This change in seasons also coincides with “summer break”—which those of us with full-time jobs remember fondly. For much of the youth, summer break is a chance to play, explore, relax, and have more time to pursue leisure activities. It is an opportunity to put the books down and take a breather.

Rock Climbing Has Become a Choice Activity for Young Adults

Once considered a fringe sport, rock climbing has become a popular American pastime over the last decade. Professional climbers like Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell have become household names, and climbing has even become officially recognized as an Olympic sport. 

More and more gyms are opening in cities across the country, making the activity more accessible than ever to young urban climbers. Naturally, this has led to more climbers transitioning from gyms to dabbling in outdoor climbing.  

Why Rock Climbing is One of the Best Summer Activities

One of the top reasons that rock climbing is one of the best summer activities for teens as well as  college students is that it’s fun, plain and simple. Regardless of your fitness level or climbing experience, climbing is an activity that is suitable for everyone. It can be a very personal sport where you set individual benchmarks and goals; and at the same time, the climbing community is a supportive collective of folks that will help build the stoke, cheer your progress, and celebrate your sends.

Climbing builds total body strength and over time, climbers refine technical skills to supplement their strength. While most climbers start by learning the basics in the gym, where they can easily climb year-round, summertime is the prime time for outdoor climbers seeking dry rock on the East Coast. 

What Vertical Rock Climbing Has to Offer Young Climbers

Rock climbing gyms can provide the perfect environment for young climbers to learn the skills needed to climb safely and competently both indoors and outside on real rock. For locals in the Manassas, Virginia area, Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness offers both bouldering and roped climbing and boasts the only walls over 50 feet tall in a 30-mile radius, along with a 125-foot arch!

Rock Climbing Events for High School and College Students

Focused on building community and bringing local climbers together, Vertical Rock hosts regular youth climbing events, including parties, summer BBQs, and climbing meetups both inside and outside the gym. Beginner and intermediate introduction to rock climbing classes, fitness classes geared towards building strength, balance, and flexibility—like yoga classes, Pilates, and even slacklining—and thoughtful route setting offer an excellent environment for new and seasoned climbers to learn, train, and grow.

College and high school students are encouraged to attend regular meetups. Plan college summer climbing events with your peers with the goal of attending one of Vertical Rock’s outdoor climbing meetups and transitioning from the gym to the crag. High school students can look forward to our Monday and Friday 3 p.m. meetups, while college students can attend a Monday 6 p.m. meetup. No experience is necessary.

Interested in seeing what Vertical Rock has to offer and want to learn more about our rock climbing events? Visit our website or drop by one of our two locations and take a tour of our facilities. Our knowledgeable staff will be available to answer any questions that you may have.

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If you are local to the Northern Virginia/DC area, you may want to consider joining Vertical Rock and Fitness for not only the fitness classes provided at the gym but the other amenities as well. Bundling activities under the same roof turns the gym into a one-stop shop.

Why Sign Up for Adult Fitness Classes at Vertical Rock?

Vertical Rock is equipped with a full fitness center and provides fitness classes instructed by qualified professionals. The bonus is that you will have full access to not only these classes and the free weights and machines but also the rock climbing walls. 

The gym has two locations in Northern Virginia—Manassas and Tysons Corner—and membership bundles provide access to both the bouldering-specific gym and our more prominent roped climbing location. With all the perks and convenience, you will also be paying less.

A Dedicated Fitness Center Wrapped in a Rock Gym

Vertical Rock offers a host of fitness classes in a dedicated space within our gym. Why? Because fitness is essential. These classes are targeted to help members and attendees promote their own wellness.

Our expert instructors focus on things like flexibility and building strength, as well as increasing endurance and overall stamina. Are you interested in yoga? This gym has got you covered. We offer yoga classes suitable for folks of all experience levels. Are you a Pilates lover? We have that, too, so come sculpt core tension, build flexibility, and see what our instructors have to offer.

Are You Interested in Trying Slacklining?

Aside from rock climbing, Vertical Rock also offers something that regular gyms usually do not: slacklining instruction and an area to practice this skill with a proper set up and supervision.

Slacklining is an exciting pastime. But did you know that there are a host of fitness benefits? From injury prevention to building balance, core and quadricep strength to joint stability, believe it or not, slacklining can make you a stronger athlete. It can also help people develop more focus and attention and even be meditative! Do you want to learn more about the fitness classes offered through Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness? Visit our website to learn more, or drop by one of our gym locations to see what we are all about.

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Summer camps encourage more variety in your child’s activities than poolside get-togethers and video game binging sessions. They’re a great way to learn and promote new activities and allow your children to make new friends, have new experiences, and encourage old and new hobbies.

Northern Virginia Summer Camps

From traditional overnight summer camps with lake activities and the stereotypical camp counselors you see in movies to sports-oriented camps and art camps, there’s a summer camp for every niche interest.

If you want to introduce a new activity to your children this summer, consider a summer camp for rock climbing. Just like Taekwondo, rock climbing is an Olympic sport—and similarly, regardless of whether they go on to compete competitively or adopt a new recreational pastime, it’s a great way to achieve physical activity while providing an exciting boost of confidence for children.                                      

Why Summer Climbing Camps Are Popular Right Now

It seems like everyone and their brother has caught the climbing bug these days. Maybe because the only thing climbing is a gateway drug for is more climbing. The fact is that climbing is fun. If you want to get your son or daughter fired up about getting off the couch this summer, climbing might be the answer.

Rock climbing is a total-body activity. Most people assume that climbing only requires upper body strength, and while having good upper body strength does not hurt, well-rounded climbers and the pros know that climbing is 90% legs and core. Another great quality of the sport is that while it can be competitive if you decide you want to enter the climbing comp world, it can also be an individual sport.

Why Learning from Experienced Climbers is a Good Move for Younger and Beginner Climbers

Learning from experienced climbers will build good (aka safe) foundations. An expert climber will teach your children to be safe on and off the wall. They can also help them develop proper technique (like keeping their hips pulled into the wall to maximize success and techniques like heel hooking and locking off). 

They may also talk about how to evaluate risk and other safe practices. Having a mentor as a burgeoning climber can be invaluable. Learning about the ethics, gear, and everything else climbing-related (including the terminology—its own foreign language in and of itself) is highly beneficial. 

Vertical Rock Climbing in Manassas and Tysons Corner, Virginia

Are you interested in signing your children up for a summer climbing camp experience? Climbing can build self-confidence, physical fitness, and a positive community for impressionable youth. Vertical Rock Climbing is offering a summer climbing camp for kids at our Manassas and Tysons locations.

We understand that for parents, running children to and from summer camp can be exhausting. Basecamp Coffee Roasters is located downstairs at our Tysons corner location – stay and enjoy a coffee break while your kids are climbing at camp! Contact us today for more information on our summer climbing camps or drop by the gym to speak with our knowledgeable staff.  

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If you or your kids are interested in climbing, you have probably been to an indoor gym or two, especially if you live in a metropolitan area. Maybe your kids are just starting to learn rock climbing basics or have been hitting the gym for a while. Regardless of experience level, youth climbing teams are an excellent way for children to get involved with their local climbing community and build on their skills. 

Here are three reasons why your child should consider joining a climbing team.

1. Competitive Climbing Teams Encourage Growth in Skill

The competitive climbing environment is a different experience for each child, but generally, this is a climbing environment that fosters growth on and off the wall. Kids who join youth climbing teams have access to professional-level coaching. Proper mentorship is invaluable, especially if the goal is to make it to the Olympics for climbing.

Supportive coaches and teammates foster a sense of healthy competition. It can be an incredible experience having the opportunity to advance climbing techniques alongside peers and work together to crack the beta. Joining competitive climbing teams can be a motivating factor for kids to excel at the sport.

2. Youth Climbers Who Stick with the Sport Are Strong Climbers

Children are the future of climbing. Climbers who start young and dedicate themselves to the sport tend to become solid climbers as adults. You may have heard of professional climbers like Tommy Caldwell, Chris Sharma, Margo Hayes, Ashima Shiraishi, and Kai Lightner. Hayes was the first woman to climb 5.15, repeating Biography (Sharma’s first ascent), and Shiraishi became the first female to send the grade of V15 at just 14 years old (Horizon in Japan).

All of the aforementioned climbers are accomplished, world-renowned climbers who have pushed the limits of the sport and started climbing at young ages. Much evidence supports that climbers who start climbing in their youth and stick with it excel in the sport (this is true of many sports).

3. The Climbing Community

The climbing community is a positive environment. Go into any climbing gym, and you will feel community. The social and psychological benefits of belonging to a community that promotes healthy habits cannot be overstated.

Climbing is usually a communal activity. Roped climbers rely on their belay partners to keep them safe, and conversely, boulderers are typically more comfortable with spotters than climbing solo over their crash pads. You will often see boulderers in the gym working on problems together, sharing beta, and building relationships with people through common interests. From a personal perspective, the level of support and camaraderie that this writer has found within the climbing community is unparalleled.

In and around the Tysons Corner and Manassas area, climbers are fortunate to have Vertical Rock as their go-to destination for both bouldering and roped climbing training facilities. Offering a unique blend of challenges, Vertical Rock stands as the sole gym in the vicinity providing comprehensive resources for both types of climbing. 

Notably, nestled in the heart of Tysons Corner, Vertical Rock boasts a high-level advanced bouldering-only training facility, catering to the most dedicated athletes. With a rich legacy spanning 12 years, Vertical Rock has been instrumental in nurturing and honing the skills of competitive climbers, setting a standard of excellence within the climbing community. Are you local to Northern Virginia and the greater Tysons Corner/ Manassas area and are looking to get your kids involved in competitive youth climbing? Contact us or drop by one of our gyms. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can give you the lay of the land, tell you more about our coaches, and answer any questions you may have about competitive youth climbing.

The post 3 Reasons to Join a Competitive Youth Climbing Team appeared first on Vertical Rock Climbing & Fitness Center.

Some climbing facilities offer members and guests the use of auto belay equipment maintained by the gym. Auto belay setups allow solo gym climbers or the odd-person-out to wall climb safely without a human belay. They are also a great stamina building tool; if you drop off the wall, you will lower in a controlled manner down to the ground (meaning that you have lost all the progress made up the wall). This can be especially painful when you take that heartbreak whip on the last moves to the anchor.

How Does an Auto Belay System Work?

You will first notice a fixed line running up the wall and inside some type of casing. This involves the installation of a piece of equipment fixed to the top of the climbing wall. It is usually positioned over several climbing routes to give the climber options.

A housing box at the top of the wall is where the rope or teether retracts back into as you are climbing, and the line will coil into this device. When a climber drops from the wall, this equipment controls the lower and keeps things at a safe pace.

The Benefits of Climbing at a Gym with Auto Belay Options

No partner, no problem. The main benefit of an auto belay is that you can climb solo without a partner. Whether you are climbing in an odd-numbered group with your friends, cannot find a belay partner for your session, or prefer solo gym training sessions, an auto belay allows you to scale the wall unassisted. It can also be a great option for parents to take turns belaying their child on the wall and still get a decent climbing in themselves.

The gym staff can provide a quick tutorial about the safety and use of the equipment and will cover proper protocol before you start. They will orient you to the carabiner, where to clip, and advise that you double check that you have correctly clipped into the system before climbing (you should do this every time, not just the first). The nice thing is that they are easy to use and require little safety training.

How Easy Is an Auto Belay?

Depending on the climbing gym, the fixed line that you ascend will be tethered to an anchor fixed to the wall or floor. You will perform the same safety checks that you do with your personal or gym climbing harness (gym employees can go over this with you if this is your first time) and make sure that things are doubled back and redundant. 

Once you perform your harness safety checks, you will want to unclip the line from where it is fixed (what type of locking carabiner used will depend on the gym). Be careful not to let go of the line—if you do, it will ascend to the top, and someone will need to retrieve it. Fasten the carabiner to your belay loop. Before you climb, confirm that the carabiner is secured through your belay loop and locked properly.

Interested in Auto Belay?

Gyms like Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness that offer auto belay setups for climbers keep a strict maintenance schedule on these machines. They are sent in for inspection regularly to ensure that the equipment is up to safety standards and passes checks. Local to the Greater DC area and Northern Virginia? Drop into Vertical Rock in Manassas offers wall climbing with auto belay routes for climbers. Are you interested in learning more? Drop by the gym to tour our facilities and see what we offer.

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So, what is the difference between a fitness center and a gym? The short answer is that fitness centers are more of a one-stop shop. From rock climbing to yoga to various targeted fitness classes to help you build strength and the equipment needed, full-service fitness centers provide everything you need to achieve your short-term and long-term goals.

Why Should Climbers Consider a Rock Climbing Fitness Center Over a Basic Rock Gym?

Choosing a rock climbing fitness center membership translates to more well-rounded training sessions. Most climbers know that climbing is about more than pulling up the wall and building upper body strength. Climbing is a total-body workout involving most of the muscle groups in the body. That is why it is such a great activity to help build fitness, whether you are training seriously for big wall objectives on real rock outdoors or just looking to build a gym rat routine and climb for fun with your friends and family in an indoor setting.

While a basic rock gym provides a space for folks to get experience on the wall and learn the basics of climbing movement and safety, a fitness center provides added amenities. When you do the math, you will save money by bundling your activities under one roof rather than maintaining more than one fitness membership. A membership to a yoga studio can cost over $100 a month and provide a single service. And if you are specifically looking for yoga for climbers, a place like Orange Theory may offer something different from what you want.

More Options, More Well-Rounded Workouts

Rock climbing fitness centers can offer various classes, from targeted core workouts to stretching for climbers through tailored yoga to strength conditioning through Pilates, and more. Some climbing fitness centers also offer unique classes—Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness even offers an introduction to slacklining!

You can achieve more for less with a full-service gym complete with a workout area and fitness equipment. Climbing Fitness centers like Vertical Rock Climbing in Tysons Corner, Virginia, provide climbers with the tools they need to ascend harder, including a kilter board, free weights, cardio equipment, and more. 

Targeted Workouts and Climbing Sessions Under the Same Roof

Another excellent feature of a climbing fitness facility is the auto-belay (Vertical Rock has 10 available for use!). Auto-belay set-ups are perfect for families and solo climbers alike. They allow you to climb safely on your own and can be a challenge since they lower you to the ground if you come off the climb. Parents can hook their kids up to an auto-belay (or vice versa) and give one another a catch on the wall. They are great for the odd-numbered climbing trios and solo climbers alike. 

Conversely, climbing with friends, family, and significant others can be a wonderful way to build communication between partners. While climbing goals can be a solo venture, they also heavily depend on the support we receive from our partners and the community. Climbing is often about working together and building trust. These are net positives for most relationships.

Climbing is a Great Activity for Everyone

Rock climbing is a fun activity for all ages. Children think climbing is fun, but so do adults of all ages. Wall climbing is a great activity for aging adults (bouldering can be hard on the body). Whether you and your spouse are looking for a way to get into shape during the winter months, you are looking for a great active date night idea, or trying to get your family more active, rock climbing fitness centers like Vertical Rock have much to offer.

Local to Northern Virginia and the Great Manassas and Tysons Corner area? Vertical Rock hosts regular Meet Up group events, provides instruction for youth teams, and facilitates outdoor instruction and outings when the weather permits. Stop into one of our facilities and learn more about what Vertical Rock offers.

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