Indoor climbing gyms offer the benefit of a controlled environment, giving you a relatively safe place to master basic climbing skills like belaying, foot placement and clipping quick-draws. Outdoor climbing is more unpredictable; you must constantly evaluate and manage risks such as rockfall, thunderstorms and sharp rock. However, if you’re willing to master the skills and extra responsibility it takes to climb outdoors, your reward includes beautiful scenery and the chance to do longer climbs than you’ll find in any gym, on a diversity of rock surfaces.
Step 1
Master top-rope belaying, and the basics of lead climbing and belaying, inside the climbing gym. Many climbing gyms offer free or low-cost belay lessons, although you may be required to demonstrate a certain level of climbing ability before entering a lead climbing or lead belaying class. Being already comfortable with basic belay technique means one less skill to worry about mastering for the first time when you head outside.
Step 2
Learn to build safe climbing anchors. In the climbing gym, you don’t have to worry about building anchors; you just tie into a top rope already in place, or lead-climb up to quick-draws or shuts that are constantly available. But in order to climb safely outdoors, you must learn to build anchors that fit the SRENE acronym, which stands for "Strong or Secure, Redundant, Equalized and No Extension."
Step 3
Practice building anchors at ground level until you’re comfortable with your abilities. This is the best time to have an experienced climber double-check your work. Some climbing gyms and university outdoor programs offer “transition” classes that focus on teaching this skill.
Step 4
Learn -- and practice -- basic rescue and self-rescue skills that build on the anchor-building skills you just mastered. In a climbing gym, help is only as far away as the front desk. When you climb outside, it may take hours for help to reach you in case of emergency -- if it comes at all.
Step 5
Learn to protect your rope. The climbing rope is often the only nonredundant piece of equipment you’ll deal with, and it’s both surprisingly strong and shockingly fragile. Climbing ropes are elastic enough to absorb the shock of your body falling dozens of feet, but may cut easily when tensioned over a sharp object, including rock edges and the edges of bolt hangers. Proper rope storage, which includes keeping it away from direct sunlight, chemicals or abrasive objects, is also critical.
Step 6
Wear a helmet designed specifically for climbing. These helmets are designed to offer some protection against rock fall and also provide some head protection if you happen to fall, although wearing a helmet is no substitute for careful rope management and being aware of your surroundings.
Step 7
Be aware of danger signs. Just a few of the things to watch out for when climbing outside include loose or unstable rock, poorly placed protection bolts, impending rain clouds and trails at the top of the crag where unwary hikers might drop rocks or dirt on you.
Step 8
Communicate with others in your climbing party. In particular, make sure your belayer is paying close attention the whole time you’re climbing, and agree beforehand whether you’re going to walk off, rappel down or wait to be lowered from the top of the climb.
Tips and Warnings
- Double-check your climbing partner whenever possible, and ask your partner to double-check you. Two sets of eyes are always better than one. When you're climbing outside, it’s not always possible for you and your belayer to see or hear each other. Consider working out a system of rope tugs and hand signals for communicating, or carry small two-way radios to facilitate communication.
- Rock climbing, indoors and out, is inherently dangerous. Remember that your safety is ultimately your responsibility, and always have an experienced climber double-check your knots, rigging and general technique until you’ve mastered the necessary skills.
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