Hangdog Gym – Images by Mark Tantrum
Today I took the first step in becoming an adventure sports photographer in the vertical world. I arranged to have a training session at the Hang Dog Climbing Gym. The owners let me try out gear and learn the “ropes” of ascending a stationary rope. This is essential in climbing photography, because one needs to get wherever the angles are best on the rock face. I learned about ascending vertical ropes using the latest gear and also tying small lengths of rope and making the same devices “old school.” At the end of the session, we did a photo shoot of the gym showing off the cool features that the center has- including a six year old climber doing really advanced adult sized walls. I was mighty impressed by this little guy. He was near impossible to keep up with on the wall. I managed to get him to slow down enough to get a few shots. A lesson in keeping trim and flexible- one day I might be half as good as him in the vertical world…
