In the last decade, the rock climbing culture in the city has caught on owing to the efforts of ardent climbers who are setting up new climbing routes.
Several of these climbers are helping identify routes for next generation climbers. Pranesh Manchaiah, 40, a professional climber with over 20 years of climbing experience has been instrumental in identifying over 100 such routes across the State. He drew inspiration from the routes he climbed in South America and Canada. “Here, people are struggling to find routes. So I decided to put up new routes for the benefit of younger generation climbing enthusiasts,” he says, and adds that he has financed the putting up of bolts in some pockets, while others have been funded by the General Thimmaiah National Adventure Academy.
Climbers first mark places where bolts need to be fixed, then drill the bolts in, and later righten them. These are first tested by professional climbers. Only then are amateurs are allowed to take these routes, says Mr. Manchaiah. He has put up routes in Badami, Ramanagaram and Savandurga among others.
Another avid climber who has been involved in the ideation process for putting up routes is Suma Rao, 48. Says Ms. Rao, “When you see a rock, there is so much you can do with it without disturbing it.” She and a group of like-minded individuals have started the Bangalore Climbing Initiative which aims to have 1,000 routes and 10,000 climbers by 2025. The group also conducts workshops for beginners.
Ms. Rao says that there are three different types of routes. These are traditional routes where there are no bolts but there are cracks and protection such as fences, nuts and hexes. Sports routes are bolted ones. The third type of climbing is bouldering which is simply put, climbing shorter distances without any ropes.
