TYPES OF INDOOR CLIMBING
BOULDERING
Requiring neither harness nor rope, bouldering involves routes that are close to the ground. A thick crash pad acts as a protective mat below you. Bouldering is a great way to build skill, because you can focus solely on using your strength and balance to keep yourself on the wall. It’s a good place to begin.
TOP–ROPE CLIMBING
This is an intermediate climb, involving both harness and rope. The rope is secured to an overhead anchor in the gym. You attach yourself at one end of the rope and the other end is held by a belayer, who manages the rope to catch you in case of a fall.
LEAD CLIMBING
Once you’ve become a skilled top-rope climber, your next step is lead climbing. For this, you need to attach yourself to one end of the rope and clip it into a series of quickdraws that are attached to bolts on the gym’s wall. Again, you’ll have a belayer.
The challenge with lead climbing is that if you slip or miss the next quickdraw, you’ll fall a short distance back to the previous clipped–in point. That’s a farther, harder fall than you’d have when top-roping.
CLIMBING AT HOME
If you want to practice, you can get a home training board or even build your own climbing wall.
CLIMBING OUTDOORS
Climbing outdoors is entirely different from climbing in a gym. There’s no tape or colour-coding to help you decipher a climb. Holds and climbing styles vary widely by rock type. The environment is less predictable, and you may have to hike your way in. You’ll have to bring your own climbing ropes or crash pads. But climbing outdoors can be a beautiful experience, whether practiced in a group or solo, in challenging or easy areas.