The Future of Climbing Part II

For those of you who are new to theDIHEDRAL, my name is Carrot.  I am a philosophy professor who has been engaged in research on the future of humanity for a few years.  Most of my work centers around the future of higher education, but along the way I try to take note of what the future of climbing could look like in the short- and long-term.  With that, I wanted to share some of the interesting things on the horizon for climbers, hikers, and those with a predilection for Type II fun!  This is part two of my three-part series on the future of climbing.

Discussions on alternate reality and philosophy have gone hand in hand for thousands of years.  From Zhuangzi’s famous Butterfly Dream and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to Descartes’ Evil Demon and Gilbert Harman’s Brain in a Vat, we have been fascinated by the possibility that our perceived existence may not be “real”.  In 2003 Nick Bostrom wrote a seminal paper aptly titled “Are we Living in a Simulation”, and ever since, the discussion of base reality vs. virtual reality has ballooned, with some, including Columbia University astronomer David Kipling putting the odds at 50/50.  Base-reality is essentially the idea that the existence we perceive is organic and happening to us in real time, while virtual-reality amounts to the idea that our experiences are the byproduct of a simulation created by something at a different level.  Without getting too far into the weeds, we can say that virtual-realities are dependent upon a base-reality for their existence.

This suggests that there is a (perhaps probable) chance that the rock-climbing we currently do is already virtual.  Whatever the actual facts about living in a virtual world are, it remains true that we currently have no way of knowing those facts.  Independent of the truth, it sure seems that we live in a base world.  A world where we are now developing our own virtual reality.

Assuming our experiences aren’t the product of a butterfly dream, an evil demon, a brain in a vat or a simulation, what does virtual reality (VR) have in store for climbers.

One place where VR is already making a mark upon climbing is in the world of gaming.  Crytek and Oculus have released a game called Climb, a first-person climbing game in which a disembodied pair of hands are controlled in an attempt to send routes in a variety of different locations.  The scenes are captivating, and the game has moves that are true to climbing, but aside from reading routes and attempting beta, it can’t really replicate the activity of the sport itself.  It is a novel experience but lacks the nuance of actual climbing.

Where a program like Crytek’s Climb could soon appeal to climbers though is through access.  Systems like Meta’s Quest Pro and Apple’s Vision Pro are spectacular systems that are a little ahead of their time.  Think of the early days of the iPhone and iPad.  Great systems, but their power doesn’t really hit the mainstream until app developers create ways in which users can work with that power.  Once app developers started creating apps, the iPhone and similar devices really took off.  A place where we curate our lives through notes, photos, games, contacts, movies, emails, messages, and social media would be nothing without the apps that provide access to these sources.  Similarly, the current VR tech is limited to development of apps that will allow users to engage in the power behind the machine.

In terms of climbing, a game about climbing could be fun, but major VR contributions are just around the corner.  Imagine being a route setter with virtual access to all your walls and holds, and rather than hauling buckets of holds and volumes up a pully system to see what will work best, all the route design can be done from the comfort of a crash pad.  With the right AI assistant, one could potentially have each route designed, laid out, and graded within a matter of seconds.  Setters could take the exact number of holds, bolts, and screws up the wall with them and then place each hold according to the virtual diagram laid before their eyes. 

Additionally, VR could allow climbers to access routes with pristine detail from the comfort of their bed. Imagine planning an entire trip right down to the beta on that hard 5.13.  One could use VR to navigate the approach, know the type of pro, have an exact count on draws, and know the perfect length of rope.  You could plan which crag to hit according to where the sun is going to be at an exact moment, where the best local camping spots are, and the ability hook up with other climbers looking for a catch.  The details of planning a trip will be limited to your preferences.  You can find out which filling station (gas/electric/hydro/?) has the cleanest bathrooms as well as see exactly which aisle and shelf to find your favorite road snacks.

Perhaps having all that info isn’t for everyone, but for groups like Search and Rescue, VR can be a lifesaving game changer.

In addition, having the ability to explore crags and walls that would otherwise be prohibitive will be accessible via VR. Not everyone will have the chance to climb in Mallorca, but through VR, everyone will have the ability to explore Mallorca.  The same can be said about any place and route in the world, as well as completely made-up worlds.  Have you ever wanted to see what the crux move on Silence looks like? With VR, you can explore the exact depth of any crimp, sloper, knee bar, or jug in the world.

As of now, commercial VR is limited to visual and audio, but as technology advances, so too will the level of immersion that VR can offer.  Haptic clothing is on the horizon, and from there it won’t be long until fully immersive haptic chambers will allow participants to experience the most true-to-life entanglement imaginable.  Enabling resistance and muscle stimulation to be simulated will complement the visual and audio experience of being on the rocks.

Finally, VR will move directly to neural manipulation, allowing experiences that rival “real” life in all imaginable ways, to the point where one could not distinguish the difference between being in or out of VR.  At that point, any lines regarding reality will be blurred, and our level of existence will be pushed further from any base-reality.  It’s unknown if technology will ever make it to that level of VR, but it’s also unknown if we aren’t already there!