Indoor climbing places are convenient. It seems like more and more places are sprouting up across the United States and that with the health and fitness craze that is going on that more people are getting into the sport of climbing.
Going to school in South Dakota there is great climbing on the western side of the state but an extreme lack of climbing on the east side of the state where my college is. So indoor climbing is a must and it is warm when it gets bellow zero in winter.
Repeatability with diversity I think is the best thing that indoor climbing offers. You can work some technique while building strength. Anyone who has climbed both indoors and outdoors knows that there is a big difference between the fake textured walls with bolted holds and the natural walls of the outdoors.
There are definitely those people who go to a gym and climb super hard and climb things that seem like it would only be possible with spider powers. And then there are those guys who live at the crag and seem to be part of the wall; as you are struggling up a slick face this guy is just free soloing the wall and makes his way over to tell you some quick beta and then disappears up the rock.
These two types of climbers are very interesting and there is definitely a vast middle ground. I enjoy climbing and having fun just going up something no matter the difficulty. I don't have to kill myself in the gym or crush myself on the rock. So when I'm in the gym it's really about doing something that is fun which is really what climbing is all about.
This is why when I set routes they are usually easier, but they are always enjoyable and even those who climb 5.13 say that this 5.9 is fun.
I hope that I didn't bash indoor climbing in this post. It is great to just drive to a place, park, walk in and climb some routes.
So what do you like about either type of climbing? Where is your favorite place to go climb?
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