Types of Rock Climbing Gyms
With thousands of rock climbing gyms located around the United States today, this exciting hobby is firmly planted in the National Sports scene. There are several types of rock climbing gyms that cater to various interests and skill levels.
There are different types of Rock Climbing Gyms, but in general, there is more overlap in the types than differences. It is rather difficult to pigeon-hole a particular gym into a specific type because of this overlap. A gym that is geared for the hard core climber might also accommodate beginners and recreational climbers. It also might have a community building social setting.
It is important to keep this overlap in mind when considering a choice of rock climbing facilities. Often time, it is the physical location or the ambience and customer service of the Gym that will end up being the deciding factor for the climber rather than the thrust of the particular type. With this in mind, we can really identify three different types of rock climbing gyms based on the major intention of the establishment.
The first type of rock climbing gym is the gym type. This is a place where physical exercise is the main attraction. The climbs are usually physically challenging here with an emphasis on the ability to adjust the level of difficulty to present increasing greater physical challenges. The exercise climbing gym seems more geared toward indoor climbing and takes this sport seriously. Although outdoor climbers might frequent this type of gym, especially in colder weather, there purpose is to maintain a high level of physical fitness.
The second type of rock climbing gym is geared to outdoor climbing. They usually are very strong on training classes. Some of them have outdoor programs that follow up on indoor classes. The layout of the walls and the décor of the gym itself seem to more closely represent an outdoor scene. In some cases, features of the gym are designed to represent famous outdoor climbing areas.
The third type is the social and recreational gym. This type of gym often has an associated facility like a coffee shop for socializing and meeting other climbers. They also seem to be more family orientated with climb areas for children. Instruction is available for beginners and fun seems to be the major purpose. So, you might say that there are three distinct types of rock climbing gyms, but the real truth is that the majority really have a bit of each type. The ideal gym offers something for everyone and most of the good gyms do exactly that.