Indoor Rock Climbing @ Noosa Leisure Centre
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While I would love to say I championed my first indoor rock climbing experience, the following article might not be so agreeable. However, when it comes to enjoyment factor, rock climbing totally knocked it out of the park.
Even though I have a condition that limits some of my physical activity, I am able to try a few things just not push myself too much. With that in mind, I asked my partner and his friend to show me how far we could take this rock climbing experience.
We decided to tackle
Noosa's Leisure Centre , which has an indoor rock climbing wall also used by
Total Adventures , a company that specialises in camp and retreat activities based around the Sunshine Coast. You can learn more about what
Total Adventures offers by taking a look at their website.
Open to the public only on Mondays from 6pm-9pm, the wall is hired by other companies or groups made up of greater than 15 people for the rest of the week.
I could describe to you what it looks like myself, but the
Total Adventures website explains it best:
"
The indoor rock climbing wall is a simulated natural rock surface with a series of large and small artificial climbing holds. There are nine climb lines ranging in height from eight to fifteen meters. Encompassing sixty individual climbs, the wall has an allocated grade ranging from beginner to advance".
If you're a beginner like me, you might find it a little challenging at first, but you usually get an instructor and they will teach you the basics. In basic rock climbing, for every climber, you need a person at the bottom called a 'belayer', this person makes sure your rope is tight enough as you go up and also lets the rope down slowly when it's time for the climber to come back down.
There are various things you have to do like check your equipment (such as carabiners and harnesses) before you start, and key phrases (which for some reason I can't recall right now) that you shout to your partner or belayer to let them know when you want to come down or if you want the rope tighter. Since there were 3 of us, we took turns being a climber, belayer and a spotter. The spotter, as its name pretty much explains, is the person who watches the climber and makes sure everything is okay.
Being a belayer in itself was quite an experience. With my partner up on the wall climbing and me holding the rope, it felt like a huge responsibility. I shouted up to him not to worry that his life was in my hands, literally. We both laughed, but it really did feel like it. However, of course the instructors were always nearby, and those ropes can carry tonnes of weight, so there was no real worry there.
I found rock climbing to be a great way to exercise and it shows you that even if you don't think you're that strong, you can still have a little fun. I stumbled a few times but it was fun just knowing I got up on the wall, but it's harder than it looks. Within minutes we were pretty much all dripping with sweat, but it was a good feeling. I got to rest after trying a couple times. Upper body strength is definitely needed for activities such as these. My arms were killing me. A good tip we got from the instructors was to stay close to the wall and take your time, the harder you try the more energy you exert, and sometimes it is best to just plan where to put your foot or hand next. I really enjoyed watching my friends get up there. Both guys looked like pros up there.
So whether you're a beginner or an advanced rock climber, indoor rock climbing is a really great experience. It was on my bucket list, so I'm proud to cross that off the list too. It helps you feel that little sense of accomplishment when you surpass something inside you that told you couldn't take that extra step and then you did.
As the Total Adventure website described about Rock Climbing; "
Indoor rock climbing empowers participants to experience and put into practice leadership, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills. The physical, mental, and emotional tasks they accomplish will help to create a positive self-image that will benefit participants throughout life." What an activity!
One that's more than just an activity, but an experience than can influence your belief in yourself thus enforcing confidence in other areas of your live. Doesn't that sound awesome? If you get try this in a group through school or work. it's also a fantastic team building activity to do.
I would definitely try indoor rock climbing again, but I think I may have to get my arms in better shape first before I tackle the more advanced climbs. If you're on the Sunshine Coast, try it at the same place we did, if not try it anywhere near your home and give it all you've got!
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166194 - 2023-06-15 02:42:07