How To Stay Safe When Rock Climbing Alone

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Rock climbing is one of the best ways to stay in shape, and it is also one of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors, as it will give you the opportunity to get outside and engage in a fun activity, all while being surrounded by nature - but one problem with rock climbing (especially as a workout) is that you should really go with someone else anytime you go, in order to keep rock climbing a safe (or, at least, a somewhat safe!) activity. This is a problem for some people, as they either do not know any friends of theirs who enjoy rock climbing, or as the time they have available for rock climbing does not matchup with the time others they know have for rock climbing; if you are wanting to go rock climbing alone, but are wanting to make sure you are also able to remain safe while doing so, here are a few things for you to keep in mind - as these things will make your chances of serious injury far smaller than they otherwise would be!

When rock climbing alone, the first thing you should do is stick to easier routes, with a crash pad always beneath you, and with walls of heights no greater than ten or fifteen feet; of course, you could still fall from an easier route, but when you have a crash pad beneath you and are falling no more than ten or fifteen feet, you will be in a much better position to remain safe - even through a fall.

Even if you are sticking to easier routes that do not go up all that high, you should still be extremely cautious with your handholds and footholds, making sure each one you use is stable and good for use - lest you grab a loose rock and take a tumble - and in addition to being cautious, you should make sure you have your cell phone (and cell service!) before you start climbing, just in case something happens.

And when you are climbing alone, you should also consider traversing (going side-to-side across the bottom of a wall, rather than going up); this will often be just as fun as climbing up, and it will give you an even better workout, all without putting your body in any danger at all!