Is climbing difficult to start? The answer may surprise you.
In a word, no!
But thirty years ago, when I started rock climbing, I would have given a different answer.
Climbing Was Difficult To Start A Long Time Ago
Back then, the first thing you would have needed in order to start climbing was a cliff. Not something that many of us have in our backyards, or even in our neighborhood.
After that, you’d need someone to climb with—specifically, to hold the rope for you (in climbing jargon, a belayer), and, if you valued staying in one piece, someone who understood, and was willing to teach you, all of the intricacies of the safety systems.
And that’s before you ponied up the cash to purchase all of the equipment climbers need to stay happy, and healthy, after a day on the rocks.
Climbing Is Now Mainstream
Today, however, things are very different.
No longer a fringe sport, climbing has moved decidedly toward the mainstream. Indoor climbing gyms are popping up in every city like dandelions in the spring. The majority of us are now a short drive from the nearest climbing gym, minutes away from getting to the top of our first wall.
But, you might ask, what about all that other stuff? The climbing partner, the equipment, the safety training…isn’t that still hard to get?
Nope!
The fact is that indoor climbing gyms make all that stuff easy for you. After all, they want you to come in and climb!
Climbing Gyms Teach You to Climb
First, nearly every gym has a First Time Climber package designed to get you on the wall quickly and easily. Most of these packages range from $35 to $50, so they won’t break the bank.
In addition, these packages typically include all your personal climbing equipment. Climbing shoes, gymnastics chalk (to keep your hands from sweating), and safety harnesses, if needed.
And, of course, all the critical safety equipment—ropes, padded flooring, anchors, etc.—are the gyms’ responsibility. So, you don’t need to worry about any of that when you get started.
Climbing Solo? No Problem
What about climbing partners? No problem there, either. Climbing is not difficult to start anymore.
Most modern climbing gyms have first-time climbing options that don’t require a partner. These styles of climbing include bouldering (where pads are used for safer landings, instead of ropes) or auto-belays (where a mechanical device holds the rope for you).
Or, if you have a friend that wants to try climbing too, you can sign up for an introductory class. This will teach both of you all the safety skills you need, usually in under an hour. Afterward, you and your friend can scale the walls to your heart’s content, any time you want!
Many gyms even have services to help pair you with other new (or experienced) climbers—a great way to meet new people, as well as get climbing.
You Don't Need Upper Body Strength To Climb
The final concern I frequently hear about how climbing is difficult to start is that it requires a good deal of strength, especially in the upper body and hands. This is, however, a common myth. You do not need upper body strength to climb.
I have been training climbers for over 25 years—hundreds of them, of all shapes and sizes, all levels of ability, and of all ages. I’ve trained people as young as three and as old as eighty. And, they all have one thing in common:
To get to the top of the wall on their very first day.
The fact is that movies and TV love to portray rock climbing as an extreme sport, supposedly accessible to only daredevils with fingers of steel.
We see documentaries like Free Solo, where world-class climbers dangle from the side of a 3000-foot cliff without even safety ropes. Or we see movies like Point Break, where stuntmen and women cling to overhanging rocks by just their fingertips, making us think, “How can anyone do that?”
It’s great entertainment. But it’s not how climbing actually works.
Climbing is For Everyone
Sure, at a world-class level, some of these more extreme abilities are more common, even necessary. The first time you play basketball you don’t need to dunk. Or the first time you go skiing you wouldn’t head right for the double-black diamond trails. And first-time climbers will start on, well…first-time climbs.
Climbing is an activity/sport where it is easy to choose your own level. Every good climbing gym has a wealth of climbs specifically for beginners. This includes climbs for all ages, heights, and physical abilities. To get up your first wall all you typically need is a little determination and the ability to climb a ladder or a set of stairs. It really is that easy. So, no, climbing is not difficult to start.
If you are thinking of giving climbing a try, head down to your local climbing gym. They have everything you need to make your first experience successful and fun! Who knows, if you’re like me, after that first day you may never want to stop!
