Rock Climbing... thoughts from the non-climbers?

Question

Just wondering what the general public thinks about the art of rock climbing... and climbers in general. I'm basically an obsessive rock climber, and when I tell people they either don't know what it is, or they think it's cool or sometimes they think I'm inches from death every time I go climbing outside.

Answer 1

i think its tight. i love rock climbing im rele good at it 2. but i can never find time to go. whats life without a little risk. am i right

Answer 2

Rock climbing is cool. I would enjoy trying to take it up, but living in the metro detroit area of Michigan, I don't relly get that option. Keep it up!

Answer 3

unlike what Scythian says,  rock climbing is relatively safe if you are top-ropping (rope is suspened from above you while a partner belays you from below).   Lead climbing can break a limb or two if you take a lead fall.   Only idiots climb faces solo with no protection.  Idiot's who are in great shape mind you... but it only takes one slip....

Answer 4

I have lived in the Midwest for most of my life and have been climbing for over 9 years. I also work at a rockwall that is part of a larger fitness center. Most of my customers only know the indoor sport and it is something for their kids to do. Also, they dont understand why someone would want to do it outside. This perception doesnt change unless we can get them on the wall a few times and then they begin to enjoy themselves. And then the flood gates open with questions... thats when the fun begins.

As for their basic perception of climbers: dirty pot smoking hippies.... Oddly enough, most of our more regular experienced climbers are software programmers, engineers... folks that use climbing as an excuse to unplug and enjoy themselves.

Answer 5

Ok, I know I'm a climber, but I just can't resist commenting on Isu's answer

I've climbed a ton of different places, and I can tell you something, I know a helluva lot more "dirty pot smoking hippie" rock climbers than engineers.

But it doesn't matter, that's the thing

Once you're down on the crag, it doesn't matter if you climb v2 on a good day and the guy next to you can scale a v8 like it's child's play, or if you haven't bathed in a week and eaten nothing but ramen and fruit  and there's a man who is an architect and makes in a week what you make in a year.

But I digress, I usually get a pretty positive response to my climbing, except people always ask the same question and it annoys me to no end.

"How do you compete? Do they judge you on how fast you go?"

Every time.