Hey guys!

So, at this point, you may have decided whether or not climbing is something you want to try or something you will have to bear with me talking about until the end of these blogs (I’m very sorry if that’s that case).

If it has piqued your interest at all, I am going to share some of my personal favorites and/or better brands and gear to look into!

**Keeping it realistic, I will only touch on the basic gear you might want to get started for bouldering or outdoor climbing, and what you would need just to get into gym climbing.

No matter which direction you choose, it is always helpful to have a pair of climbing shoes! The more well-known and reliable brands for better quality climbing shoes are La Sportiva, Scarpa, and Black Diamond. You will see a range of shoe types from neutral, moderate, or aggressive in the selection, which varies accordingly with how aggressive the type of climbing is.

Neutral climbing shoes are what you will find as rentals at most climbing gyms: flatter souls, thicker rubber, and more comfortable. These will be one the cheaper end of the sale spectrum and will last longer. That being said, neutral shoes are not designed for any type of overhand climbing and will not live up to the performance level of that of a moderate or aggressive shoe. If you are looking to invest in your own pair instead of getting rentals each time you visit a gym, it is worth the investment to purchase a higher-performance shoe.

Moderate shoes are going to be what you find most amateur climbers wear. I, personally, love the La Sportive Tarantulace, which is built for higher performance in-gym climbing as well as to endure the outdoor rockface. Moderate climbing shoes are more turned down at the tip, making it easier to place your toe on smaller holes and have thinner rubber for slab or crack climbs. However, the caveat to thinner rubber is a shoe that will not last as long but gives a better performance during its time of use. You would be paying slightly more for a little less comfort and more wear and tear, but significant improvement in climbing shoes alone.

That leaves us with aggressive climbing shoes. Many aggressive-type shoes are the most turned-down at the tip, and will certainly feel the least comfortable. They are designed for challenging overhangs and crack climbs and mainly will be used by advanced climbers. For a higher price, you are getting the value’s worth in a skilled shoe fitted for a skilled climber.

As the intensity level increases, so will the price and turn of the tip. At the same time, the comfort and durability of the shoe decrease. Most shoes will start just below the $100 range (unless you can catch them on sale — check REI!!). Climbing shoes will and never should feel comfortable while being worn; they are not designed to be worn all day like tennis shoes or boots would be. Always buy them in person (or at least try the shoe you are buying online on) for a better feel of the fit, and never be afraid to ask someone like an REI employee for advice on what they should feel like. It is crazy to see the difference a simple change in the shoe can make for different types of climbs.

Lastly, a basic element you will need even before climbing shoes is a chalk bag. Many boulderers choose the smaller chalk bags that can stand on their own, but also have straps to clip around your waist so you can use them while climbing. Others choose chalk buckets, which serve nicely to just dip your hands in for powdered chalk instead of having to squeeze it out of a ball. The chalk bag is an easy opportunity to incorporate cool designs or a color theme into your climbing gear (matching it to your shoes?). Black Diamond has some cool designs on them, and I would highly recommend the ones with a clip strap!

As you might’ve seen these past Games, climbing is now recognized as an Olympic event. For those climbing gym-goers who always wanted to have the opportunity to see their favorite sport in the Olympic Games, they can now enjoy training and watching it along with all of the other entertaining events.

One of the more popular types of climbing found in the Olympics is speed climbing, which is a specific discipline of climbing geared towards timeliness and efficiency. While speed climbing can be done outdoors, competitions usually pertain to artificial, indoor walls. Competitions consist of two identical routes side by side for climbers to race upwards instead of technical advantages on horizontal routes. The intention is to climb the wall with no mistakes as fast as possible, often to break records, if not just to win. Climbs can be scored based on different types of climbing, whether it be free climbing standards or those less relaxed.

While these routes are harder to find at lesser-known gyms, many larger climbing gyms host competitions and offer access to regular members of their program. Sometimes climbers try to skip holds to minimize the time spent ascending the route, other times they will need to use every hold provided on the wall, depending on the grade. Height and strength both give advantages for speed climbing that shorter, less trained climbers may not be able to benefit from. For taller climbers, it is especially easy to pull oneself up the wall without having to use holds that other climbers may deem necessary. While I have not been able to try speed climbing myself, I can only imagine what momentous stamina it requires.

Speed climbing can also be done outdoors, most commonly as free soloing or rope soloing against the clock. The lack of gear and protective equipment whilst free climbing helps minimize the load and time it takes to climb the wall but increases the risk factor. One wrong move while climbing faster, and potentially more carelessly, will result in a more severe consequence than when harnessed and roped to the wall.

The best speed climbing times will be recorded in the 5-6 second range to ascend a standard 15 meters high (~49 ft). That would be equivalent to climbing the famous Hollywood letters in <6 seconds. Defying gravity — although I won’t be calculating the physics to see if they would actually be defying gravity :P.

I hope you were able to learn a little something about speed climbing, and maybe you will sit to watch it in the next Olympics!

Hey guys!

So this week I thought I might do something a little different and tell you about an obscure but amazing scene for climbing… which happens to be underground.

If you have ever heard of sport caving or spelunking, you are already more familiar with the idea of underground climbing than most. But what if I told you that there exists technical, vertical caving which requires a similar skillset to climbing? Cool, right?

Vertical caving is a particular discipline of advanced spelunkers who seek greater thrill in less accessible caves – that is, unless you have the proper know-how and equipment. Despite the stereotypical idea that cave passages are all muddy, cramped, and dark, when you desire to explore the unexplored, you will find much more than claustrophobia and mutant insects.

Vertical caves are not open to the public and have been known to house a few deaths from careless hikers passing by. The vertical part of a cave can be an entrance, whether it measures an impressive 100 ft wide and 300 ft deep or just enough to fit your body and gear through. You may have to climb, go through squeezes, or simply enjoy a refreshing dunk in the waterfall as you descend. I have been lucky enough to begin vert training in some caves nearby State College in a less-inviting 20′ drop through an underground waterfall squeeze in 30-degree weather… brrr.

While the ropes, ascending equipment, and the addition of a chest harness complicate vertical caving, much of the process remains similar to that of climbing. There are even canyon-like passages where one might have to ascend the walls without rope or harness in much more of a 3D sense of climbing.

For some, the addition of climbing to spelunking makes it all the more worth it. For others, sport caving may suffice without the added danger or need for training.

Without a doubt, the ability to climb a rock wall is not limited to the insides of a gym or the expanse of river cliffs and mountain crags. There is always more adventure to be found if you desire to find it; you simply must know where to look.

If any of you are interested in non-vertical caving, I am happy to connect you with the people I go on trips with, or perhaps take you on one of the personal trips that I will be leading 😛

Let me know if you have any questions below!

While we have talked at length about bouldering, particularly indoors, I have neglected to tell you about the other types of climbing that are both as popular and can be more involved!

The most common type of climbing on-rope is called top rope. This type of climbing can also be done indoors and outdoors but is ultimately considered cheaper and more accessible indoors, as you only need a harness, shoes, and chalk (one step up from indoor bouldering). There exist auto-belay systems for indoor top-roping, meaning you do not have to have a belay device like an ATC or GriGri, as well as an additional person to belay you. When compared to outdoor top-roping, there is the additional element of roping, anchors, helmets, shoes geared towards bare rock over plastic holds, ropes, belay devices, etc. Climbing outdoors also requires a much larger group of people to meet safety standards and to be able to double-check rigs and tie-ins before climbing. Generally, you will find that outdoor climbing will always be more involved and weather-dependent than indoor climbing.

Top-roping essentially boils down to a more vertical, endurance-based route rather than the short, technical bouldering routes. Hooked into harness and rope, walls may be more like 80 ft than 15 ft. While there is still a grading level, it ranges from 5.5-5.15d instead of V0-V16. Top-roping is more appealing to climbers who want to build strength over technical skills, while still developing an entirely different skillset of its own.

Sport climbing is similar to top-roping in that it requires a belayer, harness, and vertical climb, but is a step up in skill and technical skill. Instead of climbing straight up with a belay overhead, you are required to carry quickdraw carabiners up with you on your harness, clipping into bolts as you ascend. In this instance, your belay is led from the bottom, where you must carry the additional weight of the rope up with you. Falls taken on sport climbs can be up to twice the distance of your last successful bolt clip, making them much larger and potentially more dangerous than a fall taken on normal top-roping, especially on bare rock faces.

The last type of climbing I will cover is trad (traditional) climbing. Even more advanced than sport climbing, trad climbers invest in hundreds of dollars worth of equipment such as cams, nuts, and hexes, which often start at $150 each for a basic set. Trad climbing holds a greater risk, as you are dependent upon the placement of your own equipment rather than an overhead belay or secured bolts. You must acquire a great skillset and knowledge bank before endeavoring to trad climb, hopefully learning from other climbers who have years of experience with it.

I am currently learning to sport climb, and one day wish to try trad climbing – although, frankly, the idea of trusting my own equipment placement scares me when I have yet to obtain the necessary experience.

I hope you guys learned something about the different types of climbing seen most commonly today!