These days, people can’t go traveling, and therefore most of them are staying at home. As people spend so much time at home, they feel lethargic and depressed. CBT reporters, concerned about how these people can regain their vitality, set out to find various activities to recommend to them. In addition, as a result, The CBT reporters concluded that the most useful activity is indoor rock climbing. Therefore, the CBT reporters set out to have a firsthand experience of this activity.

  The CBT reporters made a reservation in advance and visited the climbing center. We chose ‘Hot climbing’ located in Changwon, and found that they offer an abundance of contracts and payment options including a one day pass, a month pass and a three month pass. If anyone is interested in experiencing it, we recommend the one day pass. The cost of one day pass is 20,000 won for adults, and 15,000 won for teenagers.  
  Surprisingly, the climbing center is located underground.  In the center, there are two structures: one is for beginners with a gentle incline and the other is for expert climbers with a steep incline. They also provide gym equipment, which helps increase arm strength, like dumbells and barbells, because arm strength is very important in climbing. The CBT reporters had the opportunity to  spend time with the instructor who is an expert in climbing. Beforehand, the CBT reporters took a precautionary temperature measurement and disinfected our hands. The instructor showed us how to stretch and warm up before starting the exercise. Because indoor rock climbing is both an aerobic activity and a muscular exercise, stretching is essential. If you don’t do some stretching, you are bound to have more intense muscle pain afterwards. After that, the CBT reporters put on special climbing shoes which were extremely tight, and felt like foot-binding. However, the instructor assured us that it was normal. The reason why the shoes have to be tight is to protect the ankles from bending and thus increasing grip on the rocks. In other words, to prevent hazards, the shoes are fitted very tightly.
  After the CBT reporters were fully ready, the lesson started. It was made up of 2 hours and the curriculum included receiving guidance for an hour and after that, people were able to mount the climbing wall by themselves based on what was learned. First, the CBT reporters heard what indoor rock climbing was. The teacher said the reason why the sport was created was to practice preventing danger and building physical strength before going outdoors for the real thing. Also, indoor rock climbing is an exercise that helps people develop their forearm muscles that they usually don’t use, and it can help them lose weight. Then, the CBT reporters learned about the pose and method of climbing. The pose of rock climbing is bending the legs, forming a ‘ㄱ’ shape, and stretching the arms out. This is the basic posture, named ‘Creating Three Points.’ Also, there are ‘holds’, embedded randomly and unevenly in the structure. The holds are divided into two categories; handgrips and foot supports. The handgrips are bigger than the footholds. The footholds are smaller when climbing outdoors, one should often step on stones that are smaller than the size of the footholds found on the climbing wall. The point is that when you grip a handhold it’s very important to have a secure grip with your fingers. Also, when you stand on the foothold, it’s essential to balance well with your big toe. When you move hold to hold, you should keep your feet straight at a 45˚ angle. The secret of good balance is making sure the foot is straight and at a 45˚ angle. 
  Now, the CBT reporters had time to climb the artificial rock walls under the teacher’s direction. There are three walls in the rock structure. The first one was a plane and the holds were small. The second one’s holds were bigger and had a little height. The last one was very steep with a slope of 95 degrees, which required the teacher’s assistance. As the CBT reporters moved hold to hold, by ourselves, the instructor pointed out where to go up, so the CBT reporters just held on to the holds before moving to the next one. At first, the CBT reporters moved across from one side to the other before learning to move up the wall. When moving upwards, it was important to make bigger strides and pull on the hold unlike moving sideways. When the CBT reporters grasped hold and moved to the side or upwards, it felt like the arm was being paralyzed and losing strength. The arms were hardened to stone. Also, the  instructor said that we should let go immediately if we felt like we were losing our grip. If you try to hang on, it would be more dangerous. There was a thick fluffy mat on the floor to break our fall and to prevent us from being hurt. Finally, the CBT reporters climbed a slightly difficult course, which had a slope. The instructor held us up with a support stick. However, there were slopes, so the CBT reporters often fell while climbing. After the first session, the CBT reporters spent an hour relaxing with the instructor. At this point, our bodies were aching all over, it felt like our toes were going to fall off, and our arms were trembling like crazy. 
  Next, the CBT reporters climbed the structure freely. Based on what the CBT reporter learned, and according to the individual’s ability, we climbed side to side, up and down. At this point, the instructor didn’t help us directly, so it was difficult to move and climb. Then, he started giving us guidance and showing us the direction, with the help of a laser pointer. As we were climbing more and more, our arms were hurting and we started to sweat profusely. It’s essential to have rest at regular intervals. There were various people in the climbing center including foreigners and middle-aged climbers. After climbing autonomously for an hour, the CBT reporters decided to call it a day.
  At first, it looked easy because the CBT reporters only ever saw indoor rock climbing on TV, but in reality it was extremely hard to hang on to the holds. After rock climbing, there was intramuscular pain for two days. However, what’s clear is that there are more advantages than disadvantages to the experience. First, it was a big plus to exercise indoors, not outdoors. Also, there are an abundance of indoor rock climbing centers in almost every city. In other words, climbing centers are surprisingly accessible. If you get tired of regular exercise, like running or walking, the CBT reporters recommend doing indoor rock climbing. The instructor said that people can gain confidence by climbing. As you grip the holds one by one and endure, you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. As you push yourself to hang on to the hold a little longer, you advance toward the goal without falling. You will feel an extreme sense of accomplishment by the process of stepping on the holds and making it all the way to the top before coming down. While climbing, the CBT reporters thought that climbing is the same as life, because there were ups and downs in the process of climbing. The CBT reporters strongly recommend climbing for those who can’t travel, spend all their time at home and feel lethargic and easily depressed. If you don’t have a variety of outdoor experiences, why don’t you try indoor rock climbing? Climbing gives you the thrill of having a healthy body and mind.

By Hong Soo-min l sm41@cbnu.ac.kr
By Park Ji-min l jm41@cbnu.ac.kr