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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1990)
Page 4 The Battalion Tuesday, March 6,1! Go Climb Rock Mike Smith grimaces while trying to get a hold on the rock. Many people think rock climbing is an insane sport. If you were suspended 40 feet in the air by a rope that is not more than an inch and a half in diameter, you might agree. But insanity doesn’t play a part in this intense activity, Bob and Mich elle Chase, climbing instructors for the Texas A&M Oudoors program, said. Bob said many people have the misconception that rock climbing is a dangerous sport. Most people do not realize the precautions built into rock climbing, he said. Bob said safety is the most impor tant factor when he climbs. “1 want to be alive to climb tom- morrow," he said. There are three types of rock climbing. Bouldering is walking, or hopping up the rocks. Climbing re quires a rope. In free soloing, all safety precautions are abandoned. Most rock climbers, however, choose to use safety equipment. Bob said. Climbers use devices they can place in a crack in the face of the rock and bolts and chalk for keeping their hands dry. However, Bob said the rope is the most important piece saf ety equipment a climber can own. But as some climbers progress, they discard some of the equipment to make the sport more of an indi vidual challenge, Michelle said. Even so, she said, rock climbing still is a safe sport. “Rock climbing can be as safe as you want, or as dangerous as you want,” Michelle said. She said experienced climbers have several different ways to make the sport more challenging while still keeping it safe. The experienced climber could lead a climb, she said. Lead climbing is more difficult be cause there is no rope to rely on, Michelle said. The lead climber must find his own way up the cliff using finger and toe holds, she said. The lead climber , uses an assort ment of different safety equipment on the way up, Bob said. He works with another rock climber called the belayer. As the lead climber places safety gear and threads the trailing rope through the equipment, the belayer keeps the rope taut. The belayer then uses the taut rope to stop a climber’s fall. Bob said most beginning climbers follow' the lead climber in a maneu ver called top-roping. Although top- roping might seem to be easy at first, it still presents a difficult challenge. Tom Taber, president of the A&M Outdoors Recreational club, said he believes safety equipment is essential to a fun rock climb. Taber, who has been rock climb ing for several years, said climbers must use dieit upper and lower body strength in order to l>e successful. Agility and flexibility are also impor tant, he said. A climber’s technique is of upmost importance, Taber said. Even with a great amount of body strength, a person can fail to reach the top of a climb because of wasted effort. A climber’s technique can save muscles strength and give the climber an extra push when he or she needs it. Rock climbing’s ultimate goal, Taber said, is to conserve as much Above: Climbing guide Lynann Moses belays for Janice Carston as she begins her rappel I. Rap pelling allows a climber to safely descend after a climb. Right: Halfway up the climb, Lisa Boehnke reaches for a new handhold. After the climbing portion of the clinic, student about rappelling is leaning back into the open air climbers learn to rappell. The hardest thing with nothing but a rope to hold on to. iu-: .tor O'* CAM the tion AGGIE T( STUDENT eral AGGIES f Ove orG AGGIE AL p.m STUDENT ing; forir OOLLEGE ID. TAVU BILi T AUKap f nalr Na fcotk C.D. ALCOHOL C.D. ABSENTEI