Sports: Rock Climbing
[ Background | Equipment | Where ]
Background of the Sport
Rock or sport climbing dates back to early European mountaineering in the 1800s. Many mountain ascents require a combination of techniques. By the 1950s, new metals and fibres enable vast improvements in climbing accessories. Rock enthusiasts began to focus on a particular pitch or wall rather than climbing the whole mountain. The outdoors movement of the 1970s caused climbing to become an organized sport. Rock climbing is a sport that requires mental and physical strength, flexibility, agility and endurance.
With sport climbing's recent popularity, climbing walls being erected in indoor and outdoor facilities world wide. The increased safety possible (everybody climbs with a harness) in a man-made environment allows sport climbers to practice and achieve greater levels of difficulty.
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Equipment
To get started, you need little equipment, and if your early outings are in a gym or as part of a class, you can probably rent the equipment. Bouldering (climbing rocks under 20 feet high) requires only rock shoes and a chalk bag. For sport climbing, you will need a climbing harness, rope, a "belay" device (such as a figure eight or tube), and at least one "carabineer" (spring loaded clip). For outdoor rock climbing you should always wear a helmet to protect yourself from falling rock chips.
The clothes will vary with they type of climbing. For indoor climbing, comfortable shorts and t-shirt will suffice, though not too loose. Outdoors, you must be prepared for a range of temperatures and conditions (regardless of the forecast). Dressing in lightweight thin layers, in breathable fabrics, is recommended.
When you are climbing on a regular basis, you should invest in your own gear. As you get better, you may want to try lead climbing, where you fix you own protective ropes, rather than using a pre-set rope to the top). You need to have your own "rack", a selection of climbing aids including "runners" (flat nylon ropes), "carabineer" and "chocks" (wedges and cams).
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Where
Beginners should take a class or hire a guide to teach you "the ropes". Classes are available at most man-made climbing
facilities and local colleges and universities.
The flat land around New Brunswick does not lend itself to rock climbing, though
there are some smaller cliffs along ocean shorelines, and good-sized hills in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, particularly
in Cape Bretton, which form the northern end of the Appalachian Mountains. Some popular climbing spots around New Brunswick are:
- UNB Woodlot (near the Toyota dealership on the Vanier Highway to NB Tel building)
- Welsford (route 7 between Fredericton and Saint John)
- Hampton Marsh (Highway 1,just north of Saint John at Hampton)
- Gondola Point (Highway 1 north from Saint John towards Sussex at the Gondola Point / Kingston exit)
- Greenlaw, St-Andrews (St-Andrews on Rt.127 from Fredericton)
There are indoor climbing walls in Halifax and in Fredericton at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym (LB Gym) in Fredericton (at the "bottom" of the UNB campus, just off Beaverbrook Street).
WARNING! Climbing can be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. If you have little or no experience, you should take a professional guide, or take a climbing course in order to learn the basic safety techniques.
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