Based on brute strength and the fear factor, few sports come close to rock climbing. Not only that, hauling yourself up a sheer rock face also takes an enormous amount of energy - a 65kg man can burn up to 700 calories an hour. This, as well as the importance of having a high strength-to-weight ratio, means those serious climbers are as lean as they come.
If you're tired of the gym and yearn for a workout requiring agility, co-ordination and incredible amounts of strength, then rock climbing may be for you. According to Stuart Millis, a Hong Kong climbing instructor with over 10 years' experience worldwide, your best bet is to start at an indoor climbing wall because it's a safe and structured environment to learn in. Each wall has a series of jugs (big holds like jug handles), edges (small hold ledges), pockets (a cavity in the wall used as a hold), and buckets (a large handhold) that are multi-coloured for different routes. You can choose to follow the course or you can do a rainbow climb, using any foot or handhold you can to get to the top.
The equipment you need is minimal: climbing shoes, a harness and a chalk bag. The shoes have a rubbery surface that fit like slippers. Some people go barefoot or use running shoes, but the soles of climbing shoes really help to grip the walls and offer a definite advantage. Using a harness, you're roped into a belayer or partner waiting below. And the chalk helps prevent sweaty hands from slipping.
Each route, both indoor and outdoor, is given a rating that reflects how strenuous the climb is, the length, amount of protection, type of rock, exposure and fear factor. Hong Kong uses the French Sport Climbing Grade. The rating begins at an F4a, followed by the letters b and c, after which the rating moves up to an F5a, b or c, etc, continuing to an F9c, considered the most difficult of climbs.
Beginners tend to use only their hands and not the more powerful leg muscles, and can end up with sore fingers and tendons. According to Nancy Pritchard, author of I Hate to Train; Performance Guide for Climbers, tendonitis in the fingers, elbows and shoulders are the more common injuries of beginner climbers. As a newcomer, getting stuck or trying to figure out the next move is common. The belayer below can help by pointing out what hand to place where, and what the next foot move should be. Finally, if you do fall, it's not fatal because of your partner or belayer. It just means that you may be left dangling for a few minutes.