If you like trekking, probably at some point in your life you will face the difficult discipline of sport climbing. I can assure you that this day will come and maybe you will develop a passion that will follow you on your excursions through the mountains.
The hiking trails have impossible rock formations created by nature that blend in between the landscapes. So, if when you go on a walk in a rocky area you only think about taking your camping equipment, you will be missing half of the “fun”.
If you like climbing and you live in Peru, you probably don’t have to hear about Pitumarca in Cusco and its climbing walls, because you will have already been or, at least, they will sound familiar to you. It is one of the rock-climbing areas with the greatest potential in the entire country. The number of climbing routes of different difficulties and lengths make it a paradise for both beginners and more experienced climbers.
In any case, we all have a starting point and remembering our beginnings in this sport can motivate and help other people who are interested in knowing more about the world of rock climbing and do not have the confidence to continue practicing.
REMEMBER WHY YOU WANTED TO CLIMB
Many times, one of the reasons to learn climbing techniques is to acquire a skill that helps you in your development as a professional. There are university degrees, techniques and certifications that require you to have knowledge of climbing, both on rock and on ice or indoor climbing. Among them we have: high mountain guides, mountaineers, cavers, firefighters and rescuers, extreme sports photographers, and even plumbers, bricklayers, welders, painters, etc. that without any relation to the mountain one fine day they decide to train in vertical jobs to improve their work situation. It goes without saying that these professionals are as competent as any rock climber.
On the other hand, there are athletes, climbers who train to reach the highest levels in climbing and compete to complete achievements. Some come to live off their passion by receiving sports scholarships, becoming climbing trainers, having sponsors who pay them in exchange for their image, etc.
JOIN A COMMUNITY OF CLIMBERS
Taking the first step into the world of climbing has a lot to do with seeking help from more experienced people than you, you can start practicing with a friend with knowledge in climbing or start in a school, all this will depend on the motivation you have to learn and the short-term skills you want to develop.
Usually, you will need to purchase climbing equipment, at first your climbing friends will be able to lend you some basic, but you must purchase your own material. Correctly using and recognizing your climbing gear is the safest way to get started.
You should not practice climbing alone if it is your first routes, since the risk is very high, but even if your friends are not available, you have options to work on your technique. If you already have a little more dexterity, on the climbing trails you can find some climbers and join the next hit either on the same route or on another route.
CONTROL THE FEAR
All climbers face fear. Each at their own level. The influence of psychological factors on sports performance is generally well established.
“Rock climbing is considered a character-shaping discipline and decision-making before risks.”
The moment of enjoyment while we are climbing is essential to improve your qualities and therefore increase your skills and overcome your fears. Most of the technical decisions, we develop them unconsciously. In a climbing sequence there are too many actions to perform and when you think excessively, you hinder it, making the wrong decisions. The usefulness of psychological skills and mental training is very important when it comes to improving and optimizing your physical performance. The best strategy is to stay calm to keep moving forward.
IT IS GOING TO HURT YOU! LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CLIMBING SHOES
The working capacity is limited. It will depend on your adaptation to suffering and pain. At first when I took my first steps on the rock, I had open wounds on my hands and knees. All this as a result of lack of experience, ignorance and fear of falling, even being well insured at all times. One of the first lessons you’ll need to master is learning how to fall so you don’t injure yourself and that the training become less scary as possible. Being suspended with a rope so many meters above the ground and just holding onto the rock with the strength of your fingers and the extremity of your sore feet is a challenge.
It is extremely important that at the beginnings you get the appropriate size for your climbing shoes, you must measure them and not buy them online, unless you are completely sure of your size, they should not be loose, but not tight either. The pain they create as you practice more climbing routes is, to put it calmly, excruciating!
You will be surprised to learn that your more experienced climbing partners wear cat foot sizes much smaller than their foot sizes, and this is because as you gain climbing skills, your feet learn to curve as much as possible. so that they support the weight of your body at the tip. For the moment you start I only advise you not to buy a small size.
It is totally normal to feel pain, your body is not used to this discipline and you need to have a fine texture, strength in the fingers and arms, legs, without forgetting that the aerobic capacity and abdominal work is considerable.
SEARCH INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATE
Sport climbing is a fascinating world, there are many authors who share useful information about this discipline. There are specialized magazines, blogs, books, movies, etc. This is even a discipline that can be studied professionally in some countries, these courses are taught by companies dedicated to climbing and have an important recognition associated with high educational standards and the development of the practice of a specific work activity. It is a long way to go, and from my experience, after overcoming the first frustrations you get to the point where you trust yourself and you have nothing left than just keep going up.