We want to introduce Sandeep Maity to you, who has joined the climbing program at Delhi Rock. Ganesh Chhetri remains our head coach and routesetter, and with Sandeep coming on board, we are starting what we hope will become the most comprehensive climbing program in the country.
First, a little about Sandeep:
Sandeep is one of the top three climbers in India currently, and has represented India nationally at both Asian and World championships over the past three years. He’s an accomplished outdoorsman, setting up first ascents in Hampi, Badami, Leh and Ramnagaram. He is one of India’s few climbers who’ve made climbing their profession and sole focus. He spent summer in Leh, will be at Hampi over New Year’s , and plans to go and spend several months climbing in Spain next year. Please give Sandeep a warm welcome (here’s his email address).
Second, a bit about the new program, which consists of four parts and will start on the 1st of December:
1) Physical Conditioning, Tuesdays at 7.30 PM
Sandeep trains for two to three hours a day on core strength, endurance and power, and will teach a set of training techniques to climbers to ensure that they gain strength commensurate with their climbing to avoid injuries. Climbers can also apply this training at home, or before and after a climbing session, to keep conditioning as they climb.
2) Technique Workshops, Wednesdays at 7.30 PM
Climbing is all about learning to use your strength as efficiently as possible. This class is about both focusing on your form, as well as learning techniques for specific situations. If you’ve wanted to know what dynos, liebacks and overhangs mean in terms of movement and principles, then these classes are going to be just right for you.
3) Safety and the Outdoors, Thursdays at 7.30 PM
Outdoor climbing is about safety first, and so it’s crucial to know what to do when you go outdoors. From bolted routes and lead climbing, rappelling, teamwork and communication, to learning to place protection on trad lead and building anchors for multi pitch trad, we want to convey techniques to you which will serve you well outdoors.
4) Routesetting, Saturdays and Sundays at 5 PM
Routesetting is very much an art, and it takes a climber of subtlety and imagination to be a good routesetter. Ganesh is the routesetter for the Nationals, and teaches the routesetting course at the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, so a great person to apprentice with! Do come and help him set new routes at the gym over weekend evenings.
We are also completely revamping our pricing to allow folks to both drop in for classes, as well as come climb regularly at Delhi Rock.
We’re hoping to establish climbing as the technical and learning intensive discipline we think it is, and we need your help in building the climbing practice at Delhi Rock.
Please tell your friends about our new programs, come down to the gym yourselves, and try to get kids involved, so that we can make a vibrant community of climbers together in Delhi.
Anuraag, Ganesh and Sandeep
Team Delhi Rock
