We all saw the ‘climbing’ at the Paris Olympics last year and I thought it worked quite well as a spectator sport, even if it was unrecognisable from the climbing I see when running through the Peak District on a Sunday.
When I first heard a friend who identifies as a ‘proper climber’ dismiss it as ‘grabbing bits of plastic’ I was initially surprised, but I’ve since chatted to lots of climbers (especially trad and/or mountaineers) who consider olympic climbing to have more in common with gymnastics than climbing.
After hearing all the opinions I’m inclined to agree. That doesn’t stop me enjoying indoor climbing, doesn’t make it any less watchable and doesn’t stop it being a great way of staying fit and healthy