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Every country has its share of climbing areas. There's sunny limestone in the South of France and above the beaches of Thailand; remote big- wall sites (some of the largest rock faces in the world) in Arctic Canada, in Patagonia and in Pakistan; superb coastal granite in British Columbia; and bold gritstone in England. For the international community of rock-climbing fanatics who live to travel and scramble in the grandeur of the outdoors, rock climbing can easily become addictive: Every session fuels a thirst for pushing personal limits and for the next, more challeng- ing destination. If you want to stay within the borders of the continental US, California, Colorado and Utah are the states most blessed with rock. Yosemite National Park in California, the birthplace of modern free climbing (moving up a rock using only your hands, feet and natural holds), is world-renowned among big- wall climbers. Joshua Tree National Park, also in California, has over 5,000 recorded rock climbs, and thousands of climbable boulders. Salt Lake City is a good base for climbers as exceptional rock abounds in Utah. Moab, in the southeast, is considered the gate- way to the mystical climbing of the Canyonlands, although you will have to compete for space in campsites and around the park with scores of mountain bikers, there to ride the area's singletrack. "Climbing" is a broad term for a gymnastic pursuit that takes many forms. You can climb in the winter or in the summer, in desert or alpine mountains. Some climbers go for enormous, 3,000- foot, vertical walls of intricate, bullet-hard rock. Big-wall climbers often take days' or weeks' worth of provisions tightly bundled in massive haul-bags (commonly called "pigs," because they are frustratingly awkward to haul up a rock face). These rock climbers weave devious lines up monstrous cliffs such as Yosemite's EI Capitan or Patagonia's Fitzroy. They usually ascend slowly and methodically, hauling lots of ironmongery (bolts) to place as protection along the way. Sport climbers prefer to travel light, carrying only ropes, shoes, harnesses and quickdraws (two carabiners sewn at each end of a sling for attaching to fixed protection). They frequent short, steep cliffs known as crags, and rely on permanently fixed bolts for protecĀ· tion. Sport climbing does not offer the same challenges as big-wall climbing. Instead, the focus is on physical prowess, the feeling of pure movement over stone-puzzle solving. Whether on Mt Arapiles in Australia or at Buoux in southern France, this type of climbing lends itself to a "red point ascent" -to lead a route from the bottom to top while placing your protection, without falling or hanging on the rope. Bouldering is an entirely different discipline, demanding fine-tuned fitness and exceptional technique. There are no ropes involved. If you fall, you fall. In attempting a bouldering problem, the climber ascends only a few feet off the ground, and climbs sometimes for just seconds at a time. It is one of the purest, most intense forms of climbing-and also the least gear intensive (and therefore least costly) . All you need is a chalk bag, shoes and a conscientious spot- ter. Hueco Tanks, Texas, is where bouldering culture began in North America, but Bishop, California, has since taken over as the boulder- ing destination of choice on the continent. Rock climbing guides are abundant in most major climbing areas, typically offering instruction and a helping hand to the top, but not accommodations, transporta- tion or food. Usually a visit to the nearest climbing shop or gym will unveil some local expertise. Whether you want to' go bouldering or sport climbing, to take on multipitch routes or a big wall, you need to be in good shape, which can take from a few weeks of steady physical conditioning (assuming you're already regularly active and fit), to a few years depending on the level of climbing you are envisioning. It helps to be flexible and to have a high degree of cardiovascular fitness. The only real way to achieve good rockĀ·c1imbing form, however, is to do a lot of climbing. You will find rock climbs of varying difficulties at most climb- ing destinations. What you need to decide is what country you want to climb in, what kind of cultural experience you're interested in, and what type of rock you're after-whether it's limestone, granite or sandstone. Some areas are well known for their high concentration of moderate climbs, like New York's Shawangunks, others, like Arizona's Clark Mountain, for their powerful collection of test-pieces. Most climbing areas have camping options, and if you're lucky, friendly local climbers will invite you to their homes for a show- er, a meal and a warm place to crash for the night. Rock climbing is about movement and flowing with the ter- rain. Always mentally demanding, it is about spending time in the out- doors, challenging yourself and experiencing the unique exhilaration of exposure that only climbing can offer.-Richard Wheater

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