I'm into it for the pure gymnastics, the pure physical pleasure of the movement of climbing. That's why I love indoor climbing as well as climbing on natural rock. As a competitive climber, Presson ascends in regional, national and even international events, which take her as far away as Moscow. Competitions started out being held outside. So now competitions are held mostly indoors on artificial walls.
Indoor routes have other benefits as well.
You can really tailor the event, so that the best climber is more likely to be selected as the winner. You don't have one person climbing in the full sun if it's really hot, and you don't have one person in the shade when it's really cold. So it makes it an equal playing ground. During a typical event, competitors are judged by how far they progress up a set route. Participants get six minutes to study the course they must follow and are then taken to isolation, where they remain until their turns are called.