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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Starting out 16-Jun-2009 At 10:39:30 AM rockranga

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Hi Leigh, congrats on a fantastic choice of sport :)

if you're starting out from scratch I'd recommend an indoor gym if possible as it allows you to get your footing. You'll find, initially, the hardest part of climbing is learning to balance your weight and shifting it around in order to make your way up each climb, indoor gyms are a very safe way to learn and you can push your limits without worrying about getting stuck halfway. The other good thing about climbing indoors is the ability to get your fitness up very quickly, you'll be able to bang out ten climbs in a couple of hours compared to 1 or 2 during a day trip at an outdoor crag, if you go a couple of times a week your strength and ability will shoot up quite fast.

Of course you'll need someone to climb with which can be another challenge in itself, if possible find a friend who's keen and get into it together, if not you'll find the notice boards at gyms have scores of people looking for climbing partners, they vary in ability from beginner to experienced so you shouldn't have any problems finding someone to climb with.

As the others have said, climbers are a friendly bunch who are always up for a conversation and happy to answer questions. It's a dangerous sport but most of the danger can be negated by being safe and smart. Learn everything you can from those around you and you'll be fine.

Gear is another topic and something you'll want to investigate, to climb indoors you'll need a harness, carabiner, shoes and a chalkbag (At first you can hire these). With a harness i'd advise visitng various stores and trying on several brands, go somewhere you can sit in the harness to determine if it's comfortable, you should get something decent for around $150 but as you'll be spending a lot of time in this thing over the years you'll want it to fit perfectly, don't be afraid to spend a little extra if it means getting something really confortable. Shoes are another matter, as you're really new to climbing i would probably recommend something cheaper if they're for indoor use as you'll end up replacing them within a year or so (Not because they've worn out but because you'll want something a bit more technical), again, go for comfort. For chalkbags and carabiners buy whatever suits your style and budget, functionality doesn't really change with these, carabiners open and shut and chalkbags hold chalk.

Have a look around for your gear rather than buying from the first store you visit, you'll find you can almost always get a good deal by shopping around, go to shops and look for sales, visit websites and compare overall prices and service. www.rockhardware.com.au is quite a good site with a large range of products and cheap postage.

Hope it all made sense, have fun and happy climbing!! :)