Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Rock Climbing


samurai swords
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls . The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route.

Rock climbing has fast become one of the most popular sports among adventure travelers. It is an exciting and thrilling activity that can be enjoyed by people of any skill level, making it accessible to virtually anyone.

Here are some of the most outstanding locations to go rock climbing, world-wide:

1. El Capitan is located in the Yosemite National Park. El Capitan is the largest exposed granite monolith in the world, and towers 7,569 feet above sea level. There are routes of varying degrees of difficulty, with the passage known as "the Nose" being one of the most challenging.

2. Located in New Zealand, the Wharepapa region is home to a number of excellent climbing destinations. Most of the climbs are on crags and cliff faces, with elevations reaching around 100 feet. What it lacks in sheer height, the Wharepapa area boasts many unusually shaped rocks, giving you a unique climbing experience at every location.  

3. Paarl Rock (also known as Pearl Mountain) is located in South Africa and comes in second to El Capitan as the next largest granite outcropping in the world. It's a very smooth and rounded rock, making climbing difficult for lack of handholds.   

4. Kalymnos is quite a tourist spot during the summer, due to the lovely Greek beaches but you'll find the area much quieter during the spring and fall.

5. The Skaha Bluffs are located in Penticton, British Columbia (Canada) and will provide you with more than 50 cliffs to choose from. Most heights are under 100 feet, but there are many great formations and routes available.