Best beginner climbing shoes (2024): Tested & Reviewed

Best beginner climbing shoes (2024): Tested & Reviewed

I still remember the excitement of walking into that climbing gear store, gazing in awe at the colorful array of climbing shoes that adorned the walls. The promise of adventure and new heights lured me into the world of climbing, and my eagerness to get started led me to make a rookie mistake. Ignoring the…

Best Climbing Backpacks (2024 Update): Sport, Trad, and Beyond

Best Climbing Backpacks (2024 Update): Sport, Trad, and Beyond

I spent my whole first year climbing hauling my gear around in a backpacking backpack. To be honest, it worked pretty well — but eventually I got tired of carrying around all the extra bulk. Every climber eventually hits the point when it’s time to check a backpack off the climbing gear list. There’s tons…

How Should Climbing Shoes Fit (2024): The Right Amount of Tight

How Should Climbing Shoes Fit (2024): The Right Amount of Tight

If you’ve been battling stinky shoe syndrome like I have, you already know the importance of keeping your climbing shoes clean. But let’s take a step back (pun intended) and talk about something equally crucial: finding the perfect fit for your climbing shoes. We’re diving into the nitty-gritty of how climbing shoes should fit, so…

How to Clean Climbing Shoes: 7 Steps to Fresh Feet (2024)

How to Clean Climbing Shoes: 7 Steps to Fresh Feet (2024)

For anyone that’s been climbing for a while, you know that one of the worst parts is the smell of the shoes. Mine have got so bad that just handling them to take them off between climbs leaves my hands wreaking of stinky foot. Unfortunately, there’s no way to minimize sweating, especially in hot gyms….

Best Climbing Ropes on Prime (2024): Buy a Top Rated Rope

Best Climbing Ropes on Prime (2024): Buy a Top Rated Rope

Buying your first climbing rope feels like a big decision — that’s because it is. Different models, lengths, widths, and constructions throws a lot of information into the mix and can make it hard to pick out the best climbing rope for your needs. Add in the fact that ropes are expensive and quite literally…

Rock Climbing Gear List 2024: What You Need to Start Climbing

Rock Climbing Gear List 2024: What You Need to Start Climbing

Making sure you have the the right items on your rock climbing gear list can be a bit intimidating. Between understanding what everything is and what is necessary you actually need, there’s a lot to take in. And since climbing gear tends to be expensive, it’s an investment you want to get right. I definitely…

Climbing Shoe Size Calculator: Find the Right Fit in 2024
|

Climbing Shoe Size Calculator: Find the Right Fit in 2024

When you set off to buy your first pair of climbing shoes, one of the first things you’ll notice is the sizing is different. Most climbing shoes are made in Europe and therefor use European sizing. This can be a little confusing, which is why we created this Climbing Shoe Size Calculator for you. This…

San Antonio Climbing Gym Guide: The Beta for 2024

San Antonio Climbing Gym Guide: The Beta for 2024

The San Antonio climbing gym scene has yet to explode — in fact it’s quite small. Personally, I find that surprising. With other metropolitan areas like Dallas and Houston exploding with both private and corporate gyms, you’d think every city would follow suit. But alas, the gym scene hasn’t really caught up with the times. …

Outdoor Rock Climbing Oaxaca: 2024 Guide

Outdoor Rock Climbing Oaxaca: 2024 Guide

Oaxaca is a beautiful state in central Mexico home to world class beaches, incredible food, and a capital city bursting with culture. If you’re planning a trip through Mexico, Oaxaca is a must-see destination. And if you’re a climber, you’re in luck — there is some fantastic rock climbing in Oaxaca. Overview If you’re heading…

Sport vs. Trad Climbing: The Complete Guide

Sport vs. Trad Climbing: The Complete Guide

Learning to climb requires using a new language. From equipment to slang to basic definitions, there is a lot to take in. Starting off, one of the most important things to understand is sport vs. trad climbing. Sport vs. trad climbing: Difference explained Sport climbing emphasizes physical challenge and uses pre-placed bolts for protection, while…

Resoling Climbing Shoes: How To Guide & Best Resolers for 2024
|

Resoling Climbing Shoes: How To Guide & Best Resolers for 2024

Everyone has a favorite pair of climbing shoes that just seem to fit like magic. But when the rubber starts to wear and the liner starts to show, we’re struck with dread at the thought of dropping another $200 and having to break in a fresh pair of kicks. But fear not, there is an…

This Week in Climbing #62 (May 21, 2017)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Dancing Sasquatch is New Multi-pitch 5.7 in Banff at Gripped Sebastian Pacey-Smith Sends Hard Nova Scotia Problems at Gripped New Ontario Eyeball Crag is Big Granite Wall at Gripped Marek Raganowicz…

This Week in Climbing #59 (April 2, 2017)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada It’s Spring Rock Climbing Season in Western Canada at Gripped New Guidebook: Sport Climbing in the Canadian Rockies at Gripped Patagonia Three Belgian climbers free 1200-meter route on Central Tower of…

This Week in Climbing #47 (December 18, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Luke Zimmerman Sends V13 on Cold West Coast at Gripped Venom and Antifreeze are New West Coast Mixed/Ice Lines at Gripped USA Israeli Sender Alex Khazanov Flashes Mandala V12 at Gripped…

This Week in Climbing #45 (December 4, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Ontario Climbers Climb Rocket Man in Rockies at Gripped Early Season Accidents in Rockies a Good Reminder at Gripped La Pomme d’Or is a Classic Canadian Ice Route in Quebec at…

Crazy Steep Drytooling in the Lake District

Drytooling started out as a way to reach those free-hanging icicles at the top of steep walls, but it’s morphed into a climbing discipline in its own right and an end unto itself. Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than the video below, in which Jeff Mercier climbs a severely overhanging D13 (like M13 mixed climbing but…

This Week in Climbing #44 (November 27, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Two Big New Ice Routes Near Peyto Lake in Rockies at Gripped The 2016 Squamish Golden Scrub Brush Awards Announced at Gripped Kurt Ross and Colin Simon Climb Fat Rocket Man…

The Second Ascent of a V15 in Switzerland by Jakob Schubert

The bouldering grade of V15 is so far beyond my abilities and even comprehension that it might as well be V10000. In this video, Austrian pro climber nabs the second ascent of Nalle Hukkataival’s 15-move Bügeleisen Sit (V15 or 8c) in Maltatal, Austria. The problem is severely overhanging and looks insane. Climbing type: Bouldering Video location: Maltatal,…

Caroline Ciavaldini on the Voie Petit (8b/5.13d and 450 meters), Grand Capucin

Yesterday’s video was a brief profile of husband and wife climbing duo James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini. Today’s video is the video that James talks about filming in that video. It document’s Caroline’s attempts to climb the Voie Petit, a 450-meter 5.13d on the Grand Capucin on Mont Blanc du Tacul, Chamonix. Full of plenty of gorgeous…

Profile of Climbers James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini

Drone-making company DJI made this video profile of British climber James Pearson and his wife, French climber Caroline Ciavaldini. As you might expect, they also talk about using a drone to capture climbing footage. One interesting thing that James mentions is using the drone to scope out approaches so that they don’t get lost en…

Second Ascent of a V8 Highball in Indian Creek

Indian Creek, Utah, is well known as a crack climbing Mecca, but in recent years it’s also become a hotspot for bouldering activity. In this short and sweet video, we see Daniel Steele make the second ascent of an incredible-looking highball boulder problem. Climbing type: Bouldering Video location: Indian Creek, Utah Video length: 2:13 Video…

Leo Houlding Climbing a New Big Wall Route in Greenland

In this video, ace British climber Leo Houlding and crew head to Greenland to climb the Mirror Wall, a 1,200-meter-high (~4,000-foot-high) tower. If you’re into the longer, more expedition-focused climbing films, this is a great one with high production value and beautiful cinematography. (Click here if you can’t see the video above.) Climbing type: Big…

This Week in Climbing #43 (November 20, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada New Rockies Ice Route and Slow Start to Season at Gripped Kevin Wilson Sends First 5.14 with Repeat of Fit Bird Direct at Gripped Greenland Canadians Climb Big New Routes on…

Free Soloing a Big Route in Poland’s Tatra Mountains

In this video, climber Janusz Gołąb free solos the route Motyki on Zamarła Turnia in Poland’s Tatra Mountains. The actual climbing starts at about the 3-minute mark. Climbing type: Multi-pitch free solo Video location: Tatra Mountains, Poland Video length: 8:00 Video channel: Janusz Gołąb (YouTube)  

Is This the Most Beautiful Finger Crack in the World?

Finger cracks are inherently beautiful climbs. Here Will Mayo climbs Bishop Crack (5.12b) on The Bishop in South Platte, Colorado. The first pitch has been called the best finger crack in all of Colorado. After watching this video, I believe it. It looks like one of the best in the world! Climbing type: Trad Video location: South Platte,…

Repeating a Hard Sea Cliff Trad Route at Ailladie, Ireland

Check out Ricky Bell climbing the hard trad route Forever Young (E7 6c) at the Burren sea cliffs in County Claire, Ireland. Tip: The music in this video is super weird, so you might want to consider turning it down… Climbing type: Trad Video location: Burren sea cliffs (Ailladie), County Claire, Ireland Video length: 2:58 Video…

This Week in Climbing #42 (November 13, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Shepherdess of the Glaciers Wins Grand Prize at Banff Mountain Festival 2016 at Gripped Quebec Climbing Legend François-Xavier Garneau Passes at Gripped Max Fisher and Fred Giroux Recieve 2016 John Lauchlan…

A First Ascent at High Tor in the Peak District

High Tor is a limestone crag in Matlock, Peak District. In this video, Jon Clark makes the first ascent of Fury Road, an 8a (5.13b) sport route. Beautiful rock, a stunning location, and great cinematography make this short video a must-watch. Climbing type: Sport Video location: High Tor, Matlock, Peak District, England Video length: 3:37…

Indian Creek Bouldering – New Boulders and Problems

In this video, Nathaniel Davison heads to Indian Creek not to climb, but to find new boulders and put up new problems. Great-looking problems, beautiful scenery, good music, and good cinematography. What more could you want in a climbing video? Climbing type: Bouldering Video location: Indian Creek, Utah, USA Video length: 9:57 Video channel: Nathaniel Davison (YouTube)

The 10 Commandments of Training for Rock Climbing

I like to read old climbing books. Performance Rock Climbing by Dale Goddard and Udo Neumann lists “The Ten Commandments of Physical Training,” and I thought they were great and worth sharing here: Warm up and cool down Vary your climbing and training Personalize your training Train specifically Increase your volume appropriately Don’t expect shortcuts…

This Week in Climbing #41 (November 6, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Letter from ACC to Ontario MNR About Niagara Escarpment Closure at Gripped USA Adam Ondra Finds Dawn Wall Complex and Difficult at Gripped (And another update, and the most recent.) Tour de…

How Hardcore Is Climbing Compared to Mountain Biking, Ultrarunning, and Swimming?

I just ran across an interesting article on the Outside website. The author takes a look at a handful of “extreme” outdoor sports—nordic skiing, rock climbing, open-water swimming, downhill mountain biking, and ultrarunning—to determine which is the “toughest.” Each sport is broken down into a few measurable statistics, namely calories burned per hour, injury rate…

This Week in Climbing #39 (October 23, 2016)

  Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada The 2016/17 Bouldering Competition Schedule for Canada at Gripped New Rockies Dry-Tool Crag is Drive In Near Exshaw at Gripped Nova Scotia Second Edition Ice Guidebook Online for Free at…

This Week in Climbing #38 (October 16, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AFRICA Fred Nicole Climbs New V14/15 at Age 46 at Gripped AMERICAS Canada Julia Bobak and Marcel Aarden Send Hard Routes at Horne Lake at Gripped Access to Ontario Crags Along Niagara Escarpment…

This Week in Climbing #37 (October 9, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada West Coast’s Eldred River Valley Access Under Threat at Gripped New Brunswick’s 100-metre Cobblestone Wall is Wild at Gripped Mark Bramble Repeats Nearly 90-Pitch Yamnuska Traverse at Gripped USA Isabelle Faus…

This Week in Climbing #36 (October 2, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada New 5.11 in Quebec at Area Hopefully Open Soon at Gripped New Big Rock Climb on Bedson Ridge in Jasper at Gripped Patagonia Updated: Marc-Andre Leclerc Frees Titanic on Torre Egger…

This Week in Climbing #35 (September 25, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Julia Bobak of B.C. Sends Her First 5.13c by Gripped Third Ascent of House-Anderson for Hawthorn and Livingstone at UK Climbing (See also Planet Mountain.) Joe Skopec Sends All Bolted Routes Along…

This Week in Climbing #34 (September 18, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Daniel Martian Climbs New Ontario 5.14 at Lion’s Head at Gripped New Route on Mount Gimli’s South Face is Dark and Stormy at Gripped Patagonia Marc-Andre Leclerc Attempts Torre Egger Solo…

This Week in Climbing #33 (July 31, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA Monkey wedding, ~8C by Nalle Hukkataival at UK Climbing (See also Gripped.) AMERICAS CANADA Baffin Island, Ragni return after new routes at Planet Mountain Unrepeated Yamnuska Traverse Attempted in Single…

This Week in Climbing #32 (July 17, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS CANADA Sara Frangos Sends Planet X 5.13 at Gripped Luke Zimmerman Sends West Coast 5.14 at Gripped Baffin Island, new climbs and fresh information from the Italian-Belgian expedition at Planet Mountain USA…

This Week in Climbing #31 (July 3, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy, and happy climbing! Climbing News AMERICAS Bolivia Bolivia: Italians climb new route up Rumi Mallku at Planet Mountain Canada New Bouldering Area Near Squamish is the Constellations at Gripped Andy White Talks About the Boom in Okanagan Bouldering…

This Week in Climbing #19 (March 6, 2016)

Here’s all of the best and most interesting rock climbing stuff that happened over the last week. Enjoy! Climbing News AMERICAS Canada Alannah Yip and Sean McColl are 2016 Canadian Champions at Gripped New Hard Sport Routes in Rockies at Gripped South America Patagonia: Riders on the Storm repeated by Mayan Smith-Gobat, Ines Papert and…