Rock climbing knows no differences between men and women; in fact, the strength-to-weight ratio makes it easier for women to move over rocks.
	Photo credit: Ken MacEwen

In a world where the popularity of extreme sports and daredevil activity has surpassed the expectations of many, the safety and credible exercise of rock climbing may surprise those who deem the sport outside their limits.

Not intended for the weak at heart, the sport consists of scaling walls, cliffs or mountains that range from 30 feet at indoor gyms to 800 feet at local cliffs, with a rope and -- at times -- a spotter.

Rock climbing has become a mainstream attraction with a 100 percent increase in the number of local participants over the last 10 years, according to local climbers.

"There's something in our genes that makes us like to climb," said Dave Kelly, assistant manager of the Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) Gym rock climbing school. "Maybe it has something to do with our monkey ancestry, but since we can't climb trees anymore, now we climb cliffs."

A sport that is recognized by doctors for its physical benefits, rock climbing participants say the sport is incomparable to traditional forms of exercise because it challenges every muscle group and relies on total concentration.

There are no two pieces of rock that are the same, which is why you use every muscle group in your body," said Kelly, who disputes the widespread belief that rock climbing requires a lot of upper body strength. "It's a common misconception when, in fact, rock climbing is a great equalizer among men and women, because the strength-to-weight ratio makes it easier for women to move over rocks," he said.

Not everybody can rock climb, according to Dr. Richard Wilk, an orthopedic surgeon at the Lahey Clinic Sports Center in Burlington. It puts the body to a certain test. While he does not recommend it as a rehabilitative or regular exercise to patients, due to inherent risk and cost; Wilk recognizes the health benefits of rock climbing, which include building strength and providing mental and physical exercise.

"It offers a little bit of everything," he said.

While rock climbing is touted by enthusiasts as a unique and taxing form of exercise, rock climbers, according to Kelly, are not risktakers. The whole sport is about controlling the risk. This, in part, is accomplished through training on how to use equipment and assess potentially dangerous situations.

"Rock climbing can be very safe if you use your head and understand what you're doing," said Kelly, who explained that most injuries are inflicted when climbers do not heed weather warnings or haven't been properly trained.

These injuries, the majority of which consist of tendinitis in the fingers, wrists and elbows, are "impingement syndrome," which results from hanging from the hands and wrists, according to Chris Tryanos, a physical instructor and coowner of the Charles River Sports Therapy Clinic in Natick.

Aside from the obvious danger of falling, of which the incidence is very low, the highest risk associated with rock climbing is overuse of limbs, according to Wilk. "There is usually excessive strain on the muscles and ligaments of the upper body," he said. These injuries, however, can be avoided with warmups and safety equipment.

Where to climb

Dedicated solely to rock climbing, the Boston Rock Climbing Gym has been in business for 7 1/2 years and offers rotating walls and tread walls. After 23 years of climbing, Steve Weitzler, owner of the Boston Rock Climbing Gym in Woburn, said that rock climbing, which offers an allbody workout, is a lifestyle altering sport. "I have seen people build their weeks around climbing trips," he said. "It's an exercise that's dissimilar to anything else I know of."

The Dedham Racquet Club in Dedham has two negative incline walls that are difficult even for pros, according to Matt Glynn, manager. With a total of eight rock climbing walls, the Dedham gym can accommodate 10 members and one spotter at a time.

Gyms like Dedham Racquet Club require members to take a mandatory class, which is free of charge, before experimenting on the inside walls. These types of classes are common among gyms, while the cost and training varies significantly.

The Boston Rock Gym requires new members or walkins to take a threehour introductory course for $55, including equipment and a day pass. Upon completion of the course, fees for the gym are $10 per day with a sliding scale of $145$375 for three- to 12month memberships. Although 1012 people enroll in the classes each week, Weitzler says that only 30 percent come back to the gym. Whether they continue to climb, however, is another question.

EMS offers outside climbing courses to beginners, which range from $130$480 for one- to four-day courses that show participants the basics and end in a climb.

Rock climbing, unlike other exercise which targets one set of muscles, uses muscles that many gymgoers unconsciously ignore. Pulling your entire weight up an incline of varying degrees, rock climbing is a sport that can be practiced indoors and later mastered outdoors.

"You concentrate your emotional and physical abilities all at one time when you're rock climbing, so that once you finish a climb you're physically and mentally exhausted but totally fulfilled," said Kelly.