If you have never been to an indoor rock climbing gym, you may not know what to expect. Seeing all of the in-shape climbers and crazy feats professional climbers have completed can be very intimidating at first. That said, you may be wondering how hard exactly is it to go climbing at an indoor gym.
As a general rule, climbers are able to make an indoor rock climbing session as hard or as easy as they desire. Climbing gyms will typically set routes for all skill levels from beginner to advanced. In addition, climbers are able to modify these routes to their specific skill level.
Although the routes are set for all skill levels, a base level of fitness is required to climb them. There are certain ways to tailor them to be more accommodating for beginners with a lower base fitness level. I discuss this and what you can expect when you first go below.
Tailoring Indoor Climbing To Your Desires
What is unique about rock climbing is that it is both a lifestyle and a sport. This is strikingly clear when looking at the nomadic climbers that travel around climbing in exotic places while living out of their vans. To some, climbing is much more than just a sport, it is a way of life.
Although not as evident, this is seen at indoor climbing gyms as well. A microcosm of the climbing community will be present at the gym. All of them will have one thing in common: they are there to climb. They just will have different ways of going about it.
You will see some using their session to work on technical aspects of the routes and constantly climbing to get the most training in as possible. Others will be huddled in groups casually talking and having a good time while climbing the occasional route.
Really, you don’t have to worry about it too much. You can make your session into what you want it to be. I recommend a good mix of both socializing and climbing your first time to get the best feel for the sport/lifestyle.
Indoor Climbing can be an Intense Workout
Rock climbing is a full-body workout that can be used to strain strength, cardio, or both if desired. Routes will be set on the bouldering and top rope/sport climbing walls for various skill levels. The different routes will be indicated by different hold colors or different colored tape.
As a general rule in the USA, indoor bouldering route grades will typically range from V0 to V13 and top rope/sport climbing grades will range from 5.5 to 5.13d. The higher the number, the harder the route. While V13 and 5.13d. are not the hardest grades in the world by any means, most climbers will not be climbing harder than these. Climbers that surpass these levels are typically professionals.
If you are looking to make your climbing session into a challenge, I recommend to start easy and work your way up. When I first went to a gym I climbed for a total of 15 minutes before I was gassed and my forearms were pumped.
For some beginners, the “easy” set routes may be too difficult for them to complete. Which is fine! Rock climbing takes a certain level of base fitness to even just climb one route.
If you find yourself to be in this category, do not worry! You are able to use any hold you want and challenge yourself that way. Don’t feel like you HAVE to just stick to the holds on the route no matter what. Make your session into what you want it to be!
Indoor Climbing can be a Relaxed Social Experience
As I mentioned above, climbing is more than just a sport, it is a lifestyle. As such, indoor climbing gyms are typically a very welcoming atmosphere and provide beginners with a positive experience.
Some of my favorite climbing sessions were with a group of friends in which we ended up doing more talking than climbing. You will most likely see groups of people at the gym sitting around the bouldering wall relaxing and having a good time chatting. If this is more your style I recommend finding a group of friends to tag along with you.
Don’t worry if you do not have a large friend group to go with you. Almost everyone I have ran into at a climbing gym has been very friendly and welcoming. Most will be excited to see new faces coming and trying out the sport they love. If you don’t know what to say, just ask someone what they are working on and the conversation will naturally flow from there.
There is no need for you to go all out and exhaust yourself if that’s not your thing. Climbing should provide you with whatever experience you want. Do not tailor your session to any thoughts of what you think it has to be.
I recommend for your first time challenging yourself a bit with the routes but not going too overboard. Just go and have fun. If you are sociable, I am sure you will meet people with some very awesome stories that they would love to tell you about their climbing experiences!
If you are curious about how much it will cost you to go indoor climbing, I recommend you check out my article linked here. I break down exactly what all the costs are involved including rental gear, day pass pricing, hidden costs, and more.
The Bottom Line
You are able to make your indoor climbing session into what you want. Typically there are a wide variety of climbers at indoor gyms from those treating their time as a training session to those hanging out and talking. If you are looking to get a full body workout and really push yourself to your limit then you chose the right sport. On the other hand, if you are looking to go and socialize with friends and let the climbing itself take a back seat, indoor gyms will be perfect for you as well.