Curious, a quick search revealed to me that TRP is eerily devoid of discussions on rock climbing. Exempting a handful of vague mentions in posts and comments re "Hobbies", it seems my favorite sport is something of an enigma to TRP.

So, the purpose of this post is to share with you the mysteries of vertical enlightenment and why (imo) this hobby relates so well to Red Pill principles. Here's why:

Climbing makes you more interesting. Since the late 80's, but especially within the last decade, rock climbing has rapidly proliferated in the US and across the world. Gyms and established crags are popping up everywhere. Despite this explosive growth, people outside of the 'outdoor class' (which is most people) tend to be unaware of this. Becoming a climber or involving yourself in any activity outside of the norm will make you seem exotic to the vast majority of women you encounter on a daily basis. Climbing will become a back-pocket conversation card, and a cheap, fun, kino-saturated Day+ date option. Not only will climbing make you more interesting, but...

You'll meet interesting people. One of the first things you learn when you enter the sport is that climbing is not for the lazy, the uncommitted, or those who quit easily. It's a tough sport, one that demands exceptional self-awareness, patience, and pain (considerable, at times). As such, the people you meet or interact with at the gym or the crag are often some of the most dedicated, critically-thoughtful, and motivated individuals you will run into. I know personally bankers, doctors, professional athletes, entrepreneurs, and even a few Navy SEALS that climb-- and when they do climb, they push themselves and those around them with the same intensity that propelled them to succeed in their professional lives. You'll also encounter the occosional lovable dirt bag living in their van by the crag, but its hard to knock those guys because they are boundlessly pursuing their passion, which is more than most can say. Dirt bags tell the best stories anyway. Regardless, you'll be surrounded almost always by outgoing, type-A people, and developing those relationships and friendships will make you that much more interesting.

Climbing raises your fitness. This one should be obvious, but climbing is most definitely a full-body workout. Climbing hard promotes exceptional core, leg, and upper body strength and hand-eye coordination. It's an excellent supplement to lifting (if you are not lifting, you should be). It will blast areas of the body that are regularly neglected by most gym routines, especially forearms and calves. It's more of an endurance burn (unless you are bouldering) and will help tone those areas immensely.

Lots of women climb. And they're hot. Climbing is something of a natural equalizer for men and women because its a sport that favors people with lighter builds and higher strength-to-weight ratios. Some of the hardest climbs in the world have been sent by women, so it's easy to see why this sport is particularly attractive outlet for the female sex. In my experience, female climbers typically ascribe to some form of FempowermentTM but even then most are far more interesting and easy to converse with than the girl who spends her free-time idly distracting herself with Netflix and television. Also from my experience (and many others like me) climbers love to fuck. If you need help getting to that point, go read the sidebar.

Climbing forces you to push boundaries. Physical boundaries. Mental boundaries. You will learn to conquer pain, and to use fear as a motivator to keep going. Yes, climbing is an inherently dangerous sport, and good climbers will learn to manage risk accordingly, but there is something intoxicatingly liberating about reaching the point-of-no-return and bailing off a route when the last clip was 20ft below. You will learn to trust yourself and the people you are climbing with. This mental toughness will translate fluidly over into other areas of life. You'll even learn to push social boundaries as well. Climbing has a unique culture, and with it comes a whole host of climbing customs and ethics and social dynamics. It's like learning a new language.

Climbing gives you an 'out'. As mentioned above, climbing is a mental sport. It will put you in your head and make you think critically. When you are deliberately imagining your next move, you're not thinking about all the other bullshit you have to do. You're in the zone. It will also give you an excuse to travel and see some truly amazing places. We spend too much goddamn time inside anyways, but if you are going to go out and see the world, why not see it from the top?

Climbing is incredibly easy to get into. Yes, climbing is a demanding sport, but it scales relative to experience. If you are honest with yourself about your level of experience and comfort in the sport, you will find that the learning curve is incredibly easily. Much of the technique comes intuitively, and people in the sport are often happy to help you improve. It's also relatively cheap. Gym memberships can be pricey, depending on the area (probably cheapest in mountain states), but most offer super cheap rental gear or you can buy your own shoes and harness for normally less than $40 used. Going to crags is free and if you are going with an experience person they will have most of the equipment you need (ropes, carabiners, belay devices, etc).

Climbing is a gateway activity to even more bad-assery. Like most high-altitude mountaineers, I got into this because at some point years ago a buddy took me out rock climbing with him. This is me, your buddy, telling you to take your ass to the climbing gym. I'm not here to jerk myself off but i'll just tell you I've been able to do some really cool shit because climbing was my passion and I let that passion drive my pursuit of other interests. You will better yourself immensely in the process, and some day down the road you may even get a good story out of it.

[EDIT] Based on the number of responses, i'm happily surprised to see that there are more climbers on this sub than I imagined.

As several commenters have rightly pointed out, bouldering (climbing much shorter problems, without a rope) requires much less of an initial investment and tends to be more social than ropes. Climbers often do both, but if you are unsure or just starting out bouldering might be a better place to make the jump.