"Gosh, according to my journal it's been three weeks since I've done a decent fartlek workout. Better hop to it."

I was thinking I’d just had a bad day on the wall. Then I opened my climbing journal to record my workout and discovered that my last workout, a week earlier, had been “a bad day.” Likewise, the workout before that, during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, had been “somewhat aimless.” Aimless and anti-productive, I discovered upon further review: Had it really been nearly two months since I’d done a 5.9 climb? My journal said it had.

Thanks to my journal, I was able to fully appreciate just how much of a wimp I’d become.

In today’s The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer I have a story on how to get started exercising (an expanded version of that piece will run here tomorrow, with links). I cover a lot of ground — from the importance of mixing up your workouts to working out with a buddy — but one thing I neglected to mention was the importance of keeping a workout journal.

“A journal will give you a great base/foundation for the goals you want to strive for on your fitness quest,” according to Elite Conditioning of Vista, Calif. “Writing down what exercises you’re going to do for the day or week will give you a solid game plan to follow. You can always adjust your workout journal when you see fit, but just having something written down will help you greatly.”
Adds Nick SantaBarbara of The Training Standard, “One of the most important, if not the most important, reason for a journal is the knowledge of whether or not you are over training or under training.”

A workout journal goes one better than a log. Typically, a log is a concise statistical account of your workout: how far you ran, how much weight you lifted, how many reps you did. For instance, on Sunday I ran at Umstead State Park; my log entry for the workout might read: “Umstead B&B, 7.1m, 1:00:53, 8:28.” Translated: I ran at Umstead State Park on the bike & bridle trail, I ran 7.1 miles in 1 hour and 53 seconds for a per-mile pace of 8:28. My journal entry would likely include the same information, but it would also include observations about the run, such as, “Took nearly a half mile to fall into pace,” “Got a sidestitch 30 minutes in but straightened posture and worked through it,” and “8:28!? What a cow!” That additional information reminds me that I’m not a fast starter, that I’m prone to pesky sidestitches but know how to work through them, and that I’m lousy with analogies because a motivated cow can move pretty darn fast.

Statistics in themselves are helpful. They help mark progress (or not) and they remind me of what I still need to do, especially if I’m training for a specific event. For instance, if I’m seven weeks in to a 12-week training program for a half marathon, the above entry might remind me that I need to up my next long distance day by at least a mile, preferably two. And if I’m aiming to run the aforementioned half marathon in an hour and forty-five minutes or less, the pace might tell me I need to up my track workouts to bring that pace closer to 8 minutes. All good information.

But it’s the observations that, for me, make the difference. Reviewing my climbing journal, I see not just that the difficulty of the routes I’ve been climbing has plateaued (basic log information), I pick up on a recent negative vibe. In the fall, I was bubbly over doing the seemingly impossible and upping my game week after week. Lately, the tone of my journal is that of a a listless slacker who gets spooked easily, worries more about falling and has, increasingly, been climbing alone. My journal leads me to two conclusions:

Make more of an effort to climb with my Meetup group. The comradery encourages a friendly, supportive competition that makes me push myself. Also, if I fall my belay partner will catch me a lot faster than the autobelay, which has an alarming delay before it seems to realize, “Oh, dude is falling. Better catch him.” The autobelay is also reluctant to praise a good effort.

I need to take a class. And it just so happens my neighborhood gym, the Triangle Rock Club, offers a class called “Fight Gravity” that’s “Recommended for the 5.8-5.9 climber who is stuck at a plateau ... .”

My journal hasn’t magically solved my problem, but it’s helped show me what I need to do to make going to the gym fun again. Thanks, journal.

Google around and you can find workout-specific journals with space to let you record stats and an area for workout reflections. They tend to be a little pricey. You can also buy a blank journal and create your own format, or you can do an online journal (yes, there are apps for that). It’s a matter of what works best for you.

Workout. Then write.

* * *

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Looking rather relaxed for someone who has just over four months to achieve eight of 10 goals.

While most of you are staring down Day 3 of your 2012 New Year’s resolutions, I find myself with less than five months to go on my annual birthday resolutions. Make that “first” annual birthday resolutions: When I turned 55 last May 11 I got to Googling and discovered that 55 is a somewhat pivital year for a male. Among other things, our muscles and organs begin to atrophy; we shrink, on average, 0.4 inches a year; we dehydrate more easily; our joints stiffen ... . Suffice it to say that on May 11 of last year I didn’t feel I could wait seven months to set some goals, so I set 10 immediately.  All with a theme of 55.

Here’s a status report:

1. Run 11 5Ks (11 x 5 = 55). So far, I’ve run three, all last summer. The good news is that 5Ks are a dime a dozen — or more accurately, at least one a weekend, so the opportunities are there. Plus, I’ve ramped up my running of late (prompted by a more immediate and daunting goal, the Uwharrie Mountain Run on Feb. 4) and feel ready to get back into a 5K rythym. I should fess up, though, that on New Year’s Day I blew off a prime 5K opportunity: the Run in the New Year Run, which was, literally, three blocks from my house. But it started at midnight and my wife laid odds, based on my New Year's Eve track record, that I wouldn’t make it past 10 (I didn’t). Still, I’m optimistic
2. Climb “The Mummy” at Linville Gorge, a 5.5-rated rock climb. This remains unchecked as well, though again, hope springs eternal. I’ve hooked up with the Triangle Rock Club’s Climbing Meetup, been climbing with them at the TRC and know that when it gets warmer, the group’s leadership (comprised of climbing instructors for the Boy Scouts) will be leadings us outdoors. Asterisk: The leadership being leaders and deciding things like where to go, I may have to substitute another climb of equal or greater difficulty.
3. Do a 55-mile backpacking trip. Bit of a conundrum here. Two weeks ago, Chris David and I did a 50-mile backpack trip on the North Carolina Bartram Trail and the Appalachian Trail. Chris, who’s been backpacking since the 1960s, said it was the hardest trip he’s done. Hence, the conundrum: Does the level of difficulty compensate for coming up five miles short? I’m inclined to say yes, especially if I can’t pull off a planned 60-mile backpack trip on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake.
4. Do a 55-mile canoe trip. Again, unchecked but confidence reigns. I’m in the midst of writing a book on adventure sports in the Carolinas, with paddling as a primary focus. The trip may take place in a kayak rather than a canoe, but the fun factor alone should assure that this happens.
5. Do 55 continuous push-ups. As I wrote last May: “I’ve been especially slack over the years on strength training; with my muscles atrophying staying strong becomes even more important.” Turns out, I've discovered, the “atrophying muscles” claim isn’t speculation. I’ve been doing pushups regularly, three to five times a week, in sets of three or four. On the last set, I do as many as I can pump out. In October, I got up to 38 on that last set and plateaued. I’ve recommitted on this one and hope to cross it from the list by the end of February.
6. 55: Total of my waist size (30) and BMI (25). Now, three days after the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s bacchanal, is not the time to be taking measure of one's waist and BMI. Again, check back the end of February.
7. Resting heart rate of 55. Just measured it: 48. (Confession: It was already 54 when I set the goal.)
8. 55-mile mountain bike race. That book I mentioned that I’m writing? Mountain biking is another focus area. I’m looking to accomplish this goal at the Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race in May. The race takes place in the Davidson River area near Brevard and ranges from 45 to 70 miles depending upon your orientation skills. That should assure I get in at least 55 miles.
9. 55 miles on my mountain bike on my birthday. This didn’t happen, I noted at the time, because I had to pick up the kids from school. So when I do it between now and this coming May 11, I’ll add an asterisk. Oh, and at least half of the total — 28 miles — needs to be on singletrack.
10. Umstead 100 endurance run. First timers such as myself are restricted to just ("just"?) 50 miles in the Umstead 100 endurance run, which is March 31. Alas, I missed the registration deadline and the race is full. In search of an alternative. Suggestions welcome.

Let's see, according to the 55 for 55 Goals Tote Board that makes me two for 10 with just over four months to go. Wish me luck with my goals, and best of luck with yours in 2012!

* * *

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Today: Climbing the walls

Climbing the walls? Isn’t that what we’re trying to avoid? Indeed, but sometimes the answer lies in the question, grasshopper. Enough naval gazing: the walls we’re talking about are climbing walls, as in the climbing walls you’ll find in a climbing gym. First, let’s dispell a myth: You have to be an uber athlete with 0.4 percent body fat to be a climber. As Joel Graybeal with the Triangle Rock Club in Morrisville puts it, “If you can climb a ladder, you can climb.” Can your kids climb a ladder? Good, you’re in. And it’s not a pricey proposition, even if you don’t have equipment (gyms rent the basics: shoes, harness, chalk to keep your sweaty fingers from sweating): You can get by for $20 or less at most gyms — and that’s for a full day of climbing.

Find out more about the indoor climbing experience here;  go here for our list of 15 climbing gyms in North Carolina.

A similar pattern has repeated itself in my life as a blogger. I collect all this great information, and while I technically could include it all here on GetGoingNC.com — I have a seemingly infinite amount of cyberspace at my disposal — it would, frankly, be overwhelming. I was mentioning this dilemma to a far more social-media-savvy friend, who said, “Why don’t you just post the extra, smaller stuff on Facebook?” Which, starting today, is what I’m going.

Go to the GetGoingNC.com Facebook page, like us, and you’ll get even more news about fitness and outdoor adventure. Today, for instance, you’ll discover five great workouts for climbers and a bonus Weekend Plans option. (Hint: It involves celestial bodies.)

GetGoingNC.com on Facebook: From the depths of my notebook to you.

Saturday's competitors look, but don't touch.

I stood behind the boulder, behind the two climbers puzzling over the boulder. Their puzzlement was interspersed with suddenly leaps into action, attempts to make a seemingly impossible leap from one not-so-generous hold about 10 feet an overhang to another modest hold perhaps 10 feet away. Interspersed with those unsuccessful attempts was the occasional bad word muttered under their breath. After each unsuccessful leap — known as a “dyno” in climbing circles — after they’d picked themselves up off the crash pad they would sidle up to a guy in a full black beard, jeans and a black jacket with a USA Climbing patch on the back.

“You need to try and grab the hold ... this way,” USA Climbing guy said, displaying the exact handhold necessary to stick the hold. And it was the exact way: This guy, a Level 3 routesetter for USA Climbing, has set enough climbing routes over the years to be able to eye a move and know exactly what specifically it would take to land the move. He was in town to apply his years of routesetting experience to the 14-foot-high, 3,000-square foot “boulder” in the Triangle Rock Club that will be the site of Saturday’s Raleigh Rampage bouldering competition.

“We’ll have climbers here from Richmond to Columbia South Carolina,” said a bleary-eyed and apparent No Shave November participant Scott Gilliam, the Triangle Rock Club’s chief routesetter. Although the 56 routes to be used in Saturday’s competition must be set by a Level 3 USA Climbing-certified routesetter, which Gilliam is not, he’d been working pretty much non-stop this week to help get the boulder ready. “I’ve slept 14 hours since Sunday,” Gilliam offered Thursday evening. “I’ve only had two caffeinated beverages today.”

Although there will be competition in the mortal division — officially referred to as the Citizen’s Session — it’s the competitive USAC session that's the big draw. About 80 top boulderers from around the region will square off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with finals held from 3-4 p.m. The finals are worth a visit if you’re in the vicinity and appreciate true athleticism. The top 3 to 5 finishers in each category will have 3-5 minutes to solve each of three “problems” — especially challenging routes dreamed up by the USA Climbing guy. They’ll involve moves like the one he was  trying to explain to the two climbers above.

Like that move, but not that specific move.

All around the boulder Thursday night were posted advisories: “This part of boulder CLOSED to Rampage COMPETITORS.” While competitors couldn’t touch, they could at least look, which created the curious spectacle of competitors staring motionless for minutes at a time at a particular route. They’d stare, heads cocked like confused cocker spaniels, then begin what appeared to be mime routines, slowly moving their hands to emulate the moves they’ll use Saturday.

Come to check out the competitive session and who knows, you might be compelled to enter the Citizens’ Session, which runs from 6-8 p.m. ($25 to enter). The Citizens’ Session comes with an added perk: there’s beer afterward. Gilliam emphasized the “afterward” part.

“You’ll get one wrist bracelet to compete,” he said. “When you’re done, we’ll clip that bracelet off and give you a beer bracelet.”

Good plan.

* * *

For more on the Raleigh Rampage, go here.

Mountain bikers, lights ablaze, head down a local trail.

We were on a post-sundown training hike for the Ultimate Hike last month when a beam  of bright light began gaining on us from behind. I turned and saw two headlights bearing down on us, still maybe 75 yards down the road.

“I’ll do the talking,” I said, since I was the hike leader and since I may have forgotten to mention to my fellow hikers that, technically, we were trespassing. We were hiking on a gravel road in a local forest where — again, “technically” — the gates close at sunset. I quickly relied this information to my hikers — then we waited a surprisingly long time for the two beams of light to reach us. When they did, they split, passed us on either side, and continued on their technically illegal way. It wasn’t a park ranger on patrol in a pickup; it was a pair of mountain bikers.

“Wow!” said one impressed hikers. “Those lights are really bright.”

“I can’t imagine riding a mountain bike at night,” added another. “That’s gotta be dangerous.”

“Actually,” I said, about to deliver a speech I’ve issued many times over the years, “It’s just the opposite.” I went on to explain that mountain biking at night is, in many respects, more safe than riding during the day because your world is restricted to this 20-foot-or-so world ahead illuminated by your headlamp. Unable to let your eyes wander off into the woods, or farther down the trail, you’re forced to focus on what’s immediately in front of you. That’s pretty much true of most outdoor activities done at night: they generally are more safe.

I’ve written a good deal over the years about getting out and exploring at night. And since I’d rather get out at night and do something than rewrite what I’ve written about before, I’ll just direct you to those previous articles. Enjoy.

Mountain biking

Since we’re already on the topic of mountain biking, let’s start there. An elaboration on why riding a bike through the forest at night is safe and scenes from a 24-hour race that runs through the night.

• Coping with Standard Time: Mountain Biking at Night
• Beer for Butter, Unprotected Support and Other Insights from the Burn 24

Hiking

One of my favorite times to take a long hike? In the dark of night. A 3- to 4-hour walk in the woods after the sun goes down can be aerobically aurally stimulating. Some tips on making a safe night of it.

• Enjoy the Night with a Hike
• Night Hiking: Beating the Standard Time Blues

Neighborhood walk

Spooked by the idea of hiking in the dark with ... who-knows-what that might be out there with you? Join the masses who bundle up and walk their neighborhoods in the dark.

• Night Moves: A Safe Walk in a Dangerous Place

Climbing

Of course, you can’t stay out every night. Which is why I find myself spending considerably more time at the climbing gym during the winter than at other times of the year.

• Climbing: Before You Go Up, You Gotta Learn to Come Down

Need more incentive?

Another reason not to taper off when the weather turns cold? It’s bad for your hrealth.  According to the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State’s North Carolina Research Campus people who don’t exercise in the winder are more likely to catch cold.

• Run from that Cold

In searching my archive of the past three years I notice one glaring omission: Nary a mention of paddling at night. I’ve mentioned guided paddles that occur at night, but nothing reflecting the experience personally. I’ve paddled at night: I still have vivid memories of being part of a flotilla that paddled to a remote part of Falls Lake one cold November night to watch a meteor shower. But that was years ago, and I can’t find a report on the event. And if that was the last time I’ve had a paddle in my hands in the dark (it was in the mid-1990s), that’s too long a time to go between night paddles.

I'll remedy that situation pronto.

That concept became apparent to the seven of us in our recent Intro to Climbing class at Raleigh’s Triangle Rock Club. If we didn’t have an appreciation for not falling off the wall from 20 feet up at the start of class, we did after spending the first hour of our two-hour session going over our “protection” — the equipment that would spare us should we part ways with the wall. We started with learning how our climbing harness worked, progressed to putting it on, learned a simple (for some) figure-8 knot, and learned to work our ingeniously simple belay device. And while we had come to climb, no one complained about spending the first hour on the ground, likely because our balcony classroom overlooked all 9,000 square feet of the gym’s climbing wall — a wall where climbers were routinely dropping only to be caught by their climbing partners. Mike was in the midst of demonstrating the belay device when we heard a faller yell — “Uhhhhhh!” — causing us to turn on our heels and catch the victim dangling by his climbing rope.

Mike doesn’t mind the interruption. Each time we hear someone fall behind us, we pay that much more attention to him. Like when he looks at the buckle on his harness and says, “Now if you see the word ‘Danger’ here, that means you’re in danger.” We all check our belts for ominous wording as Mike explains that an exposed “Danger” means you haven’t doubled-backed the harness’s belt through your buckle. Thus, it’s easier for your belt to come undone, which could result in more severe consequences than just your pants falling to the floor. Mike has us practice buckling in once, twice —

“Uhhhhh!”

Most of us buckle in a third time, just to be safe.

Convinced that our harnesses are properly affixed, Mike moves on to communication. Here, he becomes part climbing instructor, part Dr. Phil. The relationship between climber and belayer better be one of the best relationships you’ve got, he lets us know. None of this, “Your-hair-looks-great-with-orange-streaks-really!” when what you really mean is “You-joining-the-circus?” If something’s amiss with your partner’s hair, be straight up about it. Likewise, if his figure-8 knot appears to be more of a figure 6, or if her belay rope is threaded upside down, speak up. Communication is the foundation of safe climbing.

Before lifting a foot off the ground, the belayer checks the climber’s equipment — the figure-8 knot, the harness for signs of “Danger” — to make sure everything is copacetic. The climber does likewise, checking to make sure the rope is properly threaded through the belay device, the carabiner locked down. After checking one another out, it’s time for clearance from the tower.

“On belay?” the climber asks the belayer to make sure the later is prepared.

“Belay on,” the belayer responds, signifying he’s ready.

“Climbing,” the climber says, seeking final clearance.

“Climb on,” the belayer responds, granting permission to ascend.

It’s time to climb.

To our novice eyes, the climbing walls appear to sport a random scattering of colorful molded polyurethane holds. Some of the holds are whimsical: from faces where the eye sockets and mouth serve as finger holds (or “pockets”), to everyday objects — telephones, lightbulbs — protruding from the hold. Most are simply angular or rounded blobs. Some, referred to as “jugs,” are sizable and easy to grasp. Some are the smallest of nubs that you can’t imagine serving any purpose. As we stare up the wall, though, we notice that nearly all of the holds — and there are perhaps 20 on any one route — have a strip of colored tape next to them. At the bottom, the tape is marked with a number — ranging from 5.5 to 5.13 — and a name, sometimes amusing (“Juggy Uppy”), sometimes ominous (“Evil Without”), sometimes head scratching (“Toilet Water”). Looking up the wall we notice strips of the same colored tape marking certain holds in a pattern, of sorts, up to the top. Some colors, usually those associated with the bigger, juggier holds, are close together. Others, those marking the smaller holds, seem far apart.

The dread figure-8 knot.

Those related colors, Mike tells us, make up routes. In accordance with the rock climbing world’s Yosemite decimal system, the smaller the number, the easier the route. Thus, our class will start on the 5.5s. Someday, if we work hard, have supernatural strength and emerge as the Lance Armstrong of the sport, we might be able to do a 5.13.

Fortunately, according to Scott Gilliam, TRC’s chief route setter, the 110 or so routes up at any one time are divvied up to reflect the climbing expertise of they gym’s membership. The Triangle Rock Club has its share of hard core climbers, but it also has a goodly number of folks not much more advanced than us. Thus, there are plenty of beginner-friendly routes in the 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7 range. “I try to peak around 5.9 and 5.10,” Scott tells us. “You won’t find many 5.13s.”

Today, we’ll concentrate on the 5.5s. To make our introduction even easier, in addition to the same color tape marking the 5.5 routes, the holds are the same color — yellow.

No one in my class of eight is out of shape. In fact, everyone is active in some other pursuit: running, cycling, triathlon. And while that’s no doubt an advantage, it also becomes clear on our first climb that you don’t have to be a wiry athlete to be a recreational climber.

“If you can climb a ladder, you can climb,” says TRC spokesman Joel Graybeal.

Our forays up two 5.5 routes are surprisingly easy, their ease ensured by following one key piece of advice: It’s not your arms that count, it’s your feet. Your initial inclination, especially as you get farther from the ground, is to cling to the wall. That, we quickly discover, quickly zaps your arm strength. Rather, put your weight directly over your feet, which requires that you ease your body back from the wall. Counterintuitive and a bit disconcerting at first, but natural once you get the hang of it.

So we scamper up the 25-foot wall, and while I’ll later learn that a great training exercise is to downclimb the route you went up, it’s time for another lesson from Dr. Phil, this one about communication and trust. Once at the top, it’s time to let our partner get some experience catching us and lowering us to the floor. That will require letting go of the wall. Again, from 25 feet up. But first, some more open communication.

“Take!” yells the climber, informing her belayer that she would like to be gently lowered to Earth.

“Gotcha!” yells back the belayer, which in climbing parlance means, “I’ve got you. Trust me.”

Much to your relief, they do.

* * *

Interested?

For information on ...

• The Triangle Rock Club, go here.
• Other climbing walls open to the public in North Carolina, go here.
• Climbing in North Carolina, visit the Carolina Climbing Coalition website here.
• And for a smorgasbord of videos on learning to climb, go here.

“Yeah, I Know” is one of 103 climbing routes currently plugged into the Triangle Rock Club’s 9,000 square feet of climbing wall. It’s one of the gym’s 14 routes rated 5.8 on climbing’s Yosemite Decimal System, which grades technical climbs (those requiring protection/ropes) from easiest (5.0) to you-gotta-be-kidding (5.13). The Morrisville climbing gym’s routes start at 5.5; thus, 5.8 is relatively easy. For some.

My climbing coach (it’s a volunteer position) Joel Graybeal had spent our last two sessions trying to coax me through “Yeah.” About 10 feet into the climb, the third hand-hold requires a stretch that had thus far eluded me. Another 10 feet above that were two more holds that I could tell would be problematic. For a wall that’s just 25 feet high, that seemed like a lot of challenge.

“The key is not to hesitate,” Joel told me. “Figure out your route beforehand, your handholds and their sequence, as well as your footholds, and don’t hesitate. You hesitate and that burns gas in your tank.” In climbing, an empty tank often translates into a case of “sewing machine legs,” an uncontrollable trembling caused by iffy climbing technique leading to extreme muscle fatigue.

I stood back from the wall and examined the route. That third hold, I couldn’t help but think, would demand a leap of faith in addition to a leap of my right arm. I was reminded of countless instances on the mountain bike when I’d come to a technical downhill stretch and hesitated. Hesitate just once, get intimidated by the challenge, and experience told me I’d be hard pressed to ever clear that section. I didn’t want that following me into climbing. Joel’s words rang: Don’t hesitate.

The route begins with a one-hold start. (On a climbing wall, routes are marked with colored tape. There may be 30 holds within reach, but only those marked with the right color are “on.” Two pieces of tape near a hold indicates a start; if only one hold is marked, you must start with both hands on that hold.) From the two-handed start, the left hand goes up to a hold two feet above, followed by a right hold that, in the opinion of my right arm, was just beyond reach.

“Bump up your left foot to the blue nub,” Joel said. “That should get you enough extra height to reach that right hand-hold.” Trouble was, the nub in question was just that, a nub, rounded, perhaps three inches in diameter with precious little purchase. I eyed the nub and the profuse sweat with which I’ve become acquainted in my mid-50s began to flow. Before Joel could say “Don’t hesitate” again, I smeared my left foot atop the nub and, with life imitating art, made a slow-motion lunge for that right hand-hold. There was more to the hold than I thought; my right fingertips wrapped around the fist-size hold and held. Dang! I thought.

That’s one small reach for a middle-age climber, once giant step for a middle-age climber’s confidence.

I sailed up past the next two challenges, then did another 5.8 climb — Tinsel Tiger — on my first attempt before meeting my next nemesis. Burrito is a 5.8 that Joel, after climbing the route himself, declared “more technical” than my previous 5.8s. Translation: The holds aren’t nearly as generous. I tried Burrito once, fell, then listened as Joel coached me through the proper hand-and-foot sequence for Burrito. We’d been climbing for about 90 minutes and my arms were shot. My mind was ready to give it another shot, but not my body. Next time, I said.

Next time, I’ll return to take a second bite out of Burrito. A bite full of anticipation, devoid of dread.

Don’t kid yourself: No matter where you live in North Carolina it’s going to be hot this week. Real hot. Again.

As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough take a second look at the thermometer and say, “To heck with this. I’m staying inside.”

Which doesn’t mean sitting on your tush and missing out on adventure. One of the best outdoor pursuits to make the transition indoors? Rock climbing. By my count, there are 15 climbing gyms open to the public around the state. (And there are probably more than twice as many when you throw in climbing walls at YMCAs, colleges and universities and other venues where admission is in some way restricted.)

Take this 90 Second Escape to get a sense of the experience, then check out the list of climbing gyms below to find one near you. And if I were you, I’d by a multiple visit pass: This heat wave is suppose to last.
Mountains

Mountains

Asheville

Asheville's Fun Depot

7 Roberts Road

Info: 828.277.2386, Web site.

ClimbMax Inc.

43 Wall St.

Info: 828.252-9996, Web site.

Montford Climbing Wall

34 Pearson Drive

Info: 828.253.3714 Web site.

Boone

Footsloggers

139 S Depot St

Info: (828) 262-5111 Web site.

Brevard

Brevard Rock Gym

224 South Broad St.

Info: 828.884.ROCK, Web site.

Charlotte

Inner Peaks Climbing Center

9535 Monroe Road, Suite 170

Info: 704.844-6677, Web site.

U.S. National Whitewater Center

5000 Whitewater Center Parkway

Info: 704.391.3900, Web site.

Triangle

Community Center (Chapel Hill Parks & Rec)

102 South Estes Drive

Info: 919.968-2790 Web site.

Vertical Edge

2422D US 70, Durham

Info: 919.596.6910, Web site.

Triangle Rock Club

102 Pheasant Wood Ct., Morrisville

Info: 919.463.7825, Web site.

Triad

Tumblebees Ultimate Climbing Gym

6904 Downwind Road, Greensboro

Info: 336.665.0662, Web site.

Elsewhere in the Piedmont

Fayetteville

RedPoint Indoor Climbing

5213 Raeford Road, Suite 103

Info: 910.868.7625 Web site

The Climbing Place

436 West Russell St.

Info: 910.486.9638 Web site

Pinehurst

Sandhills Vertical Gym

Info: 910.295.0724

Coast

Wilmington

Jungle Rapids

5320 Oleander Dr.

Info: 910.791.0666 Web site

Know of a gym that’s not on the list? Leave a comment and I’ll plug it in.

$3.99 scores you the Pro version.

Among the other features of this free app: Stay current on park events; get news, alerts, and location-based weather updates; find basic park info such as hours of operation, facilities, trails and campgrounds; get directions; and some other stuff. Fork over $3.99 and upgrade to the “Pro” version and you get access to a slew of GPS-based features, social media options, a devise that lets you tell friends and family where you are, and more. A portion of the proceeds benefits the N.C. State Parks and Friends of State Parks, Inc.
To learn more about the Pocket Ranger app, go here.