UKC

Hey everyone,

I've done a little bit of bouldering and indoor climbing but still completely new to everything, would love to start indoor bouldering and climbing and then venture to the great outdoors, just wondering how everyone got started? There any beginner clubs or any experienced climbers looking to help a struggling newbie? Any advice appreciated thank you!

Living in Plymouth Devon BTW 😊

In reply to Sabine. Randall:

You could try South Devon Mountaineering Club:

https://www.southdevonmc.org.uk/

Lots of active members around Plymouth, 

Mark

In reply to Mark Haward:

Thanks Mark 😊

In reply to Sabine. Randall:If you have partners to go with you can learn a lot by reading and watching youtube videos. Can be a bit daunting but getting out there and giving it a go worked for me in the last year having only climbed inside previously. Did some easy sport then trad without anyone showing us what to do.

In reply to Sabine. Randall:

Hi Sabine, I don't envy you trying to get started at the moment - especially if you don't have a handy family member or friend who's happy to join you. (my teenage son dragged me out to climb a few years ago and we haven't looked back!)

The stock response would be to recommend joining a local climbing club, but that's not really quite so helpful at the moment if clubs aren't meeting. It's still worth trying to find a club to join virtually as it will introduce you to a motivated group of people some of whom might be happy to meet up and climb in a suitably distanced way of course.

The most logical progression in the current situation might be to sign up for an indoor climbing wall in your area like https://www.theclimbinghangar.com/locations/plymouth

Paying the monthly fee will make you get out and use it (hopefully) and it's a great place to meet other folk if you're brave enough to actually speak to folk through your mask. The indoor wall might also have a noticeboard that you can put up a request for climbing partners on.

I would definitely recommend building up your strength and confidence on an indoor wall (especially over the winter!) before getting too amibitous outdoors. 

Also don't make the mistake of thinking that outdoor bouldering is an easy introduction to outdoor climbing. It's not. It's generally hard and fiddly and quite dangerous unless you have lots of friends who also have boulder mats.

IMHO think the ideal beginner progression would be:

- indoor bouldering at a wall to build confidence and meet people.

- indoor sport (roped) climbing to get skills and de-sensitise to heights.

- outdoor sport climbing with an experienced climber/group.

Hope you work something out and can make progress soon.

All the best.

In reply to Sabine. Randall:

Get down the Hangar.

In reply to drconline:

Or there's the rather more old school trajectory:

1. Jump straight in the deep end of outdoor trad with an equally clueless partner and a laughably small selection of gear, which you don't really know how to use.

2. Err...

3. That's it.

In reply to ripper:

Yup done that.

 Can’t honestly recommend it!!

In reply to ripper:

Well that sounds like an epic fool proof idea 🤣

In reply to scope:

That's the plan thanks 😊😊

In reply to drconline:

Thank you for all the info, will see how I go and how I get on 😊👍

In reply to raussmf:

Haha you're definitely a bit more daring and adventurous than me 😂

In reply to ripper:

Not just me then? What could possibly go wrong!

In reply to Graeme G:

It's the tried and (mis)trusted route!

To the OP - good luck, you picked an interesting year for it!

In reply to ripper:

Haha - yes, that's what I did.

Climbed with a mate using one harness made from old diving weight belts, and a rope his dad had used to tow a car - not dynamic any more... Belayer just wrapped the rope around waist and shoulders. No boots: justed overstuffed plimsolls. Top roping of course.

And our crag? Sandstone outcrop in the middle of the Cheshire plain with a castle on top. We'd hop over the wall at dawn in the summer and get in a few hours before National Trust staff started moving around.

A proper rope and harnesses came a few months later.

Those were the days 😀

A good weekend to all !

In reply to ripper:

Me and my mates clubbed together in 1964 to buy a 60 foot hawser laid Viking rope, 3 huge Ex WD steel, screwgate, krabs, a short length of  rope to make slings and a book of knots.  We started leading from the off in simple walking boots (we referred to them as bendies) but we would group together at the top to ensure the knots were OK before bringing the others up. Before the year was out we had progressed to VS and plimsolls from Woolworths. Climbing has served me well for 55 years, it's a wonderful, life affirming, healthy hobby.

The problem is that there is far too much equipment and associated skill sets and best practices to make this viable these days but the over-riding principle remains,: start out easy and work up slowly.  If possible join a club, it's still the best and cheapest way to learn even if you do take a course to get started.  Above all have fun.

P.S. To the best of my knowledge I don't think we are related

Al

In reply to Gaston Rubberpants:

To be fair my first climbs where with someone who knew what he was doing - my step dad, who'd been a bit of a wad in his youth. Still, no harness, not even a swami belt, just the rope tied round the waist. When leading he'd slide the knot round the back do it was out of his way. He had a pair of original PAs, of which he was super proud and protective. Body belays as well, how did we manage?