Adapted from a short talk I had to do for that pesky GCSE English which I did in about a month... (after I decided that the climate of Australia was greatly superceeded by that of pommie land)...
(shhh, im hardlinking it now...)
"I Burlied onto the dicey sloper, I was slipping
from the jib, my only chance now was to smear up and campus to that pro
jugi could barely see in the distance, but time was running out,
I had to do somthing fast or I'd barn door out and take a whipper, lose the
onsite! Only a bit of beta could've warned me about this,
Redpoint Crux I was at, but there was no time to think of that, or
the crufty cam I clicked into what seemed like miles ago. I wanted to beat
this crag, hit the chains, else I'd look like nothing but a Gumby to
the others, and I didnt want that. Nobody does!"
Rock
climbing offers a rigorous physical and mental challenge for the
climber. Essentially, it is the art of ascending up a rock face or
cliff, or indeed a manmade `wall' of some sort. Using nothing
but sheer skill and strength to defeat this lifeless opponent. Little or
no aid is obtained from the ropes, which strictly speaking are there for
safety purposes only.
Rock
climbing comes in two broad flavours, indoor and outdoor.
Indoor
climbing consists usually climbing a manmade wall of some description,
which despite the name, may be either indoors or out. There is usually an array
of removable plastic holds, which are moved around often. They have been
tested as they are rearranged, and different colours equate to different levels
of difficulty, so you can see how good you really are. Each time you
visit there will always be new things to try; new tests to take. In this way
indoor seems pretty appealing.
But
of course outdoor climbing is the real thing! Indoor climbing is simply
for beginners, or practice and maintaining fitness in more experienced
climbers. When conditions or other obstacles get in the way, indoor climbing
will always be there. But indoor climbing is not quite the real thing,
the satisfaction, unpredictability, and the great views, of climbing a
real rockface is what the sport is all about! You never forget the moment you
conquer your first big climb, the moment when you make it to the top and then
glance over your shoulder to see the breathtaking view before you.
More
and more people are escaping today's urban life with activities like
rock climbing. Youths gravitate towards rock climbing as an alternative to
traditional team sports. Still others pursue rock climbing as a full-time
passion, building their lives around the sport. And dedicating
every spare moment to it. There are yet others, which typically also fall
into this last category, however they leave their safety at home, and
take on the challenge of scaling landmarks and whatnot without the
safety of ropes and hernesses. this is very dangerous, and most
dedicated climbers agree that it is not in the spirit of traditional
climbing, and indeed foolish - as well as illegal.
Whatever the circumstances, rock climbing has always
been renound for the intense test it puts the climbers to, indoor and out, wether
youre climbing a home made wall on the side of your house, or Mt. Everest,
climbing will always give you an unmatched workout both physically
and mentally...
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