The Knight's Scroll

Rock Climbing

by Hannah Sarnak


Hi everyone! Recently my family and I have been getting into indoor rock climbing. There are many places in this area to go rock climbing. I climb at The Gravity Vault in Brick, but there is also ClimbZone in Howell, which is also a really cool place to climb at. Check them out!


ClimbZone

There are a ton of things to do at the ClimbZone. In the ClimbZone not only is there rock climbing walls, but an arcade, an indoor playground, and a ropes course. The walls are a little harder to climb there because of how the walls are made. Still, it is very fun.


The Gravity Vault

The Gravity Vault is the gym that I normally climb at. The problem with this climbing gym is that you need to pay extra for someone to belay you. This meaning someone is there to manage manage rope slack/tension. But, ages 14 and above can get lessons to earn belay licenses. If you do not have a belay license, it is more difficult to climb a lot of walls here. I would recommend taking belay classes so that you only need to pay for admission and not for an employee for The Gravity Vault to belay you.


What comes free with admission is the bouldering walls in the back. A bouldering wall is basically a series of 10 feet tall free climb walls. I have to warn you though, it is very difficult.


The Difference between Them

The difference between the ClimbZone’s walls and The Gravity Vault’s is that the ClimbZone has plastic walls that don’t have much grip and self-belay lines. Meanwhile, The Gravity Vault has belay lines that need someone at the bottom belaying you and polyurethane holds that are more traditional and grippy. At the Climb Zone is it way easier to get a lot of climbs in because it is much easier to hook in than at The Gravity Vault. At The Gravity Vault, it is a series of knots and pulling to help get the climber safely to the top while at The Gravity Vault, it is a self-belay line which means once you start climbing and making your way to the top, it takes all the slack out so that you don’t free fall when you come down. But if you do slip, you do have to start all over again whereas at The Gravity Vault, you can take breaks because someone is at the bottom holding you up there.


Benefits and Tips

  1. Rock climbing is very beneficial for your health. Climbing for an hour works your core, legs, arms, and it gets your heart rate up. And you definitely feel it the next day.

  2. Most people think that climbing is all in your arms, but it’s not! It’s in your legs. If you climb relying on your arms, you will get tired very quickly. Remember to push with your legs and reach with your arms.

  3. It might be scary to climb up so high, but remember you don’t need to keep both arms and both legs on the wall at the same time. Most of the time I only have one arm and one leg on.