Climbing Info and trivia

Climbing activities include the following:

Rock climbing : Ascending steep rock formations using the hands and feet. Additional equipment such as ropes and camming devices are normally employed.
Bouldering : Ascending smaller steep rock formations using the hands and feet. Accomplished without the use of rope, instead employing a crash pad for protection.
Ice climbing : Ascending steep ice or hard snow formations using the hands and feet and special equipment designed for the purpose.
Tree climbing : Ascending trees without harming them, using ropes and other paraphernalia. Less competitive than rock climbing.
Buildering : Using the hands and feet to climb urban structures, avoiding normal means of ascent like stairs and elevators.
Rope climbing : Climbing a short, thick rope for speed. Not to be confused with roped climbing, as in rock or ice climbing.
Pole climbing (gymnastic) : Climbing poles and masts using the hands and feet.
Pole climbing (lumberjack) : Lumberjack tree-trimming and competitive tree-trunk or pole climbing for speed using spikes and belts.
Rock, ice, and tree climbing have a common feature: all three normally employ ropes for either safety or aid. Pole climbing and rope climbing were among the first exercises to be included in the origins of modern gymnastics in the late 18th century and early 19th century. The sport of Mountaineering usually requires rock and/or ice climbing.

Climbing in popular culture
Climbing has been featured in many popular movies, such as Cliffhanger, but save for a few exceptions (The Eiger Sanction being one example) it is generally given an inaccurate portrayal by Hollywood and much of the popular media. The sport of rock climbing was swept up in the extreme sport craze in the late 1990s which led to images of rock climbers on everything from anti-perspirant and USA Marine Corps commercials, to college promotional materials. Both pole and rope climbing can be seen in circus performances, such as Cirque du Soleil. The Czech republic and France have resurrected the sport of rope climbing - once an official gymnastic event in the Olympic Games, but dropped after 1932 - and contests are held in public gathering places, such as shopping centers, as well as in gymnasiums. Pole and mast climbing were popular in the 18th and 19th century in village festivals in certain parts of Europe, and were still part of the physical education curriculum at the United States Naval Academy in the 1960s.

Indoor Climbing is an increasingly popular form of rock climbing performed on artificial structures to attempt to mimic the experience of real rock climbing but in a more controlled environment.

The first indoor walls tended to be made primarily of brick leaving little scope for interesting routes as the steepness of the wall and variety of the hand holds were somewhat limited.

The most common construction method involves screwing resin hand holds on to wooden boards. The boards can be of varying height & steepness and have a large variety of holds attached. This variety, coupled with the ability for the climbs to be changed by attaching the holds onto the wall differently has resulted in indoor climbing becoming a very successful sport.

Indoor climbing has also seen an increase in popularity in areas with rainy climates where climbing outdoors is sometimes difficult. Besides offering an alternative during inclement weather, many working adults find that they can get to the gym after work and still climb even though it is too dark outside. In order to improve in any sport, consistent practice is crucial. With the advent of indoor climbing, weather, seasonal difficulties, and busy schedules are less of an obstacle to consistent improvement, and enjoyment of the sport.

The proliferation of indoor climbing gyms has increased the accessibility, and thus the popularity, of the sport of climbing. Since environmental conditions (ranging from the structural integrity of the climbing surfaces, to equipment wear, to proper use of equipment) can be more controlled in such a setting, indoor climbing is perhaps a safer and more friendly introduction to the sport. In fact birthday parties and children's teams are common at many rock gyms.

The UIAA or Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme, (English: International Climbing and Mountaineering Organisation)

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