If you find yourselves in the area of Meteora to admire the rock formations, you can probably notice certain figures climbing slowly to the top. You should not think they are "crazy"! They are just people loving to climb, seemingly defying the law of gravity.

They are practicing the sport called "rock climbing", an exciting outdoor activity, which lately is getting very popular, as it offers great excitement, it can be practiced almost everywhere rocks exist and it does not demand very expensive equipment or expensive training.

What is it?
In rock climbing, the athlete climbs the face of the rock, using knowledge, experience and physical strength. The climber uses the surface structures (recesses, projections, cracks etc.) to support his weight by stepping on them or holding them. The sport is demanding in self-concentration, co-ordination, flexibility, good physical condition, patience, clear mind, but, also, dare and imagination, skills that can be developed with practice and exercise.

Rock climbing brings the athlete to close contact with nature, exercises and strengthens the body and the mind, improves the physical fitness and mental strength, and offers great moments of excitement and tremendous feeling of success when the target peak is reached. However, it is a demanding sport, requiring prolonged effort and endurance. The climbing may last in excess of one hour.

How is it done?
Climbing is performed by two climbers, attached to each other with a length of rope (usually 60-80m). One of the climbers, the leader, climbs the rock, while the second one stays at a fixed point, taking care for the leader's safety and protecting the leader in case of emergency, by holding and braking the rope. The roles are interchanged during the climb.

The equipment is used exclusively for the athlete's safety, not for direct climbing to the top.

Top-rope technique
There are various techniques in rock climbing. For example in top-rope technique, the rope is fed through an anchor fixed on the top of the rock. One end of the rope is attached to the harness of the climber, while the other end is held by the second climber, who stays at the bottom, at the rock's base, controlling the climb. The person staying at the base of the rock is the "belayer". The belayer's task is to watch over the climber, holding the rope and taking up the slack. In the case of a fall, the belayer brakes the rope, aided by a belay device.