Rock climbing is not only an incredibly exhilarating sport, it is also one of the best ways to see the world. While indoor centres are a great way to get an introduction to it, the real thrills of the sport are found outdoors. Whether it’s scaling a tricky boulder with no safety rope or some of the biggest cliff faces on the planet, climbing is all about you, the rock and the great outdoors. If you are a professional climber or simply looking for some inspiration the following 10 photos of people climbing are truly inspiring!
Cliffhanger
Free climbing is one of the most exhilarating and dangerous sports in the world and is all about keeping your concentration and nerve while utilising your upper body strength. This photo of Stefan Glowacz free climbing up Mount Arapiles in Australia is a perfect example of this. The incredible shot captured one of the best climbers in the world dangling one-handed from an overhang thousands of feet in the air.
Just Hanging Out
While climbing can often be both intense and punishing, it also provides the occasional opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy some of the best views in the world. This image captures one of those moments perfectly, as a lone climber dangles from a rope and takes in the breathtaking views of the Greek island of Kalymnos.
Sea Views Available
Chris Sharma is considered one of the best rock climbers on the planet and it’s easy to see why from this picture. The Californian born adventurer went to the Spanish island of Mallorca in order to climb the famous Es Pontas arch. This image shows the true dangers of this free-climb, with one error sending you crashing to the choppy waters below.
One Handed
It may be a fairly obvious statement, but the very best climbers need incredible upper body strength in order to be able to scale some of the toughest mountains in the world. This photo provides the perfect example of this, as a famous soloist Matt Bush shows both strength and bravery as he dangles one handed thousands of feet in the air.
Upside Down
Climbing isn’t all about going straight up. Some of the toughest climbs in the world have incredible overhangs that force the climber to become a real-life Spiderman and crawl across cliff ceilings in order to reach the top. This incredible photo shows just how tough this can be (not a bad view though!).
Frozen Waterfall
If plain old rock climbing seems a bit too tame for your liking, there is always the option to try your hand at ice climbing. This incredible extreme sport not only has all the thrills and dangers of normal climbing but they also have to contend with incredibly slippery surfaces and freezing temperatures. This stunning image of a climber scaling a frozen waterfall shows it at its stunning best.
Don’t Look Down
The phrase ‘don’t look down’ is probably the best piece of advice you could give anyone looking to get into the sport of free climbing. The very best free climbers in the world scale some incredible heights and, with no harness or rope to speak of, the last things they want to see is the valley floor thousands of feet below them! This photo of famous American climber, Alex Honnold, is the perfect example of why it’s always best to keep looking up.
Fingertips
This photo of Tommy Caldwell truly shows the grit and determination of the world’s best climbers. An accident in 2001 saw Tommy lose the top of his left index finger and, after being told he may never climb again, he managed to re-train himself to compensate for the missing digit and scale some of the world’s toughest climbs. This breathtaking photo shows him free climbing up Grand Ole Opry in Estes Park, Colorado.
Ice Climbing
If you’ve ever walked across a sheet of ice, you’ll understand how difficult it is to keep your balance. Now imagine trying to scale the side of a mountain in the same conditions! Ice climbing is one of the toughest sports in the world, with the climber having just two ice axes and a pair of crampons to try and dig into the cold and slippery cliff face.