Adventurous and daring is a good way to describe Misha Peleg, whose fearless determination melds beautifully with his love of rock climbing. Never a traditionalist, Misha’s fascination with heights, edges and difficult-to-reach locales puts him in the category of rock jock. It’s a term he embraces with amusement and pride.
Peleg fell in love with climbing from an early age. As a child, when he and his friends climbed trees in their neighborhood, he always reached the top first. He was never afraid of heights and always yearned to climb higher, so he did.
The successful entrepreneur and philanthropist is a world traveler. He has climbed some of the most notable rock-climbing destinations in the world, including Joshua Tree National Park and Yosemite National Park, both in CA; Kalymnos, Greece; Rocklands in South Africa; Tonsai and Railay, Thailand; and Fountainebleau, France.
Misha Peleg loves to share stories about his personal adventures, and offer climbing tips and advice to climbers who are planning to visit some of the venues he has already climbed. He knows that preparing for a rock-climbing trip takes a lot of planning and thought. To make it easier, Misha has compiled a list of rock climbing “must haves” that he has found helpful during his rock-climbing adventures.
Here are some of the basic supplies Peleg recommends to get started:
Rock climbing shoes
These shoes typically have a close fit and a sticky rubber sole. This protects your feet and provides the friction you need to grip footholds while you climb.
Climbing helmet
Helmets are not required for indoor climbing but you should always wear one when rock climbing outdoors. Climbing helmets are specifically designed to protect your head from falling rocks and protect you in case you fall.
Climbing harness
Except for bouldering, you’ll always need a harness when climbing. A harness consists of two basic parts, an adjustable waist belt and two leg loops.
Chalk
Chalk is crucial for the improving grip. Climbers generally carry it in a pouch which hangs from the waist, but indoor gyms may store chalk in bags inside the gym.
Carabiner clips
A specialized type of metal loop with a spring-loaded gate on one side used to connect various parts of the climbing system.
Climbing pack
A pack gets gear to and from the crag, but it may come on the climb as well, especially on longer routes.
Misha Peleg’s advice for beginners is to stay alert, expect to fall (but with proper safety equipment you should be fine), ask questions from someone more experienced if you need to; check that your climbing route does not interfere with someone else’s, and stay focused.
Rock climbing, Misha notes, is about seeing the world from a different perspective, taking some risks and doing something that not many others can do. His best advice? Drink in the views and enjoy the climb.
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