In This Guide
Rock Climbing Sites, Magazines, and General Information
Basics of Rock Climbing: Instruction, Gyms, and Communities
Buying Rock Climbing Equipment
Improving Your Climbing Technique
Where to Climb: Climbing Maps, Tips, and Tricks
Climbing Stories and Interviews with Rock Climbers
Rock Climbing Organizations and Governing Bodies
Rock Climbing: Hit Your Peak Online
Once relegated to the obscure bastion of an extreme sport, rock climbing has become so popular that you'll now find men, women, and children of all ages and levels of fitness at the gym or out on the rock, alongside lithe and limber experts. Advances in equipment, safety, and instruction have opened up the world of climbing to just about anyone. With the help of the Internet, you can begin to learn about, or perfect, your climbing experience right from your own home.
Expand All Guide SectionsRock Climbing Sites, Magazines, and General Information
Climbing is varied and multifaceted, and trying to get an understanding of what it is can be a bit ... read more »
Basics of Rock Climbing: Instruction, Gyms, and Communities
The first thing you'll need to figure out is where to climb. One of the best places to start is ... read more »
Buying Rock Climbing Equipment
Climbing equipment sites make it easier than ever to shop for gear online by collecting different ... read more »
Improving Your Climbing Technique
After mastering the basics, you're bound to start wondering how you can better your climbing. Learn ... read more »
Where to Climb: Climbing Maps, Tips, and Tricks
Look at a geographical feature map of the United States and it will become apparent that there are thousands of places to climb in this country alone. Lift your sights to the rest of the world and you'll spend your days daydreaming about scaling Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and even Antarctica. You'll never run out of places to climb. The sites below offer an exciting variety of topographical maps and guides to routes.
Dulcinea's Insight
- While you may be seduced by colorful images and photos of climbing vacations in foreign locales, shoot for climbs within your skill level for the happiest, most satisfying trips possible. Ask around on forums for suggestions and tips for chosen routes.
- Reading up on routes and locations can be the perfect way to get some advanced "beta" (tips on how to best complete a climb, such as "good hands and feet," particularly when it comes to overcoming a crux, or the most difficult part of a route). After looking through pictures, reading diaries and journals, and evaluating trip logistics, you may just change your mind about whether or not you still want to travel to a particular climbing area. Or, you may feel surer than ever about your decision to give it a whirl.
Dulcinea's Picks
Earth Climber
lets you can fly around the globe from the comfort of your home, zooming in on climbing areas around the world. "Hot spots" lead to photos and links for more information. Not all satellite images are clear, but still, this is a great overview that will whet your appetite for travel. South America, Africa, and Australia are sorely underrepresented, but hopefully this will change as the program becomes more well-known (links and pics are uploaded by the general public). Download Google Earth first.
Rock Climbing
has the largest collection of route information online, with over 60,000 routes in the U.S. and almost 20,000 international routes.
Climber.org
is a text-heavy site that's nevertheless chock-full of mountaineering route information. Read through hundreds of trip reports going all the way back to 1970 and post about upcoming climbs to find partners or join others.
Rock Climbing Australia
features an interesting collection of academic papers on various aspects of climbing and training advice. It also features a guide to climbing areas around the country.
Planet Fear
is a U.K.-based site that offers a series of "microguides" for different climbing areas around the world: how to get there, what to take, and links to explore.
Mazamas
is a Portland, Oregon-based organization founded in 1894. They offer over 350 annual climbs, but you must sign up in advance, as trips fill up early. And it has great links section to lots of other climbing sites.
Super Topo
focuses primarily on the Yosemite area, but also features a series of slideshows with accompanying essays and professional photographer galleries. Take advantage of its free sample downloads from 12 guidebooks for California, Nevada, Utah, and Alaska.
Everest News
is an extremely deep site with lots of facts and figures, including a running tally of summits, firsts, and routes. It offers games, specific peak guides, a mailing list, a store, interviews, and a speaker's bureau. Then there is the very popular, regularly updated, "Daily News."
UK Climbing
is the main hub for climbing in the United Kingdom. It features a database of crags and routes, publicly updated logbooks, the latest news, and a veritable vault of photos.
Who knew?
SummitPost.org
has a "Guide to Pronouncing the Names of Welsh Mountains." This will help you save face around the locals as you struggle to interpret seemingly unpronounceable consonant/vowel combinations.
Climbing Stories and Interviews with Rock Climbers
Sure, folks are doing things out there on the rock that only contortionists or Olympic athletes ... read more »
Rock Climbing Organizations and Governing Bodies
Regulatory and developmental bodies are a fairly recent phenomenon for the field of climbing, but ... read more »
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
