YELLOW=SUE; PINK=KATHY; GREEN = ME BLUE =ALL

Transcription

1 YELLOW=SUE; PINK=KATHY; GREEN = ME BLUE =ALL A. The semester is in full swing-- 1. You have papers to write, tests to study for, and of course, speeches to prepare. 2. Add in work, family obligations and day-to-day chores like laundry and paying bills, and you may simply feel like climbing a wall! Well, we are here today to advocate you doing just that. B. Students and staff at UW-Whitewater often complain that there is nothing for students to do in Whitewater but study and drink. 1. However, Whitewater is home to one of only 10 indoor climbing gyms in the state (Judy Denke, Winter Weather has local and regional sports enthusiasts Climbing the Walls, Wisconsin Trails Magazine, January, 2005). 2. Thus, each of you has a very unique opportunity to try a challenging and entertaining sport right in your own backyard!

2 C. Sue has been climbing (both indoor and outdoor) since she was in college 2. You feel FABULOUS when you slap that carabineer at the top of a climb! D. In order to help you gain a full appreciation of how much fun it can be to and tell you a little about our experiences climbing. TRANSION TO FIRST MAIN POINT: Rock climbing in some form has been going on for as long as there have been explorers and pioneers. Lewis and Clark were climbers as were Armudson and Scott, the first explorers to Antarctica. Body A. History -- Rock climbing as a recognized sport dates back to the late 19th century (Dandermeen, America to the X-treme: A condensed history of sport, 2001). 1. Started off as part of mountaineering

3 2. In late 1900 s college students in Germany and Great Britain began climbing as sport. States. 3. By the 1920's, rock climbing started gaining a foothold in the United a. Combination of equipment for safety and skill for climbing 4. ONLY Officially declared as an international sport since (United International Athletic Association s website, last updated, August, 2007). a.international competition cumulates in the World events held every fall. 1. Competitive categories include: speed, difficulty, indoor, outdoor, and bouldering, and with athletes competing at levels for adults, youth, and climbers with disabilities. TRANSITION TO 2 nd MAIN POINT: The basic process The other part of the sport highly specialized equipment to catch you when you fall.

4 B. The process of rock climbing requires safety equipment for both the climber and their belayer, because with the proper equipment the safety of the climb is insured 1. Equipment a. Climbing shoes b. A harness and carabineers for attaching the harness to the rope c. Gloves or hand chalk (for serious or outdoor climbing) d. A belay device and a rappelling device e. A rope g. A helmet (for outdoor climbing) 2. Safety Despite the obvious concern about injuries, climbing instructor, Lynn Richardson, reports that climbing is safer than driving a car. ( Wall Crawlers by Victoria Clayton in American Fitness, Sept/Oct. 1993). Internal TRANSITION:...for a safe and successful climb.

5 C. There are 5 specific steps to climbing: (Sara Gibbs, certified climber and employee at Wall Crawlers Climbing Gym in Whitewater, September 21, 2007), a. Step 1: Tie Into the Ropes 1. Climber 2. Belayer 3. Safety checks b. Step 2: Readiness Commands 1. On Belay? 2. Belay on. 3. Climbing? 4. Climb on. c. Step 3: Climbing and Belaying When climbing, your job is easy, climb. 1. Climbing a. use legs b. arms and hands c. on difficult

6 to stick to the rock. Internal TRANSITION: Impossible cracks WILL hold your weight, you CAN pull yourself up by your fingers, and you ARE going to make it to the top. Trust in your belayer and you will succeed! 2. Belaying a climber a. hold their life in your hands b. job is to pull slack and keep rope taunt c. using the brake hand in case of a fall i. doesn t take much strength to hold a fall ii. hold rope with brake hand AT ALL TIMES! iii. remember to pull the slack and hold with your break hand to keep the climber safe as they ascend. d. Step 4: Kiss the Beaner e. Step 5: Rappelling Down

7 1. Falling? 2. Fall on. a. keep your legs in an L shape b. push off from the wall/rock face and bounds to the ground. c. belayer controls descent speed, This part is fun! TRANSITION TO MAIN POINT 3#: Probably the easiest and safest build your strength and skills, and meet other climbers. C. Wall Crawlers Climbing Gym 1. Used to be the old Towne Theatre building a. Townies know is with single screen, sticky floors and distinctive tear b. Now a climbing gym can make new memories that have nothing to do with fattening buttered popcorn and JuniorMints

8 1. climbing is physically demanding-- a 140-lb. man can burn 700 calories for each hour of climbing, (Article by Mike Carlson entitled, Rocks Without Ropes. June 2002 issue of Men s Fitness) ,000 square feet of textured climbing surfaces~s. Wis.'s largest indoor rock climbing experience. c. bouldering room with 1,500 square feet of hard training area 1. Bouldering 3. Operation details a. Hours b. Prices c. Location TRANSITION TO MAIN POINT #4: As you can see, Wall Crawlers offers a variety of affordable options. All include training to assure that when you go, all of you will have as SAFE and as FUN of an experience as we did. D. Our Experiences really gave us new insights into the sport of rock climbing

9 Conclusion 1. Jeanine 2. Kathy 3. Sue Let s take a look at what we ve shared with you today: A. Climbing has a fascinating history, the process of climbing is simple but requires attention to proper equipment and safety commands, Wall Crawlers is a great place to try climbing right here in Whitewater, and our experiences attest to how fun it can be. B. So the next time that work, family obligations, and day to day chores make you feel like climbing the walls, visit Wall Crawlers and //CLIMB ON!

10 Work Cited Carlson, M. (2002, June). Climb on! Men s Fitness,6, Carnahan, A. (2006, July). Rocks without ropes. Parks and Recreation Magazine, 41, Clayton, V. (1993, September/October). American Fitness, 11, Denke, J. (2005, January). Winter Weather has local and regional sports enthusiasts Climbing the Walls. Wisconsin Trails Magazine. sport. Dandermeen, J.M. (2001) America to the X-treme: A condensed history of New York: Maybury.

11 Gibbs, S. (9/21/2007), certified trainer and employee of Wall Crawlers, personal interview. Hertz, J. (9/27/2007) President UWW Hobbit Outdoor Club, personal interview. United International Athletic Association s website, (last updated, August, 2007), Retrieved September 25, 2007 from http//