If you’re getting into indoor rock climbing for beginners, you’re probably wondering what to expect and how to climb a little better your first time. This beginners guide to indoor rock climbing covers what I wish I’d known before my first session.
Indoor rock climbing is fun and a great workout, but there are a few things I’ve put in this article to help you get started so your first experience is a great one. We’ll go through the gear, the belay basics, gym etiquette, and a handful of tips for your first climb.
Table of Contents:
- Indoor Rock Climbing for Beginners: What to Consider First
- Gear You’ll Need
- Belaying Basics
- Indoor Climbing Etiquette
- Tips for Your First Climb
- Common Questions
- Frequently Asked Questions
Indoor Rock Climbing for Beginners: What to Consider First
Rock climbing is a cross-continental sport that’s been showcased at the Summer Olympics, so it’s only going to grow and become an even bigger deal.
Before you join the growing indoor climbing culture and start training to become an olympian yourself, here’s what to consider:
Belay Partner
The most important part of your indoor climbing experience is a belay partner.
Some gyms have auto-belay systems that let you climb top-rope (the type of indoor climbing where the rope is anchored to the top of the route) without needing someone else. Most climbing gyms, though, require you to bring your own belay partner.
Your belay partner is the one who manages the rope while you manage climbing. If you fall or need to be lowered, your belay partner is the one who keeps you from hitting the ground and helps you descend safely.
A good belay partner knows what they’re doing and always uses safe practices while you’re climbing to keep you safe.
I’ve seen belay partners who weren’t paying attention to the climber at indoor gyms, putting the climber at risk of serious injury. Luckily, when I saw this, gym employees stepped in to make sure the belayer did their job safely.
Most gyms, like the one I go to, require you to be belay certified, meaning you have to prove you know how to belay safely and can demonstrate it. Gyms often provide a class or instructions for new belayers, so you don’t need to know how to belay before you show up. If you want to read up first, start with Belaying 101.
Gym Memberships
If you’re thinking about getting more serious about indoor rock climbing, you’ll probably want a gym membership so you can climb as often as possible.
The first thing to do is figure out what you want from your gym membership. If you want to go climbing with a friend, that friend will need a membership pass too. If they already have a membership somewhere, you’ll probably benefit from getting a pass to that same gym.
If you don’t have a gym in mind already, consider buying a day pass at each gym in your area and testing out the facilities to help you decide which one you like the most.
Consider the following before you decide:
- Do they offer courses or classes for climbing or anything else you’re interested in?
- How often do they change the routes in the gym?
- Do they have showers available (if you need them)?
- Do they have lockers or a secure way to store your stuff while you’re at the gym?
- Do they have auto-belay systems, or do you always need a belay partner?
Unlike your basic gym with a bunch of treadmills and TVs, the cost of maintaining a rock climbing wall and keeping a climber safe when they’re lowered or falling from 30 feet up can be expensive.
Depending on where you live and the local competition (other climbing gyms in the area), you can usually get a membership between $50 to $150 per month. These gyms also often have punch-passes or single-use passes for sale.
Ask your local gym what’s included in the membership, since many have perks like exercise equipment, yoga classes, and some even have 24/7 access with your membership.
Gear You’ll Need for Indoor Rock Climbing
Most indoor rock climbing centers have all the gear you need for rent, and some even include it as part of your membership. If you find you like climbing, though, you’ll benefit from getting your own gear.
For a comparison of the best Rock Climbing Starter Kits (Harness, Belay Device, Carabiner & Chalk Bag), click here.
Harness
The harness is the most important gear you’ll need for indoor climbing. It’s what catches you when you fall (as long as you’re tied into the rope, of course). Most gyms provide climbing harnesses for rent, but the rental harnesses at gyms are uncomfortable and don’t have padding for when you fall.
For that reason, I recommend buying a harness with padded leg and waist loops. That way, when you do fall, you don’t feel the impact as much and you can climb a lot more comfortably. New to harnesses? Here’s how to put on a harness the right way.
Shoes
A lot of beginner climbers try to save a few bucks by climbing in tennis shoes, but they don’t do the job and you’ll be heavily limited in the climbs you can do.
Climbing shoes let you use small footholds (something that’s impossible in tennis shoes). That’s because they’re made to minimize the distance between your foot and the foothold, and they use a rubber that supports your toes so you can stand on your toes for a while without getting exhausted. If you’re not sure how tight to size them, read what affects how climbing shoes fit.
Chalk and Chalk Bag
Chalk is one of the tools climbers use to grip the holds more easily by drying out your hands so sweat doesn’t build up and make you slip. This is the one piece of gear most climbing gyms don’t provide, so you should bring your own.
Many beginner climbers try to save money by not using chalk or by using very little. Without chalk, you have to use more grip strength to hold onto the holds and you’ll have a harder time making it to the top, which can hurt your motivation to keep climbing.
Since climbing walls are so tall, you need to carry the chalk up the wall with you so you can reapply as you go and need more. The easiest way to do that is with a chalk bag. There are tons of chalk bag designs and most of them work fine as long as you can fit your full hand in the bag. I recommend a chalk bag that has a spot for a chalk brush, which you’ll probably want once you’re more experienced.
Belay Device
A growing number of indoor climbing centers require you to use an assisted-braking belay device. Assisted-braking belay devices are built to minimize risk if the belayer gets distracted while you’re climbing, and they can keep you from falling to the ground.
At all the other indoor climbing gyms, you can usually get away with a tubular ATC or even rent one. That said, I recommend getting an assisted-braking belay device for the added safety and peace of mind that comes with a backup, just in case.
The peace of mind matters even more when you and your belay partner are both new to climbing. It can help you commit to harder moves knowing that if you fall, you’ll be ok, and that confidence helps you keep climbing.
If you want to see which belay devices I recommend for beginners, check this article out (6 Of The Best Belay Devices For Beginner Climbers)
Carabiners
To attach the belay device to the belayer, you’ll need a locking carabiner. Most gyms have these to rent, but you can get a screw-gate locking carabiner for $15 online or at your trusted BackCountry or REI retailer.
I recommend spending a little more and getting a twist-gate or magnetic lock, since they’re just as safe but easier to lock and unlock when your fingers are tired from climbing.
Check out the price on Petzl’s Auto-Lock Twist Gate carabiner from BackCountry here
Check out the price on Black Diamond’s Auto-Lock Magnetic Gate carabiner from Black Diamond here
Rope
Luckily with indoor climbing, most gyms provide the rope, so you don’t have to buy one until you start climbing outdoors.
At my gym, the top-rope routes have rope provided, but if you want to do sport climbing (like in the Olympics, where the climber carries the rope up and clips it into dangling carabiners) you have to provide your own rope.
If you’re a beginner, I recommend sticking with top-rope climbing until you go through a course on sport climbing or lead climbing.
If you do need a rope for lead climbing, check with your climbing gym for how long it needs to be. Most gyms require rope to be at least 30 meters long. You can get a 30+-meter rope for a decent price at BackCountry or REI. Just make sure it’s a dynamic rope and thick enough to work with your belay device. Most belay devices require the rope to be between 8 to 10mm.
Belaying Basics
Belaying is probably the most important skill you need to learn BEFORE you start climbing. Most gyms require you to take a belaying test or course before you can belay in the gym.
If you get the chance, I recommend having a trained climber teach you how to belay. For a deeper walkthrough of the fundamentals, read Belaying 101.
Most climbing coaches prefer to teach you how to belay on a basic ATC belay device, but if you want the basics for how to use assisted-locking belay devices, check out this article here.
How to load rope into an ATC device (Top-Rope and Sport/Lead Climbing)
- Take a bite of the rope (a folded piece of the rope)
- Orient the rope so the brake side is pointing away from the belayer and the climber side is closest to the belayer
- Push the folded end of the rope into the device from the top
- Lock your carabiner around the device, the rope, and the belay loop on your harness
How to feed out rope through the device (for Sport/Lead climbing)
- Remember: keep your brake hand on the brake side of the rope
- With your top hand, pull the rope through the device while the brake hand pushes rope toward the belay device from the brake side of the rope
How to take in rope/slack through the device (Top-Rope and Sport/Lead Climbing)
- Remember: keep your brake hand on the brake side of the rope
- With your top hand, pull the rope down and toward the device
- Pull the rope through the device with your brake hand
- Place your top hand on the outside of your brake hand onto the brake side of the rope
- Slide your brake hand up toward the belay device
- Repeat steps 1 to 5 as needed.
How to lower a climber (Top-Rope and Sport/Lead Climbing)
- Move both hands to the brake side of the rope
- While keeping both hands below the belay device (and still holding the rope), feed the rope through one hand and up toward the belay device
- As you do this, the rope will feed through the device and lower the climber
Indoor Climbing Etiquette
Like in any sport or activity, there’s common etiquette you should follow while climbing. Here are the most basic ones you should know before going to an indoor climbing gym for the first time.
Using the right rope when Top-Rope climbing
This is both an etiquette and a safety thing. Use the rope that’s anchored right above the finish holds of the route you’re trying to climb. If you use a rope meant for a different route and you fall, you’ll likely swing. That can put you 3 feet away from where you were climbing, and it can send you swinging into the wall or into another climber.
Some gyms have an anchor system that lets you adjust where the rope sits. If you can, adjust the rope so it’s directly above the final holds on the route.
Climbing the route (colored holds or tape)
There may be multiple routes overlapping each other, but you can tell them apart by the color of the handholds. A route in a climbing gym is marked by different colored holds, and one route will be all one color.
While climbing the route, make sure you only use the holds meant for your route. In some cases, when you’re a beginner, it’s ok to use holds from a different route, but you should avoid it if you can.
Starting Holds
Starting holds are usually marked by a tag that says what grade or level the climb is. For example, it’ll say 5.10a. As a beginner, all you have to worry about is starting with your hands shoulder height or below on the same color as the rest of the route. If you’re curious how those numbers work, here’s how climbing routes are graded.
Tips For Your First Climb
Your first climb is going to feel unlike anything else. Some people feel scared being up high, and others feel exhilarated and want to keep climbing.
Here’s what you need to know:
Grades
For your first climb, try a beginner grade: 5.8 to 5.9. Once you can do a couple of 5.9s, try a 5.10a and go up from there.
Most people aren’t able to level up to a 5.10 until 6+ months of climbing, so don’t feel bad if you’re climbing at a 5.9 grade.
Footwork
A common mistake beginner climbers make is focusing on grip and arm strength to get up routes instead of their feet. The problem is you’ll get tired fast and have a hard time making big moves.
Before you move your hands, move your feet first.
There’s a lot of technique that goes into climbing footwork, but before you get caught up trying new techniques, just get used to looking at your feet. If you want structured practice on footwork and the other movement basics, the Grip & Grind app is built for exactly that. For more of the usual traps to avoid, read 7 common mistakes in rock climbing for beginners.
Arms Straight
One of the biggest issues climbers have when they start out is getting tired before they finish the climb. That not only stops you from finishing, it also stops you from leveling up.
By keeping your arms straight as much as possible, you use less muscle and can climb longer.
Weight in Your Feet
It’s common for beginner climbers to feel limited by their grip strength, but beginner holds are big enough that you don’t need a lot of grip strength. That is, if you put your weight in your feet.
A lot of the time, climbers have their hips away from the wall and end up holding their entire weight in their hands.
To put your weight in your feet, move your hips as close to the wall as possible so your center of gravity is over your feet. That takes a lot of the weight off your hands.
Want to keep getting better after your first session? I send out one short climbing drill every week that takes about 15 minutes to do. It’s free, and you can grab it here: Level up your climbing with 15 minutes of training.
Common Questions
How do you prepare for indoor rock climbing?
Rock climbing is just like any other sport. If you can practice physical and mental strength ahead of time, it’ll help prepare you for climbing.
Other than that, eat carbs at least 30 minutes before climbing and drink lots of water before, during, and after.
Something unique to climbing is skin care. Use lotion on your hands while you aren’t climbing so your skin stays healthy. If you start noticing calluses or blisters, you may need to take special care to prevent skin tears.
Sand down calluses so they don’t catch on a rough handhold and tear off.
How often should you climb as a beginner?
When you first start climbing, you’ll want to climb as often as possible, but your tendons, skin, and muscles need time to build stamina before you can climb for long stretches. When you first start out, a good rule of thumb is 3 to 4 days/week with a max of 1 hour sessions.
If you want longer sessions and your hands/skin can handle it, try 1 to 2 days/week with a max of 2 hour sessions.
Once you build up tendon and skin stamina, you can usually be safe with 2 to 3 hours for 3 to 4 days/week.
What equipment do you need for indoor rock climbing?
As mentioned above in the gear section, you’ll need the following, which you can buy or usually rent from the gym.
- Harness
- Shoes
- Chalk/Chalk Bag
- Belay Device
- Locking Carabiner
- Rope (for sport climbing)
For a full breakdown of the cost of each piece of gear, check out this article: How Much Does Rock Climbing Cost? Bouldering and Sport Climbing Gear
Is indoor rock climbing scary?
Fear of heights is common because indoor climbing, like outdoor climbing, requires you to go high if you want to finish the route. But there are a lot of safety features that ease those fears. For example, there’s a rope and a controlled environment to help keep you safe.
On top of that, there are pads on the ground, employees who walk around watching for safety issues, and anchors that are industrial and built to last a long time. All of these safety features make indoor climbing less scary.
If you’re climbing and find yourself afraid, try being lowered from 5 feet off the ground, then 10 feet, and so on so you can build confidence in the belaying side of climbing.
You can also focus on your breathing when you start to feel frightened, which helps take the edge off the fear. Climbing is a surprisingly mental sport, and it helps to understand why climbing is such a mental sport.
Is rock climbing hard for beginners?
The short answer is yes, rock climbing is hard for beginners. Rock climbing uses different coordination and muscles than any other activity, so it takes time for your body to adjust, learn the movement, and build the muscles.
That said, it doesn’t take much time to see progress when you’re a beginner, so even though it’s hard, it’s also really motivating to keep climbing.
How expensive is climbing?
Sport climbing, if you buy all your own gear including your own rope, usually costs between $125 to $495. Once you buy the gear, you usually don’t have to replace it for a few seasons (depending on use and how well you take care of it).
- Harness: $30 to $100
- Shoes: $70 to $170
- Chalk Bag: $10 to $45
- Climbing Chalk: $7 to $25
- Belay Device: $15 to $120
- Carabiners: $10 to $30
- Rope: $50 to $300
After you buy the gear, all you have to worry about is the gym membership, which runs between $50 to $150/month depending on your location and how many gyms are in the area.
Check out how you can get a Harness, Belay Device, Carabiner and Chalk Bag for $80 to $100, here.
How do rock climbers not fall?
When learning a new route or trying a hard climb, climbers fall. But the safety gear keeps them from hitting the ground and keeps them safe.
If you don’t want to fall, only climb routes at or below your skill level. That won’t automatically keep you from falling, but it lowers your chances.
Why are climbing gyms so expensive?
Basic gyms have treadmills and ellipticals, and sometimes they have to fix or maintain the machines, then replace them every decade or so. Plus, the insurance risk for a treadmill is smaller than the risk of a climber falling from 30 feet up. That makes a basic gym much cheaper to run than a climbing gym.
Maintaining the facilities and the insurance coverage needed to run a climbing gym make climbing gyms expensive to operate, so the cost of a membership has to be higher to support that.
On top of insurance costs, climbing gyms have to update the routes on a regular basis, update anchors, replace rope, train their staff, and get certified for safety.
How does indoor climbing compare to outdoor climbing?
Indoor climbing is usually easier than outdoor climbing. The biggest reason is that indoor climbing makes the route and the way up the wall easy to spot.
On top of that, fears around falling are usually lower indoors thanks to the padding and the controlled environment, so climbers find it easier to keep going when moves get hard.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start indoor rock climbing as a beginner?
Find a local gym, take their belay class or use the auto-belay walls, and rent a harness and shoes to start. Pick a beginner grade around 5.8 to 5.9 for your first climbs. Most gyms teach you everything you need on day one, so you don’t have to know how to belay before you show up.
What gear do I need for my first indoor climb?
You’ll need a harness, climbing shoes, chalk and a chalk bag, a belay device, and a locking carabiner. Most gyms rent all of it except chalk, so bring your own chalk bag and rent the rest until you know you want to keep climbing.
How much does it cost to start indoor rock climbing?
A gym membership usually runs $50 to $150 per month, and a full set of your own gear runs about $125 to $495. Renting gear at the gym keeps your first few sessions cheap while you figure out if climbing is for you.
Is indoor rock climbing hard for beginners?
Yes. It uses muscles and coordination you don’t use anywhere else, so it feels awkward at first. The good news is you see progress fast in the beginning, which makes it easy to stay motivated.
Is indoor rock climbing safe?
Indoor gyms are built around safety, with ropes, padded floors, staff watching the floor, and industrial anchors. If heights make you nervous, ask your belayer to lower you from a few feet up first to build trust in the system.
New to climbing?
This is one piece of getting started. The Climbing for Beginners guide answers the rest of the first month questions in one place, from what to wear to what the grades mean.
