Step 2: Choose a Type of Climbing

Rock climbing has a broad range of disciplines, with each requiring differing types of gear and training. Your choice of climbing style also helps determine the places and the routes you can climb. As a beginner, you'll start out doing indoor climbing, bouldering or top-rope climbing outdoors.

Indoor Climbing

For most people, this will be as a member of a climbing gym. Many colleges, public recreation centers and a few REI stores have a wall or freestanding pinnacle where people can try indoor top-rope climbing and/or bouldering. All of these places utilize artificial hand- and footholds placed to create routes of varying difficulty. Route setters can move holds easily, creating an endless number of new climbs on the same wall or pinnacle.

An indoor climbing gym offers many advantages for getting started:

It’s a readily accessible, non-weather-dependent place to practice and work out.

You can climb in areas where no outdoor climbing sites are available.

It allows you to try the sport with rented gear before investing in your own.

For more details see the REI Expert Advice article, Indoor (Gym) Climbing Basics.

Bouldering

This requires the least amount of time and gear. Though a few advanced routes can get pretty high, most bouldering takes you only as high as you can jump off comfortably. Climbers can traverse (move along the rock horizontally, parallel to the ground), thus working on strength and movement, without being exposed to a long fall.

Bouldering is a great introductory activity because it requires only climbing shoes, a chalk bag, a crash pad (to cushion your jump or fall off the rock) and an experienced spotter. You don't need a rope or a harness. Outdoor bouldering areas are found around the country, and most climbing gyms offer an indoor version of the sport.

For more details see the REI Expert Advice article, Bouldering.