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JANUARY 2014 -
SEXY GLAM
MAGAZINE -
7
Free Soloing
Rock climbing in itself is already a difficult sport. Imagine
removing all the safety ropes, harnesses and other equip-
ment that can aid you in case you slip up. That is what free
soloing is all about. They need to be able to support their
entire weight using just their fingertips and toe tips, while
maintaining intense concentration lest they fall off. One tiny
mistake and that’s it.
Wingsuit Flying
Imagine flying off a tall structure like a superhero. Wingsuit
flying entails jumping off a perch and gliding down to the
ground while wearing wings. These suits have an estimated
glide ratio of 2.5 meters for every meter of descent. Only
those with at least 200 skydives are allowed to try this sport.
It is that dangerous.
Ice Climbing
Those who live in areas where the winter is fierce can try out
ice climbing. It involves scaling formations of vertical ice, like
frozen waterfalls and cliffs covered with ice. The old method
used for the sport is step cutting, which entails chipping out
ice with an icepick to create your own foothold. The British
was able to invent in the early 20th century a device called
the cramp-on, which allowed the fastening of toothed claw
to the climbing boots. This has since been the basis of all
advancements made in the sport. Of course, the aim is to
speed up the climbing time and minimize the chance of get-
ting numb because of the cold.
Volcano Surfing
This sport entails climbing up a volcano, then surfing down
its side by sliding using plywood boards. The boards are
reinforced by steel, metal or Formica. You can do it while
sitting down, though veterans of the sport can do it upright.
It sounds easy enough, until you start hitting sharp volcano
rocks.