Hitting the Rocks
Do you want to know a sport you can do that you can get a cardio and muscle workout in? Rock Climbing!! We love this sport at Youth Odyssey because it is not only a workout, but it gets us out of our comfort zones. Rock climbing can be a very intensive and intimidating sport to try for the first time, but with some instruction and practice you will come to love it in no time! I will pre-warn you rock climbing will take patience at first just like anything else, but it is a very rewarding feeling when you master some tough routes.
Before the Climb
Climbing uses a ton of different muscles, and you may use muscles you have never used before. We like to make sure we are limber before we start climbing, so stretch! It would be a bummer to pull a muscle halfway up the climb! One of the biggest things we stress is safety because it's not fun if someone gets hurt.
A great activity we love to play to stretch is called "I'm in Charge!". Simply have everyone get in a circle with one person in the middle who is "In Charge". The person in the middle starts off by saying, "Hello my name is so and so, and I am in charge!", and then leads the group in a stretch. After the 10 second stretch, a new person in the circle takes over as the person in the middle, and this process repeats until everyone is limbered up. Once we are all limbered up, we gather all of our equipment.
Equipment Needed:
- Helmets
- Harnesses
- Belay Devices
- Repel Devices
- Ropes w/Rope Bags
- Carabiners
- Quickdraws
- Pulleys (If at a challenge course)
- Rock Climbing Shoes
- Bouldering Mats
- Chalk/Chalk Bags
- Cams
- Slings
Rock Climbing 101
Now we have all of our equipment, it's go time! Before any rock climbing adventure it is a great idea to pre-plan, and learn the routes. Often times we can find booklets at local stores that show and explain the different rock climbing routes in the area. This is a great way for us to pick and choose which routes are best for us. Also check for weather conditions, you don't want to be climbing in a lightning storm!
When we are rock climbing, we want to pay attention to the holds in each route. For beginners, we strongly suggest finding routes with big jug holds. Jug holds are big and easy to grab, making the climb less difficult. There are other types of holds that makes things easier for us such as: horns, flakes, and underclings. Holds that are a bit more difficult are: crimps, slopers, and pockets. You can see some of the holds in the picture to the right!
Pro Tip! We try to keep our arms and legs as straight as possible because this utilizes our skeleton rather than our muscles. The more bend in your body, the more your muscles will be used. This is only a good thing if we were in the gym lifting weights, but we are trying to save stamina here!
Finish the Climb
Rock Climbing is an amazing sport, and we hope our love for it has stirred up your interest. We have been taking youth in the Coastal Bend rock climbing for 20 years, and it never gets old. It is always a joy to see our youth make it through the routes, and see their shining faces when they descend down. Please stay tuned for more adventures to come!
