | Both natural and artificial (climbing walls). |
| Skills acquired through training | Ability to use special equipment, work in a team, rescue comrades, navigate in wind and snow conditions. | Ability to climb using only one’s own hands, feet, and sometimes a safety net. |
| Equipment | As complete as possible: with thermal underwear, warm clothes, ice axes, crampons and dozens of other things (depending on the mountain). | Minimum required: shoes, safety helmet, harness, bag of powder for a secure grip + other necessary equipment, depending on the complexity of the route. |
There are a number of types of rock climbing: bouldering (conquering low mountains), onsight (climbing a new route, without prior preparation, in one attempt), and solo, multipitch (climbing several sections). Each provides its own unique experience. And you can do any of them as part of a tour organized by ExtremeGuide. Practice at school, in the Carpathians, Kamenets-Podolsky, and other parts of Ukraine – too.
Required skills, abilities, training
For rocks climbing you will need to be in good physical shape, that is:
- endurance;
- coordination of movements;
- no fear of heights;
- jumping and flexibility;
- sufficient (but not excessive) muscle mass.
Advanced skills, such as belaying, can be developed along the way, depending on the climbing direction you choose. It is difficult to say in advance what exactly will be the priority, because for jumping it is important to cling well to the ledges of the track, and for multipitch it is important to work together.
The main thing is that experience comes through training, and you can always get basic training at one of the schools organized by ExtremeGuide.
Who is this vacation suitable for?
Almost everyone. This is an excellent option for a group of friends, for a sports couple, even for parents with children, for climbers who want to master new disciplines.
You can take a couple of rock climbing lessons while on vacation, conquer different routes every season, test your strength in the thread every year, turn bouldering into a long-term passion, set water solo records. There is interest at every level of preparation and involvement.
Popular regions for rock climbing
Let’s highlight the key directions:
- Ukraine – school in Kamenets-Podolsk and climbing in the Carpathians;
- Armenia – bouldering in Svaneti + excursions to monasteries (Khor Virap, Geghard, Tatev);
- Bulgaria – onsight in Vratsa and, if desired, climbing the mountain peaks Bezengi, Urvich, The Tooth.
- Turkey – climbing the rocks of Akyarlar, Datca, Geykbairi, goes well with relaxing on the beaches of Antalya;
- Egypt – conquest of the Sinai routes, can be supplemented with windsurfing and diving.
These and other destinations are offered by ExtremeGuide – contact us to competently organize a rock climbing tour.