Are you a beginner climber wondering more about the sport? Then you’re in the right place to learn all the rock climbing questions many beginners have. Ever wondered if you’ll be a good climber even though you’re not very tall, or, what happens to your body once you start climbing? I know when I first started, I was worried I wouldn’t be good at climbing because of my height. I eventually found the answers that are in this article and will go over the most common questions about rock climbing for beginners.
1. Is Climbing a Career?
While many climbers make a career out of their passion, like any professional sport, it takes hard work and dedication. Most professionals started climbing at a young age. With the popularity boom of gyms since climbing was introduced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beginner climbers have access to state-of-the-art facilities that cater to all things rock climbing.
One famous climber you may have heard of, Alex Honnold, gained his popularity by doing what few climbers dare to do, free soloing. Free soloing is as some might consider, the purest way to climb. This means climbing with absolutely no safety gear to minimize risk. It is the most dangerous form of climbing and, personally, is never recommended to do.
It takes tremendous commitment to make a career out of climbing rocks. Passion drives us to do crazy things, like free solo, and rock climbers need to be passionate about climbing to make it a career.
2. Do Climbers Get Paid?
While professional climbers get paid, many often need another form of income to make a living. The most common way climbers earn their revenue is through sponsors, but not all sponsors pay their climbers. Many only give the climber free or discounted gear, which leaves them to find other ways to make ends meet.
Entering (and doing well) in competitions is a common way climbers supplement their income. Other ways climbers earn money are by teaching clinics, working as a guide, public speaking, and even promoting certain products on social media like Instagram.
There are many climbing-related jobs that don’t require being professional to do. Take working in a climbing gym as an example. From being a desk-staff who gives orientations and ensures guests are climbing safely, teaching classes/coaching, to route-setting. Route setting is essentially getting paid to climb. A route setter is the climber who creates the routes and boulder problems you’ll find in climbing gyms. It is a very demanding job, though, and taking good care of one’s body is essential to have a long route-setting career.
3. Do Girls Like Climbers?
In my experience, no, nobody really cares if you climb. I haven’t had more dates just because I climb. In fact, it may be the opposite… Climbers are just a bunch of weirdos who go out into the woods searching for cool rocks. Or they spend hours inside a gym obsessing over the pretty colors on the walls.
In all seriousness, people like who they like. If somebody likes climbing, they may be more attracted to a climber. If somebody doesn’t care for climbing they may still be attracted to a climber, but the climbing part of them isn’t what draws their attraction.
The biggest thing to remember is to find somebody who you share interests and passions with. For example, I have many other hobbies than rock climbing. If a girl liked me just because I climbed, she could be shocked to find out I like golfing too.
4. Do You Need to Be Strong/Tall to Be a Climber?
Contrary to popular belief, being tall isn’t always a positive when climbing. I’m 5’7”, and my main climbing partner is 6’2”. Sure, there are boulder problems he can do easier than I can because he can reach further, but there are also boulder problems I can do easier because I can fit my body in smaller stances than he can. Take elite climber Laura Rogora for example. At just 5 feet tall, Laura has climbed some of the hardest climbs in the world!
Muscle endurance is the most significant factor about muscles and rock climbing. This is how long your muscles can perform before they’re too tired to continue. We may as well direct you straight back to Laura Rogora. Laura is not very tall, is slender, but she crushes at rock climbing and has even won two IFSC Lead World Cups. (International Federation of Sport Climbing competitions, ((they’re a big deal to competition climbers)).
5. Why Are Climbers Not Muscular?
As a beginner climber you may think, “I need to be super strong to climb.” While being strong will always be an advantage in rock climbing, don’t confuse this with having large muscles. If anything, larger muscles mean you have more weight to pull up a wall. Climbers are strong, they just don’t have crazy big muscles like those guys in the strong-man competitions. (I’m willing to bet the average climber can outclimb any strong-man competitor, I’d like to see one of them try a heel-hook).
Most elite rock climbers have a lean build that allows them to focus their energy efficiently by only using the amount of muscle they need to send a climb. By being lean and focusing on flexibility, climbers can contort their bodies to use their muscles in the most effective way.
Okay I’ll stop mentioning Laura now, although she totally fits this bill. Some pro climbers that don’t look like a stereotypical climber walking down the street, (unless you caught a glance at their callused hands) are people like, Janja Garnbret, Natalia Grossman, Margo Hayes (first woman to ever climb 5.15a), Tommy Caldwell (don’t even get me started on Tommy), Sean Bailey, Tamoa Narasaki – do I really need to go on? None of these climbers have outrageously big muscles, yet they are all incredible rock climbers.
6. What Gender is Better at Climbing?
Monkeys, monkeys are the better gender at climbing.
Really? The gender stereotype in climbing is a moot point. There is no gender better than the other, just stronger climbers than others. Climbing relies on an individual’s skill and ability, and there are incredibly accomplished climbers of both genders.
We’ll use Janja Garnbret again for this example: Garnbret is the first person, not just female, but first person, to ever win all six IFSC World Cup competitions in a single season. She also took gold in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics!
From the male category, it’d be a shame not to mention Adam Ondra. Ondra has climbed more 5.15s than anybody and was the first, and is still the only person, to ever climb 5.15d, the hardest grade in sport climbing. (…so far)
7. What Happens to Your Body When You Start Climbing?
By climbing regularly, you will notice changes such as a stronger upper body and core. Climbing works the legs too, but they aren’t stressed the same way other muscles are. I guarantee the first thing you’ll notice as a beginner climber is the gained strength your forearms. While climbing is an activity that strengthens your physical body, it’d be wrong not to mention the positive effects it can have on your mental health as well. It takes great confidence to stand on small footholds and push yourself further away from the ground.
The more you push the boundary of trusting yourself while climbing, the more confidence you’ll develop in yourself. This confidence doesn’t stop when you get back down to the ground, though. Confidence is a skill that can be learned and practiced, and when we see the benefits of being confident in climbing, it pushes us to be more confident in other aspects of our life.
We need to discuss risks, too. Climbing is inherently dangerous, there is no way around it. Injuries occur all the time and the best way to reduce your risk of getting injured is by being knowledgeable of a few key things:
- Noticing when your body is tired.
- How to fall properly.
- How to rest properly.
Finger injuries are among the most common in the climbing world. Learning how to back off when your fingers need a break will enable you to climb another day.
8. Do Climbers Make Better Lovers?
What else do you think they do with those strong hands? (;
While I can’t say whether climbers make better lovers, there is no denying the amount of trust you need to put in your climbing partner. If I’m scaling a 60-foot wall, I need to be sure my belayer knows what they are doing and how to do it safely. Choosing a climbing partner is no small feat for me. Just like how I wouldn’t hop in the car with a random person, I won’t go climbing with a random person until I know that they know what they’re doing. Usually, if a new person wants to climb and they have climbed with other friends of mine, I’ll climb with them (I still always perform my double-checks, though).
Climbing partnerships are much like romantic partnerships. They need communication and trust to succeed. If I’m scared out of my mind while on the wall, I need to be able to tell my belayer so we can discuss how to move forward, together. This usually ends with me taking a break and hanging on the rope or them encouraging me to keep trying until I fall.
Also, like romantic partnerships, not all climbing partnerships are meant to be. Some climbers prefer to try their hardest every time they go out and are visibly upset if they don’t succeed. Alternatively, some climbers just enjoy getting out and climbing anything! Finding a climbing partner that falls into the category of what you enjoy relies on communication. It’s not fun to go climbing with a new person only to not get along with them.
9. Do Climbers Speak Their Own Language?
The short answer is, yes. There are terms used by the climbing community that don’t mean anything else other than what they’re related to in climbing.
Just a few examples of climbing specific jargon are:
- Beta: the “how to” of a climb.
- Crashpad: the mat used for bouldering.
- Under cling: a type of climbing hold.
- Heel-hook: a type of climbing move.
However, there is also plenty of other jargon used in climbing that have every day, normal definitions. Without getting too much into it, some of this Jargon includes:
- Flagging
- Barndoor
- Bicycle
- Mono
- Dyno
Understanding the jargon used in climbing will help you and your partner(s) understand each other when discussing a climb. For instance, if I asked my spotter to give me beta on a boulder problem (tell me how to move while I’m bouldering), I’ll know exactly how to move my body per their instructions.
[This may sound jibberish, but here is an example of beta I was given while out bouldering recently, “Foot-jam your right and fall into the crimp. Heel-hook your left and dead-point to the ledge. Flag your right and cross to the pinch while keeping your hips in.”]
You may have thought you’d find different answers about rock climbing for beginners. For example, muscle endurance is more important than being muscular or that there isn’t one gender is better at climbing. If you want to learn more as a beginner climber, look for Part 2 of “Beginner Climbers REALLY Want to Know These 11 Questions”.
Korey Tockes is an avid rock climber and writer pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. He shares his passion for climbing as a writer for HMH Outdoors’ publication ‘Harness’ and as the Senior Content Writer for iwannabeaclimber.com. With just under a decade of experience, Korey worked as a climbing instructor and coach and has climbed in various locations across the US. His favorite place to climb is in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. Korey’s extensive travels and outdoor experience enrich his writing and allow him to connect with readers through his love for climbing.
