by Becky Wolfe Ready to Rock There aren’t many other outdoor activities that are so completely soul empowering as rock climbing. The thrill of clinging to the rock, the relief of finding the perfect hand hold, and the pride of making it to the top of a chosen route is like no other experience. Rock climbing is adventurous, it’s exciting, it’s a bit dangerous and you want to try it!

Ready to Rock There aren’t many other outdoor activities that are so completely soul empowering as rock climbing. The thrill of clinging to the rock, the relief of finding the perfect hand hold, and the pride of making it to the top of a chosen route is like no other experience. Rock climbing is adventurous, it’s exciting, it’s a bit dangerous and you want to try it! If you really want to get into rock climbing, it's a great idea to have a lesson with a qualified instructor first. Nearly all instructors should provide beginners with the gear needed for a basic lesson, so you can try out their stuff and see if you like it before going out and spending your hard-earned money on equipment. Try to find a climbing instructor that teaches small groups, as small as two to four people at a time. This way, you get more hands-on instruction. A good instructor will spend time going over pre-climbing safety instructions, and also review each item of gear with you, explaining what it is and what it’s used for. Understanding how the gear works will help you have more confidence in it when you use it. You will likely learn how to do a few basic knots at this time, in order to secure ropes safely to your gear. You're the Tops Most beginner rock climbing lessons start with teaching you top-roping skills. Top-roping means the rope is passed through, or around, something at the top of a route. One end of the rope is tied to the climber and one end is controlled by a second person called a belayer. As the climber climbs, the belayer keeps the rope pulled taught for the climber’s safety in case they slip, fall or even just want a climbing rest part way up. You should learn how to both climb and belay in your beginner lesson. There are various other skills that may be learned in beginner rock climbing lessons, depending on the length of time you have to learn, and the preference of the instructor. You may also learn how to rappel down the rock, and how to safely anchor and test rappel lines. If you have a several day course, you may also learn lead climbing, crack climbing, ice climbing and more. Online climbing sites like Rockclimbing.com have countless resources and information on all types of climbing, as well as a discussion forum where you can ask questions and learn from more experienced climbers. Gear Up You’ve tried it climbing and you’ve loved it, now you'll need gear. What do you need to buy to start off? The most important piece is your climbing harness. There are dozens of harness models out there, some for comfort, some for style, some women’s only and some even children's sizes. All of them function in basically the same way. The best advice is to go to an outdoor gear store and try them on. A good gear store will have a rope that they can hook onto your harness once you have it on and you can lean back and hang to test the comfort and fit. The next most important piece of rock climbing gear is shoes. While it's fully possible to climb in runners, and you may have done so in a lesson, proper climbing shoes make a world of difference. These aren’t shoes that you can just walk around the street in; they are designed for while you are on the rock and no other time. Comfort is important but you will be surprised at how tight they should be to be effective. Rubber soles and usually a pointed rubber toe help you grip and cling to the rock like running shoes never could. Some have laces, some have Velcro, bothy of which are effective- it is a matter of your personal preference. As with harnesses, a good outdoor gear store will have a small indoor climbing wall where you can test out shoes. It goes without saying that a helmet is extremely important when rock climbing. Rock can easily become loose and knocked down or, a climbing slip can have you swinging against the wall hard enough to knock your head. While helmets may not be the most flattering apparel, a head injury is obviously much less stylish. Take time with your instructor and equipment sales staff to get the right fit, and to learn the proper way to fasten and fashion your headgear. It’s also helpful to have a chalk bag that can hang off your harness to dip your hands in – chalk will help you grip the rock better. An assortment of different carabiners is useful but a locking carabiner is the most necessary, as this is what you will anchor the rope to when climbing. If you’re going to belay, a belaying device that the rope passes through is essential. And of course, a good climbing rope is necessary. There are many other accessories that would be helpful and useful for rock climbing but the above mentioned are the bare necessities. Rock climbing magazines like Rock and Ice and Gripped are great resources for rock climbers of all levels. These magazines and websites always have gear reviews, providing advice on what to buy and where to buy it. They also have online forums, climbing tips and info on where and when to climb all over North America!