There’s nothing as challenging and exhilarating as scaling a vertical rock face. Rock climbing develops sinewy forearms, ripped abs, and well-defined calves. It’s a safer, more accessible version of mountaineering and free soloing, requiring little more than a rock outcrop, some gear, and a partner. After learning the basics of how to rock climb, you can take those skills to any of the best rock climbing destinations for beginners—well beyond your local climbing gym to thousands of sport climbing cliffs around the globe.
Still feeling a little shy? The following five steps will serve as your perfect rock climbing starter guide—and from there, the limits are endless.
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With sport climbing, you have a safety rope and permanent bolts and anchors attached to the rock. You move up slowly, a few inches to a foot or two at a time. It’s an excellent way to explore the outdoors—and also make close connections with fellow climbers. With more than 650 climbing gyms throughout the U.S., there are many spots to safely learn the sport before getting out there for real.
To help you get started, we spoke with three of the world’s greatest climbers.
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Meet the Experts
- John Long leads Yosemite’s legendary Stonemasters and has written more than a dozen books about the sport, including How to Rock Climb.
- Jesse Grupper is a professional climber, who's competing at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with Team USA.
- Cedar Wright is a pro climber and filmmaker known for gnarly first ascents.
You can do this: "Anyone can sport climb," says pro climber Jesse Grupper. "With some proper training, you can quickly start having fun while upping your skill level."
Promo Ascent/Xmedia/Getty Images
1. Rock Climbing Basics: How to Start
You can learn to climb outdoors, but indoors is the safer bet at first. There’s no worrying about rock fall, bad weather, or route finding. By taking an intro climbing course at a rock climbing gym (or gym with rock climbing facilities), you’ll quickly learn the basics.
“Gyms allow you to drastically shorten the learning curve,” says Long. “You’ll learn to put on your harness, belay, use your hands and feet, and lower off a route—all in a controlled environment.”
“Anyone can sport climb,” adds Grupper, who also advises starting in a gym. “While it can be dangerous, if done incorrectly, with some proper training, you can quickly start having fun while upping your skill level.”
Invest in the Best Climbing Shoes and Harness
Climbing shoes are designed to fit more like a snug sock than a running shoe. Pick a pair that’s tight without being painful. “It's not uncommon to size down an entire size from your street shoe,” says Wright. The climbing harness should also fit tight around your waist with the buckle securely fastened. See our top picks below.
Master the Figure 8 Knot
Rock climbing involves several knots, but none is as important as the figure eight. Practice tying it until you can do it in your sleep. “Always double-check your harness buckle and figure eight,” says Grupper. “Then, have your partner or instructor check them. Once you know you’re secure, you can focus on the business of climbing.”
“Having a mentor with more experience is very helpful for becoming a great belayer," advises pro climber Cedar Wright. “Sport climbing requires technique, and watching expert climbers move and trying to replicate that flow is the way to go."
Alex Ratson/Getty Images
Learn How to Belay
When you climb with a rope, you use what’s called a belay. The belayer is the climber who holds the rope in order to protect their climbing partner from a fall. The device is attached to your harness, while the rope runs through it to provide friction so you can arrest a fall. Learning how to belay is as critical in sport climbing as knowing how to step on the brakes in a car. You attach the belay device to your harness, then double check that the carabiner is locked.
“Most climbing gyms will have a belay course, then a belay test you can take that allows you to belay without supervision in the gym,” says Wright.
Practice Climbing Lingo and Terms
“Climbing safely depends on clear, explicit communication,” emphasizes Long. “The first thing you need to learn is how to communicate with your partner.” If you’re belaying, when the climber or leader is ready to start up the wall, you say, “Belay on!”
This indicates that the equipment is set up correctly and you’re paying attention. Your partner then responds with “Climbing!” When he’s at the anchors and ready to be lowered to the ground, he says, “Lower!” You respond with “Lowering!”
When your partner reaches the ground safely or if he’s going to rappel, he’ll say, “Off belay!” and you reply with “Belay off."
Never skip these steps.
"Learn good footwork and body position indoors and then bring those skills to outdoor routes," says Grupper, a 2024 Team USA Olympian, pictured above. "Trust your feet, practice different handholds in the gym, and avoid over-gripping."
Jesse Grupper Collection
2. Practice Handholds and Foot Work
You don’t need the muscle mass of Jason Momoa to climb. In fact, many sport climbers can barely do a single pullup, but they dance up what appears to be a seemingly blank wall. This is because they have excellent footwork and flawless technique. Climbing successfully requires concentrating on three things: footwork, handholds, and body position.
Smart Feet
“Learn good footwork and body position indoors, then bring those skills to outdoor routes,” says Grupper. “The most important lesson for beginning climbers, as well as experts, is to trust your feet. The more weight you put on your foot, the more likely it will stay in place.”
Climbing shoes are designed to edge and smear. To edge, place the ball of your foot, just behind the toe, firmly on a hold. Then, using your hands to balance, move your weight over your foot and stand up. You can stand on the inside edge of the shoe, the outside edge, and toe.
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Good Hands
Don’t over-grip. The harder you grip, the more tired your hands and forearms become. “Try to use a hold as a point of balance to move your feet up, especially on lower-angle routes,” says Grupper. “Practice using different types of handholds in the gym, they don’t exactly mimic what you’ll find outdoors, but you’ll learn how to adjust the angle and pressure of your grip.”
Keep your arms straight whenever possible. “When bent, your arms will tire much faster,” adds Long. Hang from your arms, move your feet up, pull up with one arm, which is called a “lock off," and move the other one to the next handhold. Practice keeping your body close to the rock. Sometimes you’ll turn your hips to the left or right to extend your reach and improve your center of balance.
As Wright explains, “Learning different grab holds as well as foot placements is like building a complete toolbox—with all the tools you need for any project that presents itself.”
"Sport climbing requires flexibility, and the ability to flow up the rock—so cross training with yoga or basic mobility exercises can help make your climbing more fluid," says Wright.
kylewolfe/Getty Images
3. Maximize Flexibility
Climbing is all about body movement. Flexibility can make tough moves easier, allowing you to float through sequences with a fluidity that defies gravity.
Stretching is essential in sport climbing. “It protects your body from injury and allows you to more fluidly adopt different body positions,” says Grupper, who does yoga, as well as back and hamstring stretches in the morning, repeating the process at night.
“Scan above you and the ground you’re standing on,” says Long, pictured here in Yosemite. “If it's a standard, well-used sport climbing area, the routes should be free of loose rock—but always be prepared."
John Long Collection
4. Manage Fear
Climbing can be dangerous, but if you do it right, you can control risk and make it less intimidating. That’s where the safety part comes in. You’ve learned all about tying knots, double-checking your harness, and trusting the rope. Then there’s the mental aspect of climbing, which accounts for at least half of the challenge with this activity. Much of it involves working through natural fear and intimidation.
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"When climbing, you want to be able to acknowledge fear, then act in spite of it," says Grupper. “It can be fear of heights, fear of failure, or any other source of fear, but the best way to manage it in climbing is to understand the potential consequences of what you’re doing. Is it a justifiable fear or just fear of the unknown?
“The first time I was facing a big whipper, or fall, while sport climbing, I was terrified. But my coach asked, ‘What is the worst thing that can happen?’ The truth is, with sport climbing, you'll generally fall 10 or 15 feet and be caught by the rope.”
Cedar Wright at the office—with Alex Honnold.
Cedar Wright Collection
Learning to trust the equipment is vital when it comes to fear management, Grupper adds. “On your first climb, when you’re on belay, climb up a dozen feet, have your partner take in all the slack, and hang by the rope. You’ll see how you can sit in your harness, and that the rope is not going to break.”
Falling is also a component of sport climbing. As you progress, you’ll take practice falls, first with a rope above your head, so you experience just letting go, hanging by the rope and your harness, and having your belayer catch you. “You start with short, baby falls, and come to understand that the system really works,” explains Grupper.
“I've learned countless lessons from a life of climbing," says Wright. "It's a lifelong sport that builds a strong body and mind."
PK Smith/TFA/Ascent/Getty Images
5. Take It Outside
“When you’re transitioning from sport climbing in a gym to outside, there will be an adjustment period to more subtle and intricate techniques used outside,” says Wright. Reading real rock, and thinking and moving on the fly outside is a leap, he adds, “but climbing outside is nothing to be freaked out by. Just start with safe climbs below your max grade.”
First, you need to decide where to go. Get a guidebook to your local area or go on Mountain Project to read route descriptions. Start on the easy stuff. Wright suggests trying to team up with a mentor or a group of experienced climbers via an outdoor club or guide service. Above all, make sure you have a climbing partner you trust. Remember, the rope is your safety device, but you need a person on both ends.
Examine your climbing equipment before you climb. Do a visual check of your rope, harness, and quickdraws, which are two carabiners connected by strong nylon webbing.
“Scan the rock above you and the ground you’re standing on,” says Long. “Chances are, if it's a standard, well-used sport climbing area, the routes will be free of loose rock. But always be prepared for someone to break a foothold or snap off a handhold.”
One of the most important words in a climber’s language is: “Rock!” It’s the signal you shout if you or another climber dislodges a piece of rock or drops a carabiner. When you’re belaying someone outdoors, always keep in mind the angle that rocks from above would fall and know your safe zone. If the leader falls, “Falling!” is the correct signal. You’ll always have your partner on belay but knowing that he’s about to fall puts you on high alert. Same goes for when you’re climbing or leading.
Finally, know your climbing partner. Sport climbing can be safely done, but it’s the communication and double-checking between partners that keeps it safe. “When you’re starting to go outside, it’s very important to pick partners who know exactly what they’re doing,” says Grupper. “I’d strongly recommend taking an outdoor climbing course or hiring a local guide for the day. Definitely pick someone who has experience in the area where you intend to go. Some of the biggest dangers in climbing happen when risks aren’t fully recognized. Communication with your climbing partner is key.”
Best Rock Climbing Gear to Get Started
Scarpa Generator V Climbing Shoe
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The Scarpa Generator V has standard-setting Vibram XS rubber soles, providing powerful underfoot support and precision for edging and smearing without cramming your toes. Climbers with narrow feet should consider the Tenaya RA ($160) with its double Velcro closure, low volume heel, and slightly downturned last.
Related: How to Pick the Best Climbing Shoe for Your Foot
Sterling Aero 9.2mm Xeros Rope
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The Sterling Aero 9.2mm Xeros Rope balances a durable, tough sheath with a lighter-weight core construction. The result is a rope that won’t weigh you down when you’re hiking to your climb, with great handling and fall protection. A middle mark lets you know the halfway point for rappels.
Trango Reaction Quickdraws and Superfly Evo Autolock
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You’ll need a dozen quickdraws—carabiners attached to slings—to get started with sport climbing. The Trango Reaction is the . 1 safety pick by the International Sport Climbing Federation for all world competition. It’s light and durable with a wide gate opening for fumble-free clipping. Trango's Superfly Evo Autolock ($15) is ideal when you’re setting up an anchor at the route.
Arc‘teryx Konseal Harness
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The Arc'teryx Konseal padded harness is designed for both the climbing gym and the crag. It’s lightweight, comfortable, and has four big gear loops, so you can carry all the quickdraws you’ll need. We like the adjustable leg loops that are snug, but not restrictive.
Petzl Neox
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Thanks to a stainless-steel inner wheel, this new cam-assisted belay device lets you feed out rope when someone is leading, and easily take in slack when you’re top-roping. If a climber falls, the Petzl Neox's internal mechanism automatically locks down on the rope. Get the Petzl Freino ($50) carabiner with the extra “friction spur,” as it’s designed to give you more control when lowering a climber.
La Sportiva TX4 Evo Approach Shoe
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Sometimes walking to the base of a cliff can be nearly as technical as the climb itself. La Sportiva TX4 EVO is a lightweight leather shoe with high-friction Vibram soles. We love the angular, slanted lugs, as they provide excellent all-terrain traction. For gym use and shorter approaches, the Bedrock Mountain Clog ($175) has a zero-profile drop and a grippy Vibram outsole with toe protection and the in-and-out ease of a sport sandal.
