Rock Climbing Without A Rock Climbing Rope?
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios


Defined Tag: Rock Climbing Rope.

Chances are, whenever you are presented with the thought of rock climbing, the first thing that comes to your mind is a rock climbing rope.

Rock climbing is a seemingly dangerous sport, that a rope is almost always a necessity to prevent unwanted accidents in the form of fatal falls. Scaling those heights is scary enough, what with the perils associated with it. A rope would even the odds and present for the rock climber a safety harness that would support him if ever he slips or miscalculates a move.

The usual routine is to have a lead man ascend the top of a cliff or crag to establish an anchor where the rock climbing rope would be tied to. This anchor is what is called in rock climbing circles as the top rope. The top rope should be securely positioned, as it will support the weight of all the climbers who would use it for safety.

Take note, rock climbing uses ropes only for safety and not for leverage. The sport demands that the rock climber should only use his hands, legs and mind to scale the side of a cliff or crag. The rope should not be used for undue advantage.

Believe it or not, though, that some rock climbers scale cliffs or crags without the benefit of a rock climbing rope.

For them, this scenario provides the ultimate rush, more so when they manage to reach the very top of a headland without taking any safety precautions.

Bo Johnson, a veteran rock climber from Colorado, explains such a stance. "You'd have to be very confident with regards to your rock climbing skills," he said. "It's a real thrill. You could fall any time, and that fall could potentially be very dangerous. But it just adds to the excitement. Rock climbers who don't use ropes know that they won't fall. It's as simple as that."

But are they correct?

"Of course not," Bo answered. "Scaling without a rock climbing rope is never recommended. It's like driving without your seatbelt fastened; only the car is at top speed on a narrow speedway full of sharp turns. The driver may find it absolutely electrifying, but at what possible cost? His life? I don't think a person's life is worth that kind of compromise."

"You could always derive your thrills elsewhere," Bo advices. "Rock climbing offers a lot of them. But climbing without a rope is not one of these choices."

If you want to give rock climbing a shot, then a rope should be one of your primary investments. Just like what Bo Johnson said, rock climbing is very thrilling as it is. You don't have to add to the risks.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.