Blue Mountains, Australia

As a rock climber, you will need strong fingers, strong arms and strong legs as well as the right equipment. Often when rock climbing, the cracks are too small to get your toes into and the only way keep moving upwards is to sink your fingertips into the cracks, use opposing pressure and force yourself up. Strength does not always equal success. The key is balance. You need a plan and even need to know how to rest and regroup, so you can keep going.

Climbers often scrape their skin and bleed for the love of their sport, but how about a more serious fall? Without the right equipment and right mindset, many more climbers would die each year. There is even a correct way to fall; how are you going to let go? Knowing how you are going to fall is critical in not getting hurt. There are times, however, when even a slight break in concentration and effort result in instant falling. In the Blue Mountains of Australia, even these experienced rock climbers take “the fall” and owe their lives to the right equipment and a quick climbing partner