Want To Join a Climbing Gym? Here Are 4 Things You Should Know

Walking into a climbing gym for the first time can be exciting and overwhelming. So many bright colors and fun shapes. People jumping around the wall. Pretty much a kid’s playground, but for all ages! But with that comes new rules and groups of new people, who probably look different than you. This can scare new climbers away, particularly those who don’t have a friend already active in the sport. If you are interested in joining a local gym, here are four tips to help ease you into climbing culture.

1) Wear underwear

“What do I wear?” is the most common question I get asked by new climbers. I tell everyone, “It doesn’t matter as long as you have socks and underwear.”

Socks are important. If you don’t own your own climbing shoes, you will be wearing stinky and sweaty rentals. If that isn’t motivation to bring your own socks, I don’t know what is. Now, to the boxers and panties. I have seen far too many scrotums of people who thought it was a good idea to skip underwear and wear loose shorts to the gym. If you’re wondering whether people standing 10 ft. below you can easily see up your basketball shorts, the answer is yes! As for everyone else, I strongly suggest wearing comfortable underwear. I’ve seen thongs get caught in harnesses and I know that wedgie had to hurt! Otherwise, wear whatever clothing you want.

2) Yes, climbing shoes are necessary

I sometimes see new climbers wearing running shoes—maybe to avoid the cost of rentals or buying shoes outright. I understand the thought process but I do not recommend doing this. It’s like trying to ice skate in flip flops. Sometimes you just need the right equipment for the job. I was a poor graduate student when I started climbing, so I was afraid to spend money on climbing shoes. I used rental shoes for many months, and finally bit the bullet and bought my own pair. I instantly climbed a grade better!

3) Don’t worry about failing

Photo taken by Matthew Cunningham

New climbers often come to me with fear of being judged if they fall off a route. The beauty of climbing is that no matter your skill level, the amount you fall during a session, stays roughly the same. Everyone falls — some off lower grades and some off higher grades — but we all fall. And everyone is expected to fall (all of us except Janja Garnbret) because climbing is about learning new movements and techniques. We learn by doing — not to mention, the main way to improve is to try climbs outside your comfort zone, style, and grade range, which inevitably leads to falling.

4) Chalk your entire hand

Chalk is important in climbing. Each person has their preferences — fine vs chunky, liquid vs powder, but chalking your hands is a must before touching the holds. Even if you don’t plan on climbing the route, don’t touch the holds without chalking up first. You don’t want to grease up someone’s project. Chalk the entire length of your finger including your finger tips and your palm. I often see new climbers putting a dab of chalk on the hands that doesn’t cover their skin surface; probably because no one goes over chalking etiquette. Don’t worry about getting chalk in the air or spilling a little bit on the mats. Newer climbing gyms have air filtration systems and most gyms vacuum regularly. However, if you accidentally knock over an entire bag of chalk, it is best not to leave this for the gym employees, but to clean it to the best of your abilities.

Also, an important note on chalking etiquette is that most gyms don’t provide communal chalk. I’ve seen new climbers go around, using whatever chalk bags are laying around, thinking they are for everyone’s use. However, those chalk bags belong to an individual climber. This will help you avoid an awkward conversation that I’ve had with new climbers.

I hope these tips help you start your way to long and happy climbing career!

Just for fun, here is a an early photo of me when I started climbing in 2010 in my very first pair of shoes.