However, when I got married and had a baby son I gave up this sport because I realized it was just too dangerous for someone married raising a child. Within a few years one of my rock climbing buddies died a Castle Crags just south of Dunsmuir but not far from Mt. Shasta along Interstate 5. The problem with climbing Castle Crags is the rock is sort of decomposed Granite so pieces of it can break off so if you are not roped in from the start of the climb to the top of the climb you might die there like my friend did.
A Bong is a bent piece of Aluminum to jam into a crack in the rocks to hold your ropes so you don't fall. I always preferred Pitons and I like to have several pitons set because with pitons you are less likely to die if you hammer your pitons into the rock cracks properly. However, even if you pull a piton if you have others below it you might survive the fall but when you fall it is easy to get a concussion or worse when your body and head sometimes slams against the rock at the end of your fall or during it. But, I preferred never to use Bongs because I never felt safe doing this. I also didn't like ice Climbing unless I was roped in from the top and couldn't fall because ice is often in irregular shapes and if you hit it with your body or head it is usually much sharper than the rocks you are climbing and can do more damage often when you fall even if you are roped in on belay.
However, if you want to be a rock climber you want to be roped in from the top of what you are climbing with a really good rope or you want a line of pitons so if you fall and pull one or more out you have others that will catch you. Just having one piton holding you is not usually a good idea unless you have no other choice in that moment.
Many people get thrilled by Free Climbing but all you need is one false move and you don't exist anymore.
