By Jeff Harris
In our daily lives we are surrounded by “bad stress”—the pressures that come with school and work for instance. There is a theory that rock climbing is “good stress.”
“A hard climb is full of stress—you question if you are going to make it,” says Vince Hempsall, a fourth-year journalism student. “But when you get to the top, it’s like an orgasm on the wall. It’s like YESSSSS!!! All the tension of the climb is gone and that is considered good stress.”
There was a time when driving out to a rock face was the only way for climbers to stay in shape. Due to the growth in the sport over the past ten years, indoor climbing gyms have popped up in cities across the country, offering simulated rock walls for the urban climber.
Most gyms are gutted warehouses. They contain towering walls of plaster and are decorated with a variety of wacky protrusions. The holds are removable so the routes can change every month, accommodating all skill levels. With colorful ropes, giant overhangs and crash mats, it’s like an adventure playground for adults.
The Toronto Climbing Academy occupies an old Coke bottling plant. It opened its walls to the climbing public in September, 1993. During the day it caters to special clients, from corporate team-building groups to children’s birthday parties. At night the gym is open for individual training. Climbers range in age from 5-71.
Sport climbing is primarily a strength exercise that requires a keen sense of balance and strong fingertips. But it is not just physical. There is a mental element, because the task of carrying one’s body up a wall with minimal holds can be a strategic challenge requiring a lot of thought. “I think it is more mentally stimulating then going and climbing on the stairmaster for half an hour,” says Karen McGilvary, co-owner of the Academy.
Every climber needs a partner to keep them on a safety “belay” rope as they climb. This creates social interaction and encouragement that is often lacking in typical gyms. “It’s the camraderie and the trust you have in your belayer that’s really special,” says McGilvary. “There’s more to it then just the physical, there’s the emotional.”
She offers a scenario: “The extreme example is when you have the secretary belaying the president of the company and he’s suddenly this person who’s relying on her for his life, literally.”
Climbing is a sport where women compete with men as equals. In some ways they have an advantage over men because they are smaller, lighter, are more flexible and have a lower centre of gravity. At the world cup level, there is no major difference in best female and male climbers.”
A good day at the gym fills a climber with confidence as well as exhaustion.
“Welcome to the anti-climax,” says Hempsall after climbing the walls for three hours. “You sit here, muscles sore and bleeding, but you love it.”
Leave a Reply