Rock climbing is one of the best ways to enjoy adventure against fear. Whether it is indoor or outdoor climbing, it is always a fun sport. You don’t need to be a professional to do climbing. You can start as a beginner. But there are risks to it. You need gear and materials for safety purposes. It can be very dangerous if you do not know how to climb and how to use gears properly.
Do you love rock climbing? Are you afraid of heights? What would happen if you fall in the middle of climbing? Many of us have questions like these in our minds. People who are afraid of heights and do not know rock climbing can be enjoyable and harmless with proper guidelines. To answer all these desires, this article will help you to reach the top of the mountain avoiding all dangers. But first, you need to know how risky it is and ways to overcome dangers in rock climbing.
Key Takeaways
- Risky view of rock climbing, why rock climbing is dangerous.
- Rick factors of rock climbing. Gears and equipment, weather change, and miscommunication.
- Major and minor injuries from rock climbing caused by an insincere climber.
- The mindset to stay safe knowing the importance of climbing.
Why Rock Climbing is Dangerous?
Rock climbing is a dangerous sport. It may result in serious physical injury or even death. Accidents happen in all forms of rock climbing, both indoors and outdoors. It is all about taking many risks to reach the goal of climbing. In my opinion, rock climbing and any form of climbing may be dangerous if the climber makes it dangerous.
Rocks are more likely rough to climb on. You can only be very Hesitant about which rock to hold on to and which one will let you fall. You may find a few rocks to be sharp enough to cut your skin and bleed.
Even so, a new climber can fall by accident. No warning for that, just a sudden wrong decision or misjudgment will lead a climber to injuries or a life support situation. If you ever climb, you need to know a few risk factors that may save you from injuries.
Risk Factors of Rock Climbing
There are a few risk factors that a hill climber would face during climbing. The following difficulties can be faced in both indoor and outdoor climbing. These are very common for novice and mid-level climbers.
Gear Failure
When you are climbing in hills or even indoor gym practice climbing, you have to equip some mandatory gear and equipment. Such as helmets, climbing shoes, attaching a rope to make a trade anchor or a sports anchor, and even understanding how belay systems and knots work. If any of these things fail to work or you miscalculate, it will lead to these gears and equipment stops working, it will result in a severe injury or even it will take your life away.
It can obviously mean a gear goes wrong, but plenty of cases that report user error as well. So before you go climbing, know to use them properly. Check and check again to ensure all the pieces of equipment are working well.
Falling Rocks
Falling rocks is one of the major and common struggles of outdoor climbing. Falling rocks are a lot more common than you might think. Typically they are from the climber’s breaking off pieces of stone as they go up. But sometimes they can come from the unaware climbers who started climbing too close to the edge of the cliff that you are trying to balance on. Also, weather changes can break off falling rocks as well.
It is better to wear a helmet. There might be a huge amount of falling rock at your climbing location. Usually, they might not land anywhere near you, but it is good to prepare for all circumstances.
Sudden Weather Changes
Weather is very important to understand while you go on outdoor climbing. Be prepared for that as the weather can change very quickly in the hills and mountain areas. Always keep eye on the sky and check the weather forecast before heading out, if you are able to.
Also keep in mind that most injuries related to strong wind and heavy rain are a result of climbers’ attempts to get to shelter too quickly, slipping and falling on the wet rock as they go. This is to say that many weather-related injuries have nothing to do with rock climbing itself.
Miscommunication
Miscommunication is one of the common reasons why climbing accidents happen very often. There is nothing to deal with the weather of rocks. It is like, while you are climbing with your climbing buddies and any of you use a wrong word to mean something else. It really hurts when people do this mistake and for that, someone has to pay the price.
So, be careful about communicating with other climbers as everyone has mental pressure while climbing. Learn some cool short calls which have a good impact over climbing.
Nervousness
Climbing rocks in the mountain is not an easy task to do. A climber has a tremendous amount of mental pressure to know which rock to hold on to and calculate the right way of routing. This can make a climber nervous very easily. You also need to maintain gears and equipment.
Rock climbing can be dangerous if the climber becomes confused about what they are doing. It can be risky, which often results in sudden accidents.
Possible Outcomes
There are many deadly examples of rock climbing incidents that may shock you. You may feel guilty if anything dangerous happens to you while rock climbing.
Major Injuries
Climbing can be harmful if you do not understand its core purpose. Climbing rocks will help you to build a strong mindset of facing fear. Making it a habit will lead you to achieve life goals and it may help you in your life. But, taking the wrong step will lead to major injuries or worse.
There are many severe consequences of accidents that can take place. Bone fracture, skin cuts, or even much more severe like breaking the spine. Falling direct from such heights both indoor and outdoor climbing can cause more harm. If you fall on your own and land on the wrong part of your body will leave you with a permanent disability of major body parts. Sudden death may wait for you.
Minor Injuries
A few minor injuries can happen in rock climbing. They are not severe but you may suffer from them for a long time. Finger pulley injury is very common for outdoor rock climbing. Shoulder subluxation is caused by climbing too fast. As continuous movement speed could result in shoulder dislocation.
Tendonitis is a result of irritation of a tendon. This happens when your fibrous connective tissue is displaced from muscle to bone. It causes an aching pain in the shoulders, elbows, and forearms. You may know this injury as tennis elbow, jumper’s knee, and pitcher’s shoulder.
Some other minor injuries are cracked feet, abrasions, and trigger fingers in common cases. Most of these injuries happen to newbie climbers.
How to Stay Safe While Rock Climbing?
Climbing rocks can be dangerous but not always. Taking precautions and understanding climbing properly can help you stay safe. Let’s be serious about those important things that can keep you safe and sound while climbing.
Mindset
Mindset is the most important part of rock climbing. If you are not mentally prepared for climbing then do not go for it. Start with the indoor climbing gym to practice to understand it first. Know your limit of climbing before you climb a real mountain.
Use Climbing Chalk
Climbing chalks are important for rock climbing. This chalk will help your hand and other body parts to have a good grip. It will also keep your hand from sweating and will surely help you calm yourself.
Wear necessary gears
Gears are necessary for rock climbing. Your helmet, gloves, safety jacket, goggles, and climbing shoes have to go with you. These will save you from unwanted situations and help you to climb easily.
Double-Check Gears
Double-check your gears, again and again, to make sure you can rely on them. Do not go climbing before checking. Climbing gears may have faulty issues or manufacturing disorders. So, be sure what you rely on.
Weather Check
Checking the weather is a common habit of a climber. You would not go climbing if the weather is not suited for that. Strong wind or heavy rain is very dangerous for rock climbing. So, check the weather pattern from a few days earlier before climbing.
Have Backup
Rescue is not a certainty and cell phone service is no help in most climbing locations. Make plans for self-rescue. And if any unexpected incident takes a part, clearly and loudly call out for help. If the phone service is available, call 911. Be prepared to tell the dispatcher the nature of the injury, the number of climbers, the rock formation, the climbing route name, and the meeting place so that you can direct rescuers to the accident site. Report all climbing injuries, even those that do not require assistance.
FAQs
What is the most dangerous form of climbing?
Rappelling is one of the most dangerous climbing. This activity relies the climber exclusively on his equipment and anchors to safely slide down the rope. The consequence of most rappelling accidents is life-taking as most climbers take long falls after becoming detached from the rope or if the anchors fail.
How dangerous is rock climbing indoors?
Low-quality belaying techniques are the most common cause of indoor climbing injuries. Improper falling patterns accounted for most of the bouldering injuries.
Is rock climbing good for your brain?
Rock climbing is good for your brain. Spatial awareness, planning ahead, balance, concentration – all of these factors are constantly informing your brain function to do the next move and require focus and perception.
What age do rock climbers peak?
The age model estimated that a person’s hardest grade will gradually increase between the early 20s and the early 40s on average.
Can a beginner rock climb?
Learning to rock climb can seem intimidating, especially if you don’t have a guide to show you the ropes. But rock climbing is surprisingly handy if you know how to begin, and you don’t need to be a super-athlete to start learning how to climb.
Final Thoughts
Rock climbing is a very delightful sport of enjoying nature and winning fear. But some people don’t understand the main purpose and necessary equipment for climbing. This makes climbing dangerous. Most of the severe incidents happened by those who are not sincere about climbing. It takes hardship and effort to climb hills and mountains. How dangerous is rock climbing depends on the climber’s ability to mitigate all the risks involved in doing the sport. This sport is pretty dangerous. So taking the right safety measures will be the best way to not only enjoy the sport but do it safely as well!
