All valid points Wendy. However, not all of us live next door to a world class crag nor is it feasible to get to the gym multiple times a week, and even if it were the $$ would add up fast. Hence, other options like a hangboard, woody or set of relevant exercises are needed.
The preference is of course always to climb and certainly the most gains I've noticed have been where I was in the pines for a few weeks but that is a luxury not all of us can have all the time. |