What gear do you need? Essential pieces of gear based on your goals!

 What gear do you need to achieve your rock climbing goals?

Bouldering INDOORS gear

-NOTHING! 
-You can rent the shoes and chalk from almost all climbing gyms!

This is by far the most accessible form of climbing and anyone can try it if they wish. Having the rock wall on campus at SDSU means it is very easy to try it. All you need it a barcode to get into the gym and you can rent out shoes to try the bouldering wall. It is a super fun and exciting way to stay active and work out. Even at climbing gyms off campus you always have the option to rent climbing shoes because they are expensive. 

Top Rope or Lead climb INDOORS gear 

-NOTHING AGAIN!
-Once again you can rent climbing shoes, harness, chalk, rope and belay device from most climbing gyms!
Yet another extremely accessible type of climbing. Although it does entail taking some form of a test to get certified to belay another climber, it is very easy to learn. This video can teach anyone in no time! This is a little more intimidating than indoor bouldering due to the height of the walls, however it is very safe and if you do everything correctly you will be successful. A more advanced form of climbing called lead climbing will involve taking a few classes and a longer test in order to get certified and it is not recommended for beginners. It is a very fun way to challenge your fears while getting in a solid workout. Furthermore, going indoors means the climbing gym will have everything you need and you do not need to worry about bringing your own items!

Bouldering OUTDOORS gear 

-Climbing Shoes
-Crash Pad
-Helmet 
-Chalk 
Bouldering outdoors takes a little more preparation than indoors. You will need your own climbing shoes that you can take outside with you which can be pricey depending on what you want. It is also not essential to have a crash pad but I highly recommend it otherwise you will be landing on the floor when you fall and that could result in serious injury. Buying crash pads new could be very expensive however I found all three of mine for $50 a piece on offer up which I think is the best way to get them. I also recommend that you bring a helmet when climbing boulders taller than 10 feet, just because one wrong fall could mean death, and wearing a helmet might stop that death. On top of all this safety gear, having a friend with you not only makes it more enjoyable but also safer because they can make sure to push your fall towards the pad if you are not close. Although it may sound intimidating going out climbing for the first time outside is one of the best ways to get introduced. When going out with experienced climbers they are guaranteed to keep you feeling safe and comfortable at all times. 

Top rope and lead OUTDOORS 

Top rope:
-Climbing Shoes
-Harness
-Chalk Bag
-Rope
-Sling or anchor
-Belay device 

Lead: 
-Climbing Shoes
-Harness
-Chalk Bag
-Rope
-Sling or anchor
-Belay device
-Helmet
-Quick draws 

This is where it starts to get into serious and a little less accessible climbing. First thing to know is it starts to get very expensive now. A solid rope will cost around $200 dollars and with everything else it can be close to $1000. If you know someone with all the gear then going out and climbing with them is an amazing idea. But if you want the luxury of your own gear then it is going to cost you. This takes a lot more knowledge to not only the area you are climbing at but all the safety precaution you must take before climbing. It is possible to go outside and walk around the back of the rock to set up a top rope anchor so you can do that immediately. However, many climbs involve someone first leading up it which means they place there gear as they go connecting quick draws to bolts in the wall, risking bigger falls. This type of outdoor climbing is a lot of fun and my most often done form of climbing. I find it very exciting and nerve racking which makes it a lot more fun. It is a very good idea to have a lot of knowledge of climbing in order to do this because it can be very dangerous. One mistake could end it very quickly. 

Trad Climbing OUTDOORS 

-Climbing Shoes
-Harness
-Chalk Bag
-Rope
-Sling or anchor
-Belay device
-Helmet
-Trad Rack (expensive) 

This is a form of climbing that even I have yet to explore. Partly because it is ridiculously expensive, a full rack of brand new trad gear will cost around $2000, which may seem like a lot but remember, these devices keep you alive on the wall. The difference here is that the climber is not attaching quick draws to bolts drilled into the wall and instead using cams or nuts. These devices squeeze themselves into cracks in the rocks and tighten when you fall on them. The ultimate goal is to not fall on these devices and have them there just in case. It is possible for the cam to pop out of a crack in the rock when it is fallen on which could result in injury. This form of climbing is commonly used for crack systems and big walls such as El Capitan. One climber sets the cams as they go climbing up until they hit a set of bolts which they then strap into and then the second climber follows, clearing all the gear to be used on the next portion of the big wall. This type of climbing is dangerous and involves a lot of training before deciding to do. I hope to be doing this by the time I graduate college and hopefully take my skills to El Capitan when I am older. 

Conclusions

I hope I gave you a good outline of the types of climbing and the gear you will need to achieve it. There is so much more than this with things like rope soloing, free basing (climbing with no rope but a parachute for protection). And even more extreme forms of climbing like alpining which involves ice axes and far more bravery. A great place to begin is an indoor gym, and slowly transition to outside once your confidence has grown. I began in a gym and now lead 100 feet climbs here in San Diego, it is a beautiful sport to get into and has a very welcoming and kind community.  





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