It is by no means a new activity, but balancing rock sculpture is taking the outdoor world by storm, with people jumping at the chance every day to master this unique art. It involves nothing more than pure science — no adhesives, no sleight of hand, no tricks. Tremendous patience and calm are required to achieve the desired result, which many rock balancers claim puts them in a sort of zen state, focusing on one thing only, which is the perfect and precarious balance of one rock upon another. Rock balancing takes several forms, each that demands its own specific considerations and moves:
Pure Balance
Each rock is near-point balanced on the other
Counterbalance
Lower rocks depend on the weight of upper rocks to maintain balance
Balanced Stacking
Each rock is laid flat on top of the other to create a tall structure
Freestyle Balance
A mixture of two or more methods
One of the coolest things about rock balancing is that anyone can do it, and it can be done virtually anywhere there are rocks. Do exercise good judgement, however, as you don’t want to tear up the environment looking for rocks to balance. If in doubt about whether your sculpture adheres to the Leave No Trace ethic, simply dismantle it and replace the rocks where you found them when you’re finished. You may be surprised at your own ability to make the seemingly impossible possible!
Images via Google Images, Wiki Images, Xuanxu
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