Rock Climbing

We're Jesse and Gordon, rock climbers who love to scale cliffs in Aspen, Colorado. We know that some formations are easier to climb than others and we wondered if knowing more about the kinds of rock we were climbing could improve our technique. So, our DragonflyTV question is: How do different rock types affect our climbing?

How would you investigate this question?
This investigation combines science with adventure. One of your challenges will be to find a location where you could climb rocks of different types. What rock properties should you observe (hint: hardness, crystal size)? And what observations will you make about climbing on each kind of rock? What makes a good climb, and what makes a poor climb? Describe your investigation in your notebook and discuss it with your teacher, or go to Rock Climbing to learn more about Jesse and Gordon's investigation.