Urban Adventures: Trading Skyscrapers for Climbing Walls

Getting Started: The Basics of Safe Climbing

New York City’s concrete jungle may offer endless excitement, but sometimes it’s nice to swap steel and stone for a more natural high. That’s why we decided to ditch the bright lights and bustling streets for a day of indoor rock climbing. Before we could tackle the walls, our instructor taught us the fundamentals of safe climbing.

First up: mastering a series of essential knots to secure ourselves to the harness. With guidance, even the most knot-challenged among us quickly became proficient in the figure eight and stopper knots.

Figure Eight Knot:
  - Cross the rope over itself to form an "X" shape
  - Take the working end and pass it under the standing part
  - Bring the working end back over the top and through the loop
  - Pull the knot tight to secure

Stopper Knot:
  - Pass the working end through a small loop
  - Bring the working end back over the top and through the loop again
  - Pull the knot tight to secure

The Art of Belaying

Next, our instructor schooled us on the art of belaying – the crucial process of catching a climber if they fall. It’s not just about making heroic saves; it’s about subtly tightening and pulling the rope to prevent a serious tumble. With our new skills in hand, we were ready to take on the walls.

Full-Body Fitness

Rock climbing demands more than just upper body strength; it requires a full-body workout. Climbers need to engage their forearms, legs, and core to lift themselves up steep faces and grip tiny holds. But our instructor reassured us that you don’t need to be a gym rat to make it to the top.

“I’ve seen people start climbing with little to no upper body strength,” he says. “They just loved it and kept coming back, which helped build their muscles.”

Ready to Climb?

If you’re ready to trade in your elevator ride for a more vertical adventure, indoor rock climbing is the perfect place to start. With state-of-the-art facilities and expert instructors, you’ll be scaling walls in no time.

• Find an indoor rock climbing gym near you
• Take an introductory class to learn the basics of safe climbing
• Get ready for a full-body workout and a fun adventure