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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

getting started? 13-Oct-2009 At 10:18:26 AM rockranga

Message

Go to the gym, go to the gym and go to the gym..... get yourself the harness, chalk and shoes and climb at the gym with a mate (or anyone that will climb with you) for a few months, if you decide you like it you can start to buy the shiny stuff..

as for certificates, there's nothing official, each gym has their own safety check off so you'll do a few of those at the start as you go to new gyms.

If you choose to get into outdoors after you've climbed indoors for a while then the above advice is all good, get some instruction from someone competent on how to do trad climbing and how to set up anchors. Initially it may be worth just doing outdoor top ropes at places like araps then move onto trad once you have a feel for outdoor climbing.

you'll here a lot of terms thrown around, the two main ones which apply in this instance are:

Trad climbing = Climbing with the nuts, hexs, slings and cams.... placing gear in cracks and around 'chicken heads' as you climb.
Sport climbing = Everything is pre-bolted, either with 'Carots' or with 'Rings' (various types of rings around). 'Carots' require bolt plates, these are placed over the 'Carot' then you clip in with a quick draw. With 'Rings' you simply clip your quick draw straight onto the ring.