If you are interested in an extreme sport that requires intelligence, stamina, skill, bravery and strength, you should try indoor and outdoor rock climbing in South Africa. South Africa is a country of adventure. There are many extreme sports enthusiasts who enjoy a large range of adrenaline pumping sports indoors, underwater, atop mountains and on along raging rivers.
If you are looking to find a sport that you can work on perfecting, find a career in, travel the world doing or just enjoy on the weekends then rock climbing is for you. Luckily for South Africans, there are many different places throughout the country with exciting rock climbing areas. You can climb indoor mountain faces as many gyms and explore the art of rock climbing under the blazing African sun outdoors.
What are the benefits of rock climbing?
According to many rock climbing experts, there are three main benefits of rock climbing under which all other advantages fall. These three main benefits are: improved physical strength, improved mental resolve and dexterity and an improved social life. These benefits have many benefits within them and need further explanation.
- Improved physical strength
Aside from building arm and leg strength by pulling yourself up mountain faces, rock climbing (both indoor and outdoor) improves your core strength. There is a lot of balance required to stay on a little ledge while you pull yourself up to the next hold and this helps to tone and strengthen a range of core muscles. You will also improve your endurance and stamina. Rock climbing requires a lot of 
- Improved mental resolve and dexterity
Rock climbing is not simply a brute strength sport. It requires clear thinking, a clear head, a good decision making process and spatial awareness. Every time you climb you will be working out your mental capacities and making yourself that much more mentally dextrous. There are several other areas where it will help you mentally: you will have a sense of achievement every time you climb, you will experience stress relief and your self-confidence will grow in leaps and bounds.
- Improved social life
There is always a group of individuals who climb outdoor mountain faces together for safety. This gives you a feeling of belonging to a group and a spirit of camaraderie. In many cases this leads to the development of friendships and other interpersonal relationships.
Where can you do indoor rock climbing?
Most major gyms, for example Virgin Active, offer indoor climbing to their members. You will usually be briefed on safety, taught the basics on the ground, be strapped into a harness and then you will be able to begin climbing. There are many outdoor rock climbing companies who can take you to wonderful spots throughout the country. These companies include City Rock, Dirty Boots, Climb, SA Climb and many more.
Whichever form of rock climbing you choose to do, both indoor and outdoor rock climbing in South Africa is fun-filled, exciting, strengthening and just plain good for your soul. You will not find a more beautiful country to explore this sport in and you will definitely not be disappointed by the rock faces that South Africa has to offer.