More and more people from all walks of

More and more people from all walks of life in Dallas, Houston and all parts of Texas are becoming enthusiastic about rock climbing. Climbing techniques are evolving, and rock-climbing gear is being redeveloped as this sport continues to gain in popularity. The sport itself can be described as the act of going up a mountain, hill, any steep terrain, or artificial wall. Over the years, more and more people are discovering the joys of climbing - whether as a sport or as a form of recreation. Over many decades, rock climbing has developed into a major sport or leisure activity for thousands of outdoor sports enthusiasts. Though it is generally a risky sport that demands physical strength and endurance, it poses a different kind of challenge, excitement, and adrenaline rush. This is probably one of the many reasons why a lot of people are so enthusiastic about this activity. Given the fact that it is physically-demanding and dangerous, you probably wonder why it's so popular. Here are several reasons why young individuals climb: o Rock climbing is never boring. There are so many routes to climb, and if you have experienced enough of the crags (or the weather) in your area, there are many more challenging and beautiful walls and crags elsewhere to explore. o It offers the ultimate physical challenge. Each day on the rock is an opportunity for you to go beyond the skills you already have. You should push yourself each time on the rock. Explore new and more difficult routes. Depending on your physical ability and level of risk acceptance, you will see that no grade is too tough. o It offers a different sense of adventure and freedom. Most climbers love the sport because of the feeling they get when scaling rocks. Moreover, with this sport, you are able to go wherever and whenever you want. o You will have a breath-taking view of the beautiful nature and sceneries. When looking for new routes, the climber will come across unexpected and beautiful vistas. In addition, keep in mind that, once you've reached the top, you will have a breathtaking view of the surroundings that not many people can see. People may say to you, "Are you nuts? That is too dangerous!" when they hear about someone who is planning to go rock climbing. But do not let these comments stop you. Once you have done it, you will know why people climb and why so many are addicted to this sport. However, please be forewarned that rock climbing is a dangerous sport. This can still be true even if you think you have done everything to ensure your safety. And, regardless of all the information you find in books and on the Internet, it's still wise to learn the essentials from qualified and experienced climbers. There are different types of rock climbing that can be done indoors on plywood climbing structures, or outdoors on cliffs, thousands of feet high: o Traditional rock climbing: This sort of climbing is the type you see in movies and in nature documentaries. Connected by a rope, pairs of climbers wearing harnesses scale a rock face carrying racks of specialized equipment. As they go, the climbers place wedges, nuts and other forms of protection from their racks into cracks in the rock. The rope is hooked to these pieces of protection so that, if a climber falls, the rope catches them. o Sport climbing: It's like traditional climbing in most respects, except that the protective pieces are permanently bolted into the rock. The climber doesn't have to carry protection with him/her or place it along the way. This makes sport climbing safer, faster and less expensive than traditional climbing. o Free solo climbing: Although this version is like sport climbing, it's the most dangerous because you use no rope. If you fall, you likely die. o Indoor climbing: This is also like sport climbing, except that climbers scale indoor structures made of plywood or concrete and hold onto artificial handholds/footholds bolted onto the structure. The fact that it is indoors means that the height of the structure is limited by the height of the ceiling in the room. However, there are no weather problems and it is easy to unbolt the handholds and footholds to reconfigure the wall. o Ice climbing: This sport is more like traditional climbing, except that the climber is scaling an ice formation, such as a frozen waterfall or a glacier, rather than a rock formation. Specialized equipment that can screw into the ice is used instead of the wedges, nuts and cams used on rock formations. o Bouldering and buildering - Bouldering is like sport climbing, but you are climbing on boulders rather than on cliffs and crags. Because the maximum height of a boulder is typically ten feet or so, bouldering is often done without ropes. Buildering is more urban and involves climbing the sides of chimneys and buildings. Learn more at www.precedent.com.