Wall Climbing at Putrajaya Challenge Park

okay yeah, i know this entry was due last week but i've been too engrossed with my so called normal life that i 'had' to postpone the posting :p.

okay, as promised in my previous teaser i shall now blog about what wall climbing is about from my own perspective (well okay, probably from someone else's as well :p) hahaha :D

to know more about what this extreme sport entails, we must first be familiar with what wall climbing is. in other words, the basic or humble beginning of how wall climbing came to be.....

okay, i'm just not motivated enough to explain how it came to be, so i'm gonna skip it hahaha. but what i can tell you is that, wall climbing stemmed from rock climbing (duh...hahaha). after a couple of centuries later, a smart dude decided to share the wonderful experience of having callous hands from spending too much time clinging on man made rocks or structures (though the outdoor ones are real haha) like cliff monkeys :p.

as far as i know when it comes to indoor wall climbing, there are three types of activities you can choose to do:

a) bouldering
b) lead climb/ top rope
c) solo climb/ free climb

the differences between these three are: ropes and a partner. you need a partner for the rope but the rope doesn't necessarily need a partner, confused much? :).

to begin with, few essential paraphernalia should be prepared before any climb is conducted and is used depending on the type of climb. as per the image below, the designated shoes are for any kind of climb, the harness is for top rope/ lead climb and solo/ free climb and the chalk bag is used to store the chalk powder to keep your palms/ fingers dry at all times.

okay, in bouldering no rope is used and a partner is not required since it is just an introductory for beginners to understand the concept of wall climbing techniques and are structured to be of a decent height with less risk for injuries. for experienced climbers, the bouldering wall is used to hone their upper body strength and traversing skills.

(source: EP News)

in top rope/ lead climb, a rope and partner is needed because the wall is much higher (like three times more) compared to the bouldering wall and your partner is there to ensure your safety. now, a climber is known as *drum roll* a climber (duh hahaha) and your partner who is in charge of your safety is called the belayer (always good to say 'i've got your back bro' haha) :). when starting the climb, the climber has to say 'climber on' and will be responded by the belayer, 'belayer on'. the challenging aspect of top roping is the colored rocks where climbers rely on the same colored rocks to get to the top.

as seen in the picture above, both men are wearing harnesses (though the belayer didn't have to put on his chalk bag :p). so before starting, they need to put it on properly and secure the ropes as per the images below:

*okay, i meant: rope secured on climber's harness :p

for the climber's rope, there's a technique in tying the knot whereas the rope insertion into the belay device varies according to the types (i think) hahaha. in case you're wondering where the chalk bag fit in all this preparation, it is hung on the harness supporting your backside.

in solo climb, no one will be there to be your back up security. the climber moves ahead alone using a rope and protection devices including a self belay system. in other words, if you don't have what it takes (i.e. skills, experience, stamina), don't even dream of doing this! :D. it's very similar to trad (traditional) climbing except that the route has been determined ..and just as a reminder, this is not recommended to beginners or amateurs. (as at 27th march 2011, this info seem to be inaccurate. my apologies :p. for more details do Google it up for a more accurate description)

(source: meetup.com)

what i can say about this activity is that, it's darn strenuous (or it's just me who has been out of shape over the years haha) and you need to be fit in most aspect, such as in terms of endurance, strength, agility and stamina.

for those interested to pursue this activity either as a hobby or passion, you may want to read up on few facts first. check out these websites:

a) livestrong.com
b) workout-x
c) E-How
d) ABC of rock climbing

ok, as a disclaimer, i just wanna say that what was written here is only based on my beginner's observation and experience, some (if not all haha) may not be accurate. so don't take my word for it, try it out yourself because there are a lot more things to be learnt. in my case, climbing has always appealed to me....so i might probably stick with it until i get bored or give up due to lack of talent or for being such a wimp haha :p.

i was gonna leave you with a video i took of people scaling the walls, but unfortunately the quality sucked big time so i decided otherwise. instead, i'll leave you with my pathetic look after doing just one route :p.

if you're in F.T Putrajaya, Malaysia, you can try out this activity at Putrajaya Challenge Park. all the paraphernalia including shoes are available for rent. the breakdown? hmmm, RM6 for the entry fee, RM7 for the shoes and RM5 for the harness...no socks though hahaha.

Cheers :D!