Climbing’s standing as a niche sport has always been a part of its appeal.
A rock wall can be a place of solitude or of camaraderie with a small group of fellow climbers. There are no crowds, just the peacefulness of the outdoors and the task of trying to find the best route to the top, AP reports.
The climbing world could be in for a change after the Tokyo Olympics.
Climbing is an Olympic sport for the first time, and the spotlight will introduce a massive audience to what can be a lonely pursuit.
“For the most part, people were psyched,” American Olympic climber Nathaniel Coleman said. “They knew the sport would get more attention, a lot more inflow of money and kind of be recognized as the high-quality sport that it is.”
The inaugural Olympic climbing competition will include three disciplines: lead, bouldering and speed.
Lead is similar to what climbers encounter when scaling rock faces outdoors. Climbers have six minutes to climb a wall of about 15 meters with a variety of holds. Whoever climbs highest wins. Ties are broken by time.
