EXTREME CLIMBING

CLIMBING SAFELY IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

By Stewart Green

Climbing is a Dangerous Sport

Climbing is not something to be taken lightly. I warn everyone who wants to climb that every time you go out climbing, whether it be a quick bouldering session, a fun afternoon at a top-rope crag, or a technical scramble up a mountain peak, you or your partners may be seriously injured or die. That’s a fact. An uncomfortable fact, yes, but very true.
This Is Not a Complete Source
Remember that all the information presented here is not a complete source of climbing instruction, it’s only a finger pointing you in the right direction, nor does it provide the experience or knowledge gleaned from personal instruction by a guide or climbing school. Do not depend on any of the information here or any other climbing books or magazines that you read for your personal safety.

Your Safety Depends on You

Your safety depends solely and only on You, no one else. Take responsibility for getting proper climbing instruction in anchors, equipment use, rope handling, rappelling, movement, and all other aspects of climbing by taking classes, hiring a guide for a day, or going out with experienced climbers as their rock apprentice.

Using Good Judgment

Your safety depends on your good judgment. Your judgment is your responsibility. Climbing safety is a lot about judgment—deciding to turn around in bad weather or lightning; backing up bogus anchors; creating redundancy in anchors and climbing systems; climbing with someone who is experienced; and not letting ego dictate the right decisions. Your safety depends on your experience and having a realistic assessment and appraisal of your climbing ability and skills. These include your physical characteristics and overall fitness, your experience, your confidence, your technical ability, and your judgment.

Make Your Own Decisions

Remember that most climbing information is subjective and prone to personal interpretation based on your experience. Climbing routes can be underrated in both difficulty and danger. Information here or what you find elsewhere may be inaccurate, misleading, or just plain wrong. It’s up to you to filter through it all and make your own decisions. It’s all up to you. Exercise your judgment as to where a route goes, whether you’re up to its challenge, and if your experience and ability is enough to safely guard and protect you from the many hazards and risks of climbing.

Hazards and Risks of Climbing

The hazards and risks of climbing include lots of objective danger, including but not limited to:

· Falling rocks
· Falling objects
· Breaking hand- and footholds
· Your own equipment failure
· Anchor failure
· Falling because of technical difficulty
· Hitting ledges or the ground after falling
· Incorrect belay technique
· Inexperienced belayer
· Failure of fixed protection
· Absence of fixed protection
· Lightning and bad weather
· Avalanche

Hire a Guide to Learn Safe Climbing

You will be safer when you go climbing if you realize the limitations of your knowledge and experience. If you have any questions about climbing, then ask someone. Experienced climbers are always willing to answer questions, give advice, confirm ratings of local routes, and give you extra beta. Take advantage of their expertise. At Front Range Climbing Company, we take many newbie climbers out for intensive instructional sessions so they can learn all the basics of climbing as well as more advanced rope, anchor, protection, belaying, and rappelling techniques. Most climbing areas have guides and instructors available. I highly recommend that if you’re serious about climbing and being safe, that you hire a guide or instructor to learn the ropes and to become proficient in climbing safely. Your life depends on it!

Accidents Happen

If you have any doubts or misgivings about any part of climbing, then do not attempt it. It’s better not to do something than to do something wrong. Accidents happen. That’s life and that’s climbing. Be careful out there on the rocks and peaks and don’t do anything foolish if you want to live long and prosper.

You Assume All Responsibility

By using this climbing website and all the information it contains, you assume all responsibility for your own climbing safety and sole responsibility for your own actions.

THE RUSH AND THE JUNKIES

THE RUSH


A feature of an extreme sport enthusiast in the view of some is their alleged capacity to induce an adrenaline rush in participants. However, the medical view is that the rush or high associated with the activity is not due to adrenaline being released as a response to fear, but due to increased levels of dopamine, endorphins and serotonin because of the high level of physical exertion. Furthermore, a recent study suggests that the link to adrenaline and 'true' extreme sports is tentative. The study defined 'true' extreme sports as a leisure or recreation activity where the most likely outcome of a mismanaged accident or mistake was death. This definition was designed to separate the marketing hype from the activity. People such as Sports Psychologists call it being in a "zone". This is defined as a temporary state of mind where a adrenaline rush charged by a high risk activity is the absolute dominant influence in your life. When a sports extremist is in the "zone" all that matters is the goal. Life is never more meaningful than the moment of execution. To many the "zone" also known as "the adrenaline effect" is viewed as extremely irresponsibility. It is really just the exact opposite. It is a time of near total control, maximum focus. This feeling is like the first time dive off the high dive but much more intense.




THE JUNKIES


They are what we called "the-extreme-sports-enthusiasts-and-
participants". Too long to catch so i prefer "THE ADRENALINE JUNKIES". These are the people that seek out activities that require intense concentration and extreme performance. Things like bungee jumping, hang gliding, mountain climbing, auto racing and motocross are just a few examples of the types of activities they are drawn to. Know what? Those extreme sports enthusiasts are not the only people who the term "adrenaline junkies" would describe. We got lots of friends here who have dangerous and extreme lifestyles who also fit the description. We have the SWAT team members, emergency personnels and the military soldiers. Another characteristic of the junkies is they tend to be individual
rather than a team.

NEWS!

KEVIN ROBINSON BREAKS BMX WORLD RECORD IN NEW YORK!

by Press Release [June 17, 2008]

Late last week BMX legend, Kevin Robinson, made history by flying higher than any human has ever gone on a BMX bike as part of Red Bull Experiment New York City! The first Red Bull Experiment took place in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve 2007 and saw FMX daredevil Robbie “Maddo” Maddison go the furthest distance on a motorbike. Now it was Kevin’s turn to fly into the history books, but this time with BMX, where he launched an amazing 27 feet out of a ramp in Central Park, soaring high above the picturesque New York skyline. Thousands of fans and spectators were on-sincluding David Letterman, to catch all the action, and this awesome feat had been a lifelong dream of Kevin’s which until now no one else has ever been able to pull off! Red Bull Experiment New York has seen Kevin beat the current world record of BMX pioneer and Kevin’s mentor and sponsor, Mat Hoffman, who at his last attempt achieved 26.5 feet above a24 feet ramp, 50.5 feet above the ground.