Hello fellow climbers,
As quarantine drags on, I find myself looking out the window wistfully, wishing I could be at my favorite climbing gym or at Smith Rock with my friends. For those of you who feel the same way, here is a list of things you can do to get ready for that glorious day when we can climb again.
1. Stay in Shape (or improve that shape)
Priority number one besides homework and life is to maintain whatever climbing muscles we have left. Being motivated can be tough, but it helps to write out a training regimen so that it’s easier to stick with even when you’re tired and lonely...
The main areas to focus on for climbing are fingers, arms, and core. If you happen to have a hang board at home here’s some tips on how to train effectively with a hang board. If you don’t have a hang board, find some bar, ledge, or door-jam that you can do pullups on. If you’re not strong enough to do full sets of pull ups, work on doing negative pull ups. Negative pull ups are when you start with your arms bent and slowly lower yourself down.
2. Educate Yourself (but without paying tuition!)
The second thing you can do during quarantine is to learn more about climbing systems. If you’re someone who mostly indoor climbs, now might be the time to learn about setting anchors so you can climb more outdoors.
3. Stay Stoked (heck yeah)
Following climbing accounts on Instagram (including meme pages) or watching climbing documentaries is a fun way to stay engaged with climbing and to keep up the stoke levels. If you’re craving more climbing content, check out the Access Fund!
-Amber Smith & Ben Griffin