JOSH HARING: Hi this is Josh and today I will be talking about how to rock climb, a huge topic but I am going to try and get you ready today. When you start rock climbing there is a few important things that you need: shoes, a harness, a rope, carabiners, a blade of ice and a good partner. When starting to rock climb, it is important that you are as prepared as possible. Do all the research, read all the books and get all the information you can before approaching the rock. Rock climbing is an inherently dangerous activity so you best be prepared. When rock climbing, I mentioned it is important to have a good partner. You are roped in to that partner whether you are belaying your partner or your partner is belaying you. Your safety is solely in the hands of the other person you are climbing with. When you approach a rock it is going to look vertical to you. It might be even scary but as you walk up, look at that rock, really examine the features and the topography of that rock. You can pick your way up almost everything with a little practice. Rock climbing has a scale of difficulty ranging really from first class all the way up to 5.15. In rock climbing, the higher the number, the greater the degree of difficulty on the rock. Now when we start rock climbing we are climbing rocks that are rated low fives to maybe mid fives, 5.7, 5.8. It is important that you start in a place that you are comfortable with. Do not let your friends try and push you into something you are not ready for. So I am just going to take you up this short little climb here. Another good thing to make sure you have got is plenty of chalk. You can get kind of sweaty; you may get nervous so a little bit of chalk is kind of nice. It keeps the hands dry. We have double checked everything, Mike and I. He has checked me; I've checked him and got my knot here, my figure eight and double back. I am ready to climb, climbing.
MIKE: Climb on.
JOSH HARING: Focus on your feet and your foot work. Always be looking ahead, where you are going to be, where your next move is going to be. Remember, any place you put your hand is a great spot to put your feet. If your fingers can get in there, your climbing shoe can. You are really just using your hands for balance and you are there. Mike has got me tight and down.
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