Ever wonder, how to get into Rock Climbing? or where to go rock climbing? or even what is bouldering? Learn about these facts and the most frequently asked questions about the sport of Rock Climbing: 

How to get into rock climbing?

Nowadays the gym is a great place to start. It’s accessible to just- every city, every town has a climbing gym now. Just pop in, and you can get instructions if you want, or you can just play around. You can just go have fun, scramble around, and kind of learn the movement. Meet some friends, it’s social. And then if you wanna take it outside, the gym is just a great place to start and build those skills

What to wear rock climbing?

You don’t need very technical gear to go rock climbing. The best garments to wear is leggings and a tank top. If you’re a guy you could wear surf shorts and a tee shirt. Something simple, something comfortable, something stretchy. You do build a lot of body heat, so shorts and tank tops are nice. Nothing too heavy. Just be comfortable.

How to get better at rock climbing?

Rock climbing’s one of those sports where you just have to practice. And repeat over and over and over. There’s lots of cross-training you can do, we just recommend climbing as much as you can. Get in the gym, get outside on different rock styles and try and think about what you’re bad at. If your fingers get tired during a session, maybe try working on your crimp strength. Grabbing smaller holds. If your forearms get tired easily, do longer routes to get pumped.

How to train for rock climbing?

Unlike suffering sports, in climbing, you just get to go into the gym and play. If you’re not falling, you’re not trying things that are hard enough, and you’re probably not going to get better. So just fall a lot.

What is bouldering rock climbing?

Bouldering is where you’re climbing a short distance and then falling onto a mat. So you don’t have any sort of rope or protection. When you’re outside you have to take a crash pad, like a mat you carry on your back, lay it on the ground, and that’s what you fall onto. It’s like the simplest form of climbing.

How dangerous is rock climbing?

Not very much if you’re doing it correctly. There are a lot of different variables, and types of rock climbing, but there’s equipment that’s there to keep you safe. You have a harness, you’re tied into a rope, if you use the equipment correctly and your partner is competent, then it’s very safe. You have to be aware of rock fall, loose rock, and the weather, and then if you’re bouldering, you fall to the ground so there’s more risk to your ankles. If you’re trad climbing, you have to make sure your protection is placed well. There are a lot of answers to that, but in general, use your equipment properly and it’s super safe.

How does rock climbing chalk work?

Chalk dries out your skin. You don’t wanna be sweaty when you’re on the wall. And it helps give friction. The friction between your skin and the hold you’re grabbing. Makes it a lot easier.

What is belaying?

Important for safety. Belaying is your partner keeping you safe when you’re climbing with a ropeThere are many types. But it’s a piece of equipment that the rope runs through that they can break to stop your fall. So you’re high up on a cliff, you fall, there is protection on the wall that the rope runs through, and then your belayer kind of goes into a break position and prevents the rope from continuing to run through the equipment. Important to trust your belayer.

How do rock climbing anchors work?

When you get to the top of a climb, there are normally like two bolts in the wall. That’s most typical. And those always stay there. It’s just so that when you get to the top, you can secure yourself to the anchor and lower down and clean off all your other gear so that you don’t have to leave expensive equipment on the wall. 

What is rappelling?

Rappelling is when you’re lowering yourself. So you’re descending the rock with a belay device to get from the top of the wall down to the ground. So if you’re doing a multi-pitch climb, you’re gonna have to repel a whole bunch of pitches to get to the ground. So it just means that rather than your partner lowering you, you lower yourself.

How many calories does rock climbing burn?

It is a strength training activity ,so there are calories you burn while you’re climbing, but then your body takes a lot of recovery and is still burning calories while you recover. 

Is rock climbing good for you?

Definitely. It’s a great form of exercise. It works all the muscles in your body. It’s fun, it’s social. It’s a great way to meet people.

What are the hazards of rock climbing?

Well, despite it being safe, you have to use your equipment properly. There are many scenarios where you could misuse your equipment. If you don’t tie your knot correctly, or you start talking to a friend and you don’t complete your knot, or you don’t check your partner before you start up the wall, or in bouldering, if you fall and twist your ankle. There’s also weather that you have to pay attention to. If you’re high up on a wall many pitches up, you gotta pay attention to what the weather’s doing, if you’re safe. Rockfall is a hazard. That’s why you wear helmets if there’s a rock fall danger. Also just your partner not being aware, not paying attention. There are a lot of hazards, but you can mitigate those risks too.

How do you get down from rock climbing?

So depends on what type of climbing you’re doing. But if you’re sport climbing, you get to the top, and then your partner just lowers you down. That’s why you have a partner, someone belaying you. Sometimes the area ethic is that you should repel down, which preserves the anchors. It doesn’t put wear and tear on the equipment at the top. If you’re doing a multi-pitch climb you have to repel down many pitches. 

Rock climbing’s a great activity for everyone to try. Any body type, any age, doesn’t matter where you’re from, go out and try it. Get a few friends together and it’s just a great place to have fun, test yourself, and push yourself. 

You can take it as seriously or as casually as you want. It doesn’t have to be going out there and trying your hardest. It can just be going and getting a good workout. It’s also a great way to see cool places. In a lot of the places we live, there might be a hill or a cliff you’d never visit if you didn’t climb, but it takes you to this new place, and then not only do you meet other people, but you see views you’ve never seen before. And it gives you a different experience, it helps you learn about your body and kind of how your movements work, and what your body’s capable of. Get out there and try it. If you’re intimidated, there are a lot of resources. If you don’t know of any climbers, go into the gym and ask for instructions or sign up for a course.

There are lots of classes, intro to climbing, how to belay, or women’s climbing courses. There are all kinds of creative ones that make it a lot less intimidating and are a great way to meet people and get into the sport, so get out there.