Rope Access and Rock Climbing: Can Your Day Job Make You a Better Climber?

Is it possible to juggle rock climbing and rope access? Of course! It ain’t easy, though.

Sure enough, this rock climbing and rope access combo comes with both pros and cons, as you’ll see further down in this article. But when this balancing act is done just right, people who have a physically demanding job can commit to a climbing lifestyle, too, and vice versa.

Are you afraid that physical work might get in the way of your climbing? I was, too. It took me many years to figure out what works for me and to finally realize that, in fact, my body feels good when it moves. At the same time, the stories I tell myself play a pivotal role, and once I became aware of that, the pieces started to fit together.

Before we get into it, do keep in mind that everyone is different and what works for me might not necessarily work for you; you should listen to your body and find your own sweet spot, making changes as you go along. And now here it is, my own personal story of juggling climbing and rope access and what I’ve learned over the years.

The relationship between rock climbing and rope access

Rope access and rock climbing do have a few things in common. Many techniques used in rope access have derived from rock climbing and caving, and you have to have a good fitness level, be agile, have quick reactions, and be able to find solutions. And that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

You don’t have to be a rock climber in order to work in rope access. Not in the least. That said, getting into rope access might feel a lot more natural for a rock climber than the other way around. If you love climbing, then you’re already used to some rope techniques, heights, being outside, managing your fears, etc. Plus, you do all of these because you want to, not because it’s your job. So, working in rope access with a rock climbing background might be easier for some, but it’s certainly not a rule.

Transitioning to rope access from a desk job – before, in between, and after

Let me give you a bit of a background. I’ve been climbing for a while now. Nothing spectacular, just the average climber trying to give it her all. There have obviously been ups and downs, but in my case, time has only led to improvement. Not necessarily in terms of climbing grades (although I’m really proud of where I am right now in that journey), but more in terms of how I perceive climbing.

I started working in rope access years ago. But, in reality, it’s been on and off for me, mainly because I wasn’t sure it was really what I wanted to do. And I have to tell you, it felt freakin’ hard back then. Not to mention that being a woman in this trade was sort of intimidating. So, I kept looking for something else. I couldn’t decide between physical work and a desk job. What would be best for me?

Before – climbing with a sedentary job

I love to write, so for many years I looked for job opportunities where I could put that to use. I’d work with my brain, which was pretty cool, thinking that if my body was resting during my work hours, then it would perform even better at climbing. I thought that, on the other hand, physical work would exert me and my climbing would suffer.

It took me a few years to realize that sitting in a chair for hours on end is not what my body liked. Sure, I didn’t feel physically tired, but it was all so very deceiving. There were times when my mind was tired. Eventually, that led to a lack of motivation and focus, a chaotic training pattern, and even physical fatigue. Yeah, my body can easily turn lazy if it’s not properly wind up with actual physical activity.

Don’t get me wrong, I was climbing, I was going to the gym, I was training on and off, and I did climb routes that I’m very proud of during all that time when I worked a sedentary job. But there was something missing.

I learned that I am a machine that needs to stay fired up. Sure, there’s a fine line between overexerting myself and running at optimal levels, and I had to figure out that sweet spot over time.

I also felt that I was missing time, which I kept tracking obsessively. Time spent at work, time spent at the gym, time spent climbing outside. I’d count my days off, even my hours off. The more I’d keep track of all my time, the faster it seemed to pass. It was becoming more and more obvious that I needed to change something. But I was also getting comfortable there, so it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

In between – the doubt

When I finally decided to quit my job in marketing – working from home at my laptop, sitting on my ass for most of the day – I knew that rope access was plan B and that I’d be covered for a while until I decided what to do next.

I had this vivid memory of it being hard, I expected to be tired, and I imagined that climbing would take a backseat during periods of intense work.

I’ve had my moments of doubt. They’d usually creep in when the working conditions got harder. Take for example working in window cleaning in December, feeling like your fingers are about to fall off. Or when you’ve climbed on steel structures every day for days on end until every single muscle hurts like hell and you don’t even know what pills to swallow anymore to make it just a little bit better.

There were moments when I was so tired I could not bring myself to go to the climbing gym and I would immediately think that all the hard work I’d put into climbing would go to waste. One big drama was playing in my head. I even started looking for jobs at my laptop again, but I somehow knew that wouldn’t make me any happier in the long run.

After – climbing and working a physical job

Photo by Corina Dorina

Over time, my perception of working a physical job changed. Yes, rope access was still hard at times, but I no longer saw it as just that. To me, it became a challenge and an opportunity to train both my body and mind. It was a complete shift, one that allowed me to actually enjoy it, love it even, and to push myself more and more each time. At the end of the day, I felt proud of myself. And what do you know, climbing did not take a backseat.

Most importantly, I realized that I can do both. I can work and I can climb, too. It’s just that my routine looks different. When I work, I train. I train at work doing what I do, a little bit at home with some hangboarding, and I go to the gym. I might not have any personal bests during that time, but my body does work hard nonetheless, and that eventually pays off.

I noticed how, when I worked, I’d go through highs and lows – I’d grow tired, rest, sleep a lot, eat a lot, recover, get my mojo back, and repeat. After two days of rest, I’d usually be back in shape. Sure, there were times when recovery took a bit longer, but each time I came back stronger than before. Knowing that helped me not panic anymore.

Yup, rope access has made me stronger. In more ways than one.

I’ve grown to love my job and enjoy climbing even more simply because now I realize it’s not something to take for granted. It’s something I have to fight for. Rope access became plan A and climbing still takes center stage.

All the ways in which rope access has made me stronger

Rope access includes a vast spectrum of jobs. Some are more demanding than others, but pretty much all involve moving your body. In window cleaning, you move almost your entire body for hours on end. In industrial rope access, there’s a lot of up and down on ropes, climbing stairs, aid climbing, working with heavy tools, lifting, carrying, grinding, painting, and so on. You use so many muscles.

Not to mention when you work outside; the weather isn’t always nice. You need to face the elements – the cold, the heat, wind, rain, snow, etc.

So how do I feel after all of these? Sometimes I feel exhausted, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t last. The trick is to listen to my body and allow it to recover. However, there’s a fine line between taking the necessary time to rest and starting to make excuses to not train.

Here’s what I’ve noticed over time when it comes to juggling rock climbing and rope access:

I have longer outdoor climbing sessions, as if I can miraculously pull something out of the bag and give several good tries on a route. It probably has something to do with my trying to make the most of what time I have and the fact that my body is more used to extended periods of effort.
My gym sessions are more intense. I have a sort of plan for what I’d like to do at the gym, but I try not to have expectations and instead just give it my all. Whether I end up doing boulders, board training, circuits, or just some light climbing, I find myself having a good amount of energy and most sessions are quite fruitful.
My body recovers faster. I am able to take shorter rest periods in between climbing days.
I’m more dynamic and determined. Working in rope access has helped me pull harder and commit to moves that used to scare me before.
My overall fitness level improved. Even when I’m not climbing or training, but I am working hard, I am, in fact, still training my general fitness.
I’ve grown a bigger pair. Oh yeah, us women can have “balls”, too. Fear is what sets most climbers back and for me, working in rope access, in places that are so hard to reach, doing what may seem almost impossible to some, has taught me that I’m able to do so much more than I had led myself to believe.
I’m more confident. Doing something that feels challenging makes me proud of myself. It gives me confidence in my climbing, in my interactions, and in day-to-day life.
I’ve learned so much about myself. This kind of work, especially the projects I pick, continues to push me out of my comfort zone. As a result, I’ve learned a lot about my body and my mind, how much they can handle and how far I can push myself.

The downsides of combining rope access and rock climbing

Well, it can‘t all be sunshine and butterflies. Working in rope access can come with projects that are physically straining; either because of the work you do, the conditions you face, or both. It can make you feel tired, exhausted even. Heading to the climbing gym might be the last thing you want.

Working in rope access can make it difficult to be consistent with your climbing training. There may be times when you don’t climb at all or do any specific training. That may seem tragic in that particular moment.

Working in rope access as a freelancer means that you can have more time for yourself – pick projects that suit you and take time off when you want to. That’s one huge upside, right? For the most part, it is. However, there are times when you don’t really know what, where, or how. That is, there’s not much certainty regarding future projects, which can sometimes make it hard to plan ahead.

On the other hand, this kind of lifestyle opens so many new opportunities. Yes, the climbing trips you planned may not happen right now, but others may. Maybe you’re off right when the weather’s perfect for outdoor projecting close to home and you have a sort of staycation and crush it at your local crags. Or you work the entire summer, miss the climbing at home, but take all winter off to travel somewhere warm and do nothing but climb.

You gotta be flexible. It took me a while to see this, but not climbing for a couple of weeks won’t kill ya.

Read more >> The Dirtbag Way

I CAN work in rope access and climb, too

Photo by Wild Adventure Film

I can because I made it work!

One of the greatest perks of working in rope access is that you can choose to make it a seasonal job, especially if you’re a freelancer like me. That means that you have the opportunity to work less if you want to, and dedicate all that free time to climbing.

For me, the ideal rope access job is a project-based job. That means working for a while, taking a break, working again, and so on. This allows me to rest and really focus on climbing when I’m off.

It took a bit of trial and error, but now I can say that I pretty much know how juggling rope access work and climbing should feel like in an ideal scenario. First of all, to successfully combine rope access and rock climbing, I need to manage my expectations.

I’ve discovered that I can go to the climbing gym in the weekend when I’m working and still have an awesome session. I can do a hangboarding session midweek that feels quite good. That said, not all climbing gym sessions are great. Sometimes I feel super strong, other times I can feel the fatigue weighing me down. So I try to adapt. I know that even a little is a lot given the situation and those sessions turn out great in their own way.

I’m only speaking for myself here. If you work full time on relatively demanding projects, then juggling both is hard. In that case, it comes down to how motivated you are and how much physical strain you can handle. How much you sleep, rest, eat, and how well you listen to your body play important roles, too.

You may be far from outdoor climbing, in which case you can just go to the gym. You may be far from a gym, in which case you’ll probably need to focus on hangboarding and other workouts. The trick is to do something, anything. All of these, combined with the actual work you do at your job, are sure to keep you in tip-top physical shape. You may not climb for a while, but when you get back to it, you’ll get into the groove in no time.

All in all, I climb more often than before

Photo by Szidonia Lorincz

To my surprise, I climb more often now than I did back when I had a full-time job at my laptop.

I now know that even if I’m working hard, after one or two days of rest I’m almost as good as new. Knowing that gives me confidence. I know I can go rock climbing after working in rope access and be in tip-top shape. At the same time, I don’t take that for granted. Like I said, it’s a fine line. I’m aware that recovery may take longer and I try to go easy on myself and not beat myself about it when I don’t feel my best.

If you’re a freelancer, you get to decide how much you want to work. Sure, there are some downsides because you can never be sure of how many projects you’ll have, but if you value your time just as much as I do, you’ll learn to love this uncertainty as well.

Working on projects means that you are able to take breaks. As opposed to a full-time job, you can have a lot of “vacation time”. Overall, time flows differently – sometimes you lose track of weekdays or bank holidays and find yourself off when everyone else is working. There is so much opportunity there. If you can make full use of the time you do have and tap into all that strength that work has helped you build, then you can climb. A lot!

P.S. We’re in between projects now so we’re heading on a climbing trip to Greece!

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