Everyone feels one of two ways about Valentine’s Day – especially when you’re not celebrating. Are you riding solo and proud? Or feeling a little envious of all those romantic gestures your couple friends have been bragging about?
Not to worry – your favourite climbing wall in North Devon is always here, ready and waiting… and let’s face it, climbing is better than being in a relationship, anyway!
Here are our top ten reasons why climbing beats the smushy stuff any day!
Follow in the footsteps of the greats…
If there was ever a time that being a climber was considered cool, it’s now. Thanks to the likes of Alex Honnold’s fearless vertical feats, even non-climbers are now interested in what goes on at the crag. Now, we’re definitely not saying that you should go free soloing, but the independence of climbing is something we can all take inspiration from.
There’s no Instagram V-day competition
It’s against the rules to climb with your phone, so you don’t have to worry about scrolling through photos of other people’s bunches of flowers and romantic gestures feeling envious (or guilty!) We have everything you could possibly need here – good music, good company and a great atmosphere.
Leave your phone at home and socialise with real people – trust me, it will be refreshing!
The wall is ALWAYS there for you, no (figurative) strings attached!
When you climb, the only person you rely on is your belayer. Back on the ground and untied from your end of the rope, there are no strings attached (pardon the pun). The only commitment you have is to catch your climber if they fall and maybe shout up a bit of beta here and there.
Plus, climbing is always there for you. At Rock and Rapid Adventures, we’re open 10am-10pm in the week and 10am-6pm at the weekends – and the coffee machine is always on. So, no matter what kind of day you’ve had, you can come in, smash a few routes and make yourself feel unstoppable!
The wall will never hold you back
Relationships require compromise. Climbing, however, is completely on your terms. You will always achieve something when you’re at the climbing wall – it doesn’t matter how big or small the achievement is – there’s only one way up the wall! This means that climbing will always make you feel good because you can set your own objectives and work on them at your own pace.
We want to see you achieve your goals and continuously improve; there is no better feeling for our instructors than seeing people become competent and confident climbers. We have plenty of training opportunities on offer, to help you focus on specific skills. Some of the most popular are:
- Step Up to Lead
- Personal 1-1 Coaching
- 4 Week Basics Course
Click here or enquire with any of our instructors for more information on our climbing courses. We don’t want to see anyone held back or not reaching their potential, so just let us know what you want to achieve and we will do our best to help!
Climbing will only better you
There are lots of reasons as to why climbing is so good for you. Each time you come to the wall, you improve your skills, fitness and knowledge. Even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time, you will only be getting better. Whether it’s just clocking up more climbs, practising some technique or improving your strength and endurance, every session will help!
You will never get stood up!
A good belay partner is never hard to find, so you’ll never be left to climb on your own! There will always be someone at the centre who will step in to belay if you’re looking for a partner.
There are plenty of climbs on the wall…
Forget the old “plenty of fish in the sea” saying – there are plenty of routes on the climbing wall – and they’re much easier to find! We have countless climbs set up to suit all types and abilities of climbers, from beginner to advanced, so you will never have to worry that there will be nothing here for you! The routes are also clearly graded, so you know what you’re letting yourself in for, and we switch them up regularly, meaning you’ll never get bored.
You can spend as much time with your friends as you like
No more do you have to worry about balancing couple time with arranging catch-ups with all your friends – because your friends are all at the crag!
In addition to our indoor climbing wall in Devon, we also arrange frequent outdoor climbing trips and other exciting outdoor activities throughout the year. We all know that most people go out less when they’re in a relationship, so use your freedom to get out and about trying lots of new exciting things!
You’ll never need to do the dishes
Our café has hot food ready and waiting – with no cooking required on your part! Treat yourself to a tasty meal of pizza or a bowl of chips (or both). We may not have romantic candles, but at least you don’t have to worry about having to clear up afterwards, we’ve got it covered!
Defining your relationship as ‘on the rocks’ is nothing to be ashamed of!
Climbing is a great excuse for posting photos of yourself and a mate at the top of a route, staring out over a beautiful sunset. It doesn’t have to be all romance, after all. Getting out and climbing with your friends is a great way to spread the love – even if it is just the trust built up through the power of a reliable belay!
So why not celebrate Singles’ Awareness Day by going for a climb? We’re open until 10 pm and we’re here for you! Give us a call on 01769 309002 today or pop in any time…
