Rock Climbing: A Beginner's Guide

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Want to try rock climbing, but don’t know where to begin? Rock climbing takes strength, patience, and skill, but it is a great way to experience nature from a whole new viewpoint. There is a lot to learn before you take a shot at scaling a mountain face.

Indoor Climbing

There are many specific skills you will need to climb a real rock wall as nature is unpredictable, so first you should master, or at least practice, the predictable. You should start at your local rock climbing gym to practice bouldering and top rope climbing. Each indoor climbing style builds different skills to prepare you for outdoor climbs.

Bouldering is climbing up shorter walls without ropes, with mats underneath for safety in case you fall. It helps you build your strength, balance, and problem-solving skills when climbing. Top-rope climbing utilizes taller walls with a rope anchored at the top. This form of climbing better simulates “trad” climbing, or traditional climbing, than bouldering. You get the chance to practice the skills gained in bouldering while also enhancing your endurance. Once you are confident in top-rope climbing, you’ll be more prepared for “trad” climbing.

Climbing Basics

One of the first skills you should learn before climbing a true rock wall is gaining footing, which means finding a solid grip on rock ledges. Indoor gyms are great for practicing this skill, where you can start on larger ledges and slowly grow your confidence on smaller, less-defined ledges like the ones found on a natural rock wall.

The skills for climbing and navigating a rock face are important, but safety is just as important. You must learn how to tie certain knots. The most common knots used for rock climbing are the figure 8 follow through for the harness, the clove hitch for the anchors, and the double fisherman for creating slings, which hold “pro” and extra anchors, or attaching rope ends. If you would like to practice these knots, click here.

Before climbing, always perform safety checks. Think of them as a chore checklist – they must all be completed before the fun can begin. Make sure your helmet and shoes are tightened, your harness is properly set, and do a belay check. Belaying uses a pulley device to protect the climber an unexpected fall by the use of friction. Belaying is always done with a partner, so good communication is key. Talk to your partner in case you need to rest or feel like you might fall, and they can lock the device. If you want to become more familiar with belaying, click here.

Before attempting “trad” climbing, make sure you have the right equipment. Though many gyms will provide you with beginner equipment, you will need your own eventually. Basic gear includes a helmet, breathable and flexible clothes, a harness, chalk, belay equipment, and

Trad Climbing

You’re now ready for “trad” climbing, but there are key differences you should know. Instead of clipping into preplaced bolts, you will carry protection, or “pro.” There are two types, passive and active, each protecting a climber as they make their way up a rock wall. Climbing protection typically consists of a hook, block, or gear system, which can expand into the space you are placing it in, on one end and a wire loop on the other to thread the rope through. You will place “pro” in cracks or features in the rock wall to create anchor points for your rope in case you slip or fall. The other main difference is that “trad” climbing requires you to create your own path up a rock wall instead of following premade paths and grip points. As you begin your outdoor, rock-climbing excursions, hire an experienced instructor until you are familiar with the equipment and the process of climbing.

Rock climbing is a great activity to stay active and enjoy the beauty of nature. The Carolinas’ beautiful mountain ranges allow adventurers to find the best views that nature has to offer with multiple parks and climbing sites to practice, if you are willing to take the climb!