Climbing is often considered an extreme sport. It takes determination, agility and physical strength. While that's true to an extent, it also can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors and stay fit - both physically and mentally. Not only does your physical strength get tested against all sorts of conditions, but your mental finesse, too, as you figure out the path forward up a rock face. In a nutshell, climbing is a fun, challenging and extremely rewarding sport all wrapped into a neat, exhilarating bundle.

If you've been considering taking up a new activity this year to keep up with your fitness goals or just to try something new in 2022, climbing might just be the thing for you! But before you get to booking a great climbing adventure, there are a few things you should learn and understand as a rock climbing beginner. From the different disciplines of climbing to the types of equipment you will need, here is your all-encompassing guide for the basics of rock climbing:

What is Climbing?

Climbing is a physically demanding activity that requires the use of specialised equipment to overcome a steep wall, rock formation or artificial structure. Many distinct forms of climbing exist, each with its own appeal. There's bouldering, sport climbing, trad climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing to name but a few. Don’t worry if those terms seem alien to you, we’ll get into all of those in more detail in a bit.

As we’ve mentioned before, climbing is not just a workout for your body but for your mind, too. It's all about the difficulty of climbing, the thrill of exploring, and the sense of adventure that comes with it — on top of the physical workout, of course. As a stress reliever, a way to get active, or just an exciting way to see what Mother Nature has to offer, climbing has many purposes for different people.

The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) represents all climbers in the United Kingdom, regardless of whether they are professional guides or weekend warriors on issues like access rights, conservation, equality, and safety.

The Different Types of Climbing

As we’ve mentioned previously, there are multiple kinds of climbing disciplines, each enjoyed by many. If you’re keen on picking up climbing for beginners, take a look at each style of climbing and decide which could be the best for you. The ultimate recommendation is to have a go at each and every one of them, so you can truly understand how all the different climbing styles work and feel before deciding which is the best for you.

Here are some of the different disciplines of climbing that you will come across as a rock climbing beginner:

Trad Climbing

Source: British Mountaineering Council

Traditional climbing, also known as trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing that is distinguished by the utilisation of climbing safety equipment such as cams, nuts and pitons. Trad climbing was the original way to rock climb until the introduction of sport climbing during the 80s.

This style doesn't use any pre-placed anchors to secure climbers during their ascents the way that sport climbing does. Instead, climbers place the safety equipment needed to protect them from falls as they make their ascent – and remove them when they are done climbing.

Compared to sport climbing, which we'll get to in a minute, trad climbing allows climbers to go off the beaten path, so to speak. Since there isn't pre-determined protection going up a rock face, trad climbers are able to get creative and explore various ways to climb up the rock.

Sport Climbing

Source: British Mountaineering Council

Sport climbing is a type of rock climbing which is characterised by utilising pre-placed permanent anchors and bolts that have been drilled into the rock, set into a pre-determined route. Introduced in the 1980s, sport climbing, often referred to as simply "sport" between climbers, takes place on walls that can be indoor or outdoor and is considered a safer way to climb compared to trad climbing.

Compared to trad, sport climbing places an emphasis on one's athletic ability and endurance to climb up a wall rather than the addition of mental efficiency. This lack of emphasis is key to why sport climbing is taken so seriously and why it is ranked as a major form of climbing. Sport climbing can also be highly competitive and was even introduced as an Olympic sport during the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo. The first-ever gold medals for the sport were won by Spaniard Alberto Ginés López and Slovenian Janja Garnbret!

Sport climbing is an exciting and challenging way to spend your day outside. You can try out the different types of techniques or even combine various techniques together to solve routes. It is not only a great way to work out but also a truly meditative experience.

Lead Climbing

Source: Outdoor Women’s Alliance

Lead climbing is a type of sport, trad or ice climbing where your partner attaches a belay device to there harness and you, as the climber, ties into a rope. In lead climbing, the climber is attached to the rock at all times via a rope in case they fall.

The lead climber is responsible for connecting the rope to anchors or protection along their route for safety purposes while the belayer pays out slack as they progress up the route. The technique of lead climbing is something that must be perfected through practice because it involves a lot of concentration and agility. Both trad and sport climbers can utilise lead climbing for added adrenaline though a practise of ‘top roping’ is prefered by others.

Multi-pitch Climbing

Source: Hatt Adventures

Multi-pitch climbs involve ascending routes that feature one or more stops at a belay station. It's another form of lead climbing, with the lead using the belay stations as an anchor point while the second climber climbs after them and collects the gear up to the station. These tend to involve longer routes where multiple ropes, or "pitches", are needed to ascend the wall.

This is also another style of climbing utilisable by both sport and trad climbers but also ice climbing which we will look at shortly.. Although a majority of multi-pitch climbs will need trad gear, you may be lucky enough to find a few multi-pitch sport climbs near you!

Mountaineering

Source: Mpora

If you're looking for something a little different from your normal climbing experience, then mountaineering may tickle your fancy! Mountaineering, involves scaling mountains with all the equipment needed to overcome the diverse conditions and situations that mountains offer – including mixed terrain from rock to snow and ice. This form of climbing brings climbers into a much more extreme environment that requires a great deal of preparation and safety measures.

Mountaineering may include expedition style climbing. Expedition climbs involve much taller mountains compared to alpine or Scottish winter climbs and therefore tend to be spread across multiple days. Since expedition climbs take longer, they also tend to be done in groups, more often than not, and require camps to be set up along the route. Mountaineers also bring a lot more equipment and rations during expeditions, which sometimes require multiple trips between camps to take all the equipment up the ascent.

Alpine-style mountaineering still requires alot of equipment but can be done much quicker compared to expedition climbing, sometimes even within a day, since these climbs tend to involve shorter mountains, easier approaches and lower altitudes. In alpine climbing climbers try to strike a balance between carrying all the gear they may possibly need for the route and keeping weight down - the more weight carried, the slower progress will be however you don’t want to be caught short without a key piece of gear!

Ice Climbing

Source: REI

Ice climbing has become a very popular activity in many parts of the world and is becoming more so by the year. This is a form of climbing that involves scaling sheer faces of frozen ice formations, using the ice it self to aid progression.

Specialist equipment like crampons and ice axes are key to a successful ice climb. These will help you climb up ice by maintaining a connection on the icy surface and tend to be supplied by the climbing group that handles your adventure. Crampons are sharp metal spikes that fit to your boots and allow you to climb on steep icy cliffs, while ice axes are as they sound - a pointed, small axe designed to penetrate deep into the ice for a secure grip. These must be used in conjunction with one another in order to scale the peak of a mountain or ice face.

Indoor Climbing

Source: USA Today

Indoor climbing is one of the most popular forms of climbing that is available across the world today. This form of climbing involves scaling artificially constructed walls or boulders in a controlled environment with specialised equipment that requires a lot of hand strength and exceptional agility. It attempts to mimic the outdoor climbing experience but provides a more accessable and safe environment to do so – making it a perfect spot for beginner rock climbing.

Indoor climbing gyms are located all over the world and provide climbers with the opportunity to get a feel for climbing and various techniques from beginner climbs using large holds to more advanced climbs on over hangs and slopping hand holds. These walls tend to be made from plywood boards stuck onto a metal frame with plastic hand- and footholds bolted into the board. The hand- and footholds tend to be multicoloured, signalling different climbing route difficulties.

Whether you're a rock climbing beginner looking to get started in the sport or an experienced climber looking to train and improve, indoor climbing is a great way to give climbing a go without having to brave the elements.

Bouldering

Source: Never Stop Moving

Bouldering is a form of climbing that focuses on a short-distance ascent to the top of a boulder. This style focuses more on strength and skill rather than endurance, making it very popular as an introductory sport for those looking to take up rock climbing without having to brave the elements or learn how to belay.

It can be considered a type of free climbing that utilises smaller rock formations (like boulders), although bouldering is usually seen as its own sport. Bouldering is more of a problem solving and athletic sport compared to other styles of climbing as it places emphasis on creating solutions to climb difficult rock formations that are less than 20 feet tall.

Bouldering requires less specialist euipment and expertese but climbers tend to still wear a good pair of climbing shoes and use chalk. For added safety, bouldering groups will use bouldering mats placed below the boulder to better prevent injuries from falls.

Climbing Tips for Beginners

Above all else, the most important thing to remember about climbing is that it is a fun sport and a worthwhile hobby. If you are already taking up climbing, then you are already on the right track and just need to know how to push your climbing journey in the correct direction and try out different styles. Here are some great climbing tips for rock climbing beginners:

Find a Good Instructor

If you are a beginner who is looking to take up rock climbing, then you should make sure that you find a reputable instructor before attempting it on your own. Getting an instructor that teaches climbing for beginners will not only help you find out what rock climbing is all about, but they will also assist you in all the different aspects of climbing.

The best way to do this is to talk to someone who has been there and done it, such as a friend or colleague. These people will have insight into the best local instructors in your area, and if they have already attended one of their courses, then they can even help recommend some qualified instructors out there.

Get a Climbing Partner

Climbing with your friends or even family members is a great idea for those who are looking to get started in climbing. This is because climbing with someone will provide you with a lot of motivation, as you will be able to climb alongside your friends or family members and share tips along the way.

If you do not have any other climbers around you, then consider getting in touch with a local climbing group of any sort. These groups are always on the lookout for new people who wish to join them and climb different areas together.

Strengthen Your Core

Despite what you might think, climbing is all about having strong core strength. In order to climb, your core must be strong enough to handle the added pressure of climbing. If you are a beginner, then it's worth investing in a few sessions with a good instructor or a few trips to the gym to learn how to strengthen your core.

There are many different types of core exercises out there that can help you build up your strength for climbing. A good strength routine for climbing could include crunches and planks.

Stay Within Your Limits

When it comes to rock climbing, one of the most important things for beginners to remember is that it's vital to trust your instincts. It's easy for beginners to be overwhelmed by the complex elements of a climb and forget how important it is that they stay safe.

When it comes to scaling a mountain, climbing requires a lot of physical strength and endurance. When starting out, though, there are limitations in place that are meant to help you understand what you can or cannot do while attempting different types of climbs. One example is when starting out with steep grades with difficult movements; make sure that you only attempt these climbs when you feel comfortable doing them safely without risking injury or making costly mistakes as a rock climbing beginner.

Invest in Good Quality Equipment

When it comes to rock climbing, good-quality equipment is a must. The type of gear that you purchase for your climbs will dictate whether or not you are able to get to the top of the mountain or route safely.

A lot of beginners might assume that any piece of gear will work for them however, this isnt always the case so as a rock climbing beginner, don't be afraid to ask climbing groups online or your local climbing centre for advice.

Have Fun!

It is important to have fun while you're climbing because it will help you stay motivated. When you are having fun and enjoying the process, this will keep your interest in going to the gym, learning and practising different techniques, and trying different things at hand.

Fun is key because it means that you'll be able to stay motivated in spite of setbacks or challenges and keep going. Have some fun with your climbing, make sure that you try new things, get feedback from other climbers for suggestions on what could improve your experience, and always have some laughs when things are going wrong!

What Gear Do You Need For Climbing?

There are certain types of gear that you should have regardless of whether you're starting out in rock climbing or are a seasoned climbing veteran. The main idea behind this is to give you the proper tools and safety equipment to be able to climb safely. These tools and gear will help you become more proficient at what you're doing and give you more confidence in your climbing.

Chalk Bag

The chalk bag is a must when it comes to rock climbing, as chalk helps you get a proper grip while climbing. This will not only ensure that you get a good grip, but it will also prevent your hands from sticking to the rock when you're climbing.

Climbing Shoes

When it comes down to climbing shoes don’t get too stressed about the massive number of brands and models on offer. When starting out simply aim for a shoe that is tight but not uncomfortable. As you progress you can spend more money on getting better shoes but at the start they are unlikley to last as long due to the fact you’ll still be learning good foot work.

Appropriate Clothing

When it comes to clothing, it's important to wear clothing that is comfortable, flexible and breathable at the same time. It's also important that the clothes you wear are durable.

Safety Gear

If you’re out on a climbing trip, a reputable outdoor adventure provider will usually bring along a majority of safety gear, so you don’t have to worry. But if you’re planning on going on solo adventures, you’ll definitely need to invest in a helmet, a harness, a belay device and, of course, rope.

Getting Into Climbing for Beginners

When it comes to rock climbing, there are many different things that you need to be aware of, particularly if you're a beginner. However, taking steps to understand what's required of you in terms of gear and equipment will help make your first few climbs much easier than they would be otherwise.

If you're now keen on getting on a climbing for beginners trip, make sure you get a professional climbing adventure provider with not just experienced climbers to help you but those who are sure to share their love for climbing with you!

Beginners Guide to Climbing in 2022