Climbing is a really enjoyable, but complex sport. When getting into it, it has the potential to be a little more on the pricey end of the spectrum, and it can be hard to find mentors – not to mention dangerous if you’re not careful and don’t set things up correctly. In recent years the evolution of climbing gyms has made it a lot easier to give climbing a try. Grab a friend or two and head over to the nearest one. All you’ll need is to rent a pair of shoes and a harness, and you’re ready to get climbing. on the bouldering wall.
Table of Contents
1. Climbing Shoes
One of the most important things when climbing is having the correct pair of shoes. It is essential to your preparation and you should never hop on the wall wearing the incorrect, or inappropriate shoes. Your first pair of brand-new climbing shoes will not be the most comfortable thing in the world. According to climbinghouse.com, there are a few things you can do in order to break in your new shoes. One of the best and easiest methods is wearing a thick pair or two of socks. Wear them like this around the house for a little while before hitting the wall. This will stretch and mold them to your feet in no time.
2. Warm-Up
Once you’ve got the right shoes and you’re ready to hit the wall, it’s important that you warm-up and stretch thoroughly. You need to increase your pulse and heart rate. We recommend you do this by jogging on the spot, high knees, and jumping jacks at one-minute intervals. Loosen your arm joint by doing arm circles and stretch out your core. Throw in a few finger explosions and you’re good to go. Start off with an easy climb and then go onto more advanced areas once you’re comfortable.
3. Climbing Footwork
We often think that hand placement is what keeps one on the wall, but this isn’t the case. Hand placement is important, yes, however, foot placement is just as important. Without stable footing and good technique (which you will eventually learn if you’re reading this as a beginner), you won’t manage to get up that wall. Things will be over before they’ve even begun. One of the most common mistakes made by climbers is that they stand with the middle of their foot on larger footholds. This gives you no precision as a climber, making you exert more effort on the wall and making you clumsy on smaller footholds. This technique only works on the larger footholds and is impossible to carry onto smaller footholds. Avoid this as it is a bad habit. Feeling the shape and using your toes is a much better way to go about things. This allows you to get into those hard-to-reach spots and gives you extra height because you can stand on them and extend your ankle.
4. Do Your Push-Ups
Push-ups aren’t the punishment you remember from high school sports and retro teen romcoms. They are a great way to strengthen your upper body, which is pretty important when getting into climbing. There are several different types of push-ups and press-ups that you can do to strengthen various areas of your upper body. We highly recommend that you do these to strengthen your upper body, making climbing an even more enjoyable experience.
5. Clipping
It is important that you know how to clip correctly when lead climbing. This ensures that you can clip a quickdraw quickly and efficiently. If you can’t, then you will waste all of your time and energy trying to clip, making the rest of your climbing quite a bit harder. You should come equipped with knowledge of at least two different methods to clip each carabiner. This is because it could be facing one of two directions – left or right. You’ll eventually figure out which method you prefer, whether you’re using behind the thumb or a finger to push it in. You can always ask someone at a climbing gym to show you their preferred method. This can help you figure out what you’re the most comfortable with.
6. Belay Devices
There are quite a few different types of belay devices available for you to choose from. However, their function and how they work is much the same. The golden rule remains the same “never to let go of the dead rope”. Keep in mind that these products should only ever be used in accordance with the guidelines laid out by the manufacturer.
7. Chalk
Chalk is your best friend when you climb, especially when used properly. Too much, too little, or perhaps the wrong type and you’ll have a less than fun climb. You can take your pick of a few different types of chalk. You can choose from liquid chalk, chalk balls, loose chalk, and chalk blocks, and a few others. You’ll need to be mindful of the people climbing around you. No one wants a cloud of chalk in their face while climbing.
8. Use Your Whole Body
You won’t just use your arms and legs while climbing. You will need to use your entire body in some interesting and rather dynamic way. When you make use of your whole body it is much easier to reach those hard-to-reach places. It is important that you learn these dynamic, tougher maneuvers on the wall if you want to be able to go anywhere. It allows you to reach further, hold tighter, and be a better climber overall.
9. Learn Your Climbing Terminology
Barn doors, beta, bicycles, dyno, sandbag, bridges, smearing, and flashes. What do these all mean? When you start climbing, you’ll encounter a new world of jargon and lingo. It is really important that you read up about these terms before you get into climbing. It’ll make communicating and understanding forums online much easier.
Climbing is a really healthy sport to take up. It is a full-body workout and a great way to meet new people. We hope that you’ve found these tips useful and that you’ll implement them into your climbing routine.
