Born To CLimb

Manila Bulletin, November 23, 2008

If some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, Chris Lindner, renowned rock climber, was born with a harness tied around his waist and ropes in his hands.

As early as two months old, baby Chris bundled in a crib would be taken to rock climbing areas by his parents, and by the time he turned three, he was practicing his leg work on rocks instead of on matted floors. At four years old, he was on the cover of a rock climbing catalogue. He got his first sponsor at six, and at nineteen, he quit his full-time job as a software developer to pursue rock climbing.

Chris did part of his schooling on breaks from climbing, travelling the world as a rock climbing ambassador, and spending half of his life living in a sleeping bag under the stars. He has climbed in different parts of the United States, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, England, Germany, Greece, and Korea. He counts Spain, France, and Vietnam as his favorites.

Every climb, a challenge

But in his 21 years of climbing the world’s boulders, Chris says he still finds every new climb a challenge.

"Every rock (climb) is different, so every single time you go (rock climbing), it is a challenge. One of the challenges is to look for rocks that nobody has done before and set up a new route," narrates the very fit 24-year-old climber. According to him, setting up a route sometimes takes him one year, starting from finding locations, hiking there with his heavy gear to clean the boulders, which sometimes takes a couple of days, and trying out the route.

"Every new rock climb is very challenging, but it is very rewarding especially when you put up a nice route. They are there forever, and the future rock climbers will remember that Chris Lindner put it together. People around the world will talk about that route that you put (up) forever," he said. He recalled a rock that he found on the beach of California which had a nice overhang. He put up a route on that particular location, but it is only during particular hours a climb can be made there, depending on the tides.

Lindner recently visited Manila and Cebu as Sanuk’s brand ambassador and shared his experiences and expertise with Filipino rock climbing enthusiasts. He conducted clinics at ROX at the Fort and flew to Toledo, Cebu, to test the local rock climbing sports there as part of the Department of Tourism’s "Adventure Philippines" campaign. Chris also counts Palawan as one of his favorite rock climbing spots.

Considered as an extreme sport where mishaps can happen anytime, Chris said that he has never broken a single bone in a lifetime of climbing. He attributes this to several factors, like having the best-quality gear, learning the techniques very well, and keeping a well-maintained body.

Unique technique

The young climber, who bagged the 2006 Western US Bouldering Championship, avoids fastfood, soda, and smoking, drinks moderately, and takes multivitamins. According to him, he tries to eat smart, but he is not a ‘freak’ about what he eats.

"Rock climbing is a very challenging sport; it’s not like swimming where once you learn, (the only thing that will matter is) how far you can go. Everything in rock climbing is different; you have to be mentally smart and apply all your techniques at the right time. It takes years and years to master (rock climbing), but it’s a very safe and calculated sport," he advises people who want to take up rock climbing as a sport.

Chris recently discovered a climbing technique called "deep water soloing." The term soloing refers to climbing without using a rope, and the possibility of death is very high. In deep water soloing, climbers take a maximum 20-meter-high climb on a cliff above water without a rope so when they fall, the water will catch them. Apart from this, Chris still wants to increase his maximum climb and put up more rock climbing routes.

According to him, to start with the sport, one must get a good pair of climbing shoes which fit well, aren’t snug, and don’t roll up on your feet. Bouldering or climbing without ropes in gyms is the first step, where you can practice your foot and leg work and your waist. He said that rock climbing is all about the strength of your lower body rather than of your upper body.

"The idea in rock climbing is to climb from beginning to end without falling; it’s called red pointing a route. You climb to the maximum of your ability and try the same climb over and over again to learn your route, (the) easier ways to do the moves, make it efficient, and perfect it to finish the route," he shares.

"Once you are on top of a cliff, the feeling never gets old. If you want to be active, go outside, and enjoy the great outdoors, rock climbing is the way to do it."