Rock Climbing Sites, Magazines, and General Information

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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.

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Rock 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 daunting in the beginning. After all, there's climbing indoors, climbing outdoors with protected, pre-set routes, or outdoors with "protection" you set up yourself. The Internet has a variety of resources that can help you familiarize yourself with (and eventually immerse yourself in) the rock climbing world. There are only a handful of climbing magazines in print, but there are plenty of sites where you can glean much about technique, gear, locations, and exciting breakthroughs, as climbers continue to push past previously known limits.

Dulcinea's Insight

Be prepared to feel a bit intimidated as you see feats of athletic prowess online that aren't easily duplicated unless you commit to climbing full time. Rock climbing is a world unto itself, with its own lingo, gear, and passionate, conflicting views on do's and don'ts. Not to worry. Jump in, look around, and climbing will soon begin to make sense.

As you research, you may come across terms you don't know. To expedite your acclamation to the world of rock climbing, refer to RockClimbing.com's "Climbing Dictionary" early and often.

One reason climbing is accessible to most everyone is the fact that you're supposed to be primarily using your legs. Climbers will remind each other, over and over again, "Find your feet!" while a climber struggles to find hand-holds that give them a false sense of security. Our leg muscles comprise some of the largest muscles in our body. You'll have more success if you think of the sport as using your formidable leg muscles to step your way up, along with balance, agility, and a calm mind.

The online resources listed below are particularly useful for overviews and introductions to climbing, as well as articles and pictures. Additionally, we've included online versions of print magazines, which are also valuable sources of information, especially as you immerse yourself in the rock climbing culture.

Dulcinea's Picks

For online-only resources ...

Rock Climbing is your portal to all things climbing, featuring the latest news, a guide for beginners gear reviews, classifieds, and forums. Alongside Summit Post, it has one of the largest collections of route information online. Articles and videos are grouped by type, and if you're looking for photos, there are tens of thousands. You can also use the site to find a potential climbing partner.

A-B-C of Rock Climbing is one of the best sites for a beginner, with lengthy sections on basics, background, equipment, techniques, and safety. It also offers travel and services for climbers, and an active forum.

Summit Post will spur you to consider climbing around the world, with its endless route profiles and trip reports. Users rate all articles, route reports, and photos. The site has inspiring photos and up to 35,000 registered members. A master list of new articles and route information is updated every five minutes!

Indoor Climbing 's name belies the breadth of information on this somewhat busily laid-out, but incredibly useful site. It's another great site for beginners. Here, you'll find lots of in-depth tips on training plans, technique, nutrition, competition listings, and plenty of links for further exploration (they don't mind linking to competitors either).

Spadout has a simple, visually appealing design. There is a straightforward site menu that organizes the site into major categories, articles, tools, gear, and gyms. Notable training articles, especially on combining yoga/climbing for best performance, and some unique comparison tools for shopping, make this a site to visit.

Big Wall Climbing is the homepage of aid climber John Middendorf, who's been going at it for decades. The site features a long list of articles, photos, and an ancient, but classic how-to for mastering these behemoths.

For magazines ...

Alpinist , billing itself as a "coffee table online journal for climbers, boulders and mountaineers around the globe," is a beautifully laid-out site based on an archival-quality, five-year-old magazine out of Wyoming. It's content-rich and absolutely brimming with well-written essays, stunning photos, and engaging journals from some of the world's best climbers. The online version includes many full articles from the most current issue and a moderately active forum.

Climbing is geared more toward the everyday climber. It has lots of stories, profiles of classic climbs, regular columns (Tall Tales, Off the Wall), and an exclusive slideshow/essay series, "The Dirtbag Diaries." It's got pro blogs, photos, a nice collection of videos, and climbing wallpaper. Handy catalog ordering pages let you order bunches in one fell swoop.

Rock and Ice is one of the most popular, well-written climbing magazines. It's slick, glossy, and pretty to look at. The site is much the same, but you won't find a lot of actual content here. Look through archives for a helpful collection of "Ask Gear Guy" questions and field-tested products. However, forums are not that active, and photos and video offerings are comparatively sparse.

Gripped is a Canadian-based magazine. The site is fairly lean, but does offer comprehensive information on climbing in Canada, a handy link list, and updated climbing news.

Who knew?

Gorp is a travel and outdoor site, which has this entertaining and informative article on climbing with children.

Body Results offers comprehensive training programs (see the "How can I improve my climbing?" section below). Here's an intriguing article on climbing while pregnant.

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 your local rock gym. If you don't have specialized climbing gyms nearby, do some research and see if any exercise gyms have climbing walls, and take a class or two. Next, you'll need to find a climbing buddy. If you didn't find a partner in class, then search online for a local or regional climbing group to join. Once you've got a place to climb and people to climb with, you'll need to choose some basic gear. Read below to learn about equipment basics, how to find local rock gyms and the best ways to find community.

Dulcinea's Insight

The most important element to keep in mind while climbing and preparing to climb is safety. Climbing is inherently dangerous and mistakes can result in serious injury or even death. Too many climbers find themselves getting caught up in the competitive aspects of climbing, throwing caution and common sense to the wind for the sake of their egos. There are always going to be climbers better than you, so put safety first and ensure that you'll be around years from now to enjoy it.

The gear sites below will help you learn about and evaluate the gear you'll need. For purchasing gear, check out the, "Where can I buy climbing gear?" section of this guide.

Check out 30 "starting out" articles for beginner climbers from Planet Fear, a U.K.-based site-see the menu on the left side on the page for easy reference.

The type of climbing you start out with will most likely be dictated by where you live. Most metropolitan areas have rock gyms. And if you're lucky enough to live in an area where you can climb outdoors, there's bound to be an existing community of climbers to befriend. Some diehards build their own climbing walls (more on this later), but don't make this kind of commitment until you're sure climbing is something you truly love to do.

You might find a local or regional climbing group through Meetup.com or Yahoo Groups -members are often willing to teach newbies and take you under their wing. Be sure to check out the number of members the group has, and click on the group's homepage to see the level of group activity. There are more than 800 climbing-related groups on Yahoo from all over the world.

Dulcinea's Picks

To find a rock gym or programs nearby ...

Indoor Climbing provides a convenient list of national and international links to climbing gyms around the world. The list is by no means complete, but it is surprisingly extensive.

For instruction and programs ...

The American Alpine Institute was founded in 1975 and is one of the absolute best climbing schools in existence, according to USA Today, The New York Times, Backpacker magazine, and author Jon Krakauer. Accomplished teachers teach you how to think for yourself while internalizing the safest, most efficient techniques.

Mountain Madness North America Alpine Mountaineering School features climbing programs for any type of climbing, at any level. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, they offer classes in Washington, Colorado, and Nevada, as well as South America. It offers expeditions to all parts of the world and some of the highest mountains.

Mtnguide.org has consolidated climbing programs from around the world into one comprehensive list for your convenience.

For gear overviews ...

Spadout features a handy collection of overview articles, including gear necessary for each type of climbing and a "101 to Rock Climbing" guide.

Indoor Climbing lays out everything you need to know about gear on one page.

REI features a variety of "How to Choose" articles for every type of climbing equipment necessary, along with helpful articles for both beginners and experienced climbers alike.

Rock Climbing 's "Climbing Ropes Explained" gives you the lowdown on dynamic and static ropes, lengths, and fall ratings.

For rock climbing communities ...

Summit Post Message Boards is one of the most active forums available, with tens of thousands of messages on every conceivable topic.

Rock Climbing has over 8,000 members, so the chances are good that you'll find potential climbing partners in your area. Register first before searching.

The Access Fund has a listing of local climbing organizations arranged by state dedicated to keeping climbing areas open, conserving the climbing environment, and promoting safe climbing.

Mountain Project lets you search for climbing partners by skill level for the best match.

Who knew?

Animated Knots by Grog features common knots, obscure knots, and everything in between. You probably won't end up using most of these, but along with self-rescue techniques, you might end up thanking your lucky stars for this site one day.

Buying Rock Climbing Equipment

Climbing equipment sites make it easier than ever to shop for gear online by collecting different brands in one place and comparing features and prices for you. This is where online shops have the advantage over brick-and-mortar stores: you can drill down to an in-depth assessment of features and learn more about a product than you ever might in a store. But if you have access to a sporting goods store close by that carries climbing equipment, it might be worth a visit too. Oftentimes, you'll find handy tips about gear, groups, and locations from climbing addict employees.

Dulcinea's Insight

Concerned about costs? It's possible to start climbing with a cash outlay of about $100 if you go with bouldering (and borrow a crash pad). But when most folks think of climbing, they imagine scaling gym walls or rock faces. To do this, expect to spend an additional $40-$80 on a harness, $30-$40 on a belay device and locking carabiner, and $80 on a helmet. Ropes and quickdraws can come later. Trad gear (traditional climbing gear) adds up even more quickly, but Alpine climbing and ice climbing require the most cash right off the bat.

If you're using a climbing wall at a local gym, or one where you can pay for the day, it may be possible to rent gear on site.

If you're not sure what equipment you need and want an education before you buy anything, check out the gear overview sites in the "How do I get started climbing?" section of this guide. Then come back here when you're ready to shop.

There's a myth that climbing shoes must fit tightly enough to cause pain to work well. Not true. It's generally acknowledged that shoes should be fairly snug for the best "feel" through your shoes, but not torture-worthy. Make sure to remove your shoes while belaying to reduce discomfort and keep the rubber nice and "grippy". Also, keep in mind that leather shoes will stretch over time.

Dulcinea's Picks

REI is at the top of the list with a beautifully laid-out site loaded with "How to Choose" articles for every type of climbing gear necessary. Be sure to check out REI's outlet store too (you'll find the link at the main site).

Bouldering is your one-stop site for bouldering products. You can find a large array of DVD's online.

Spadout has a "Comparison Tool" that lets you compare prices for a variety of gear and shoes, and a unique "Rack Simulator" that lets you build a virtual set of trad gear and compare options for price, weight, etc.

Backcountry sells general outdoor sporting goods as well, but features all climbing products on one page for an easy start. There are fleshed-out product descriptions and user reviews/comments for comparison. Sign up for the free newsletter. A minimum purchase of $50 will get you free shipping.

Oregon Mountain Community places its emphasis on scores and good deals, as evidenced by the homepage. The company sells outdoor equipment too, but has the bare-bones basics for climbing at good prices.

Mountain Gear also sells general outdoor goods, but has a bigger selection than e-omc and sometimes offers sales up to 50 percent off. Products include very helpful user reviews. (You may end up changing your mind after reading them!)

Climb Axe sticks to the basics, but offers a package deal that includes a harness, belay device, chalk, and chalk bag at a steep discount.

US Outdoor Store features every possible piece of gear for bouldering, sport, ice, or trad climbing, all on one master page. There is no sales tax on continental U.S. orders over $40.

Petzl manufactures gear for sport and ice climbing, mountaineering, and aid climbing, amongst other things. It offers videos and pictorial descriptions of climbing terms and activities. A "Fall Simulator" lets you calculate the force of a fall based on the type of climbing, size of rope, climbers weight, etc.

Just Ropes sells ... just that. As one of the most expensive and important pieces of equipment you'll ever purchase for climbing, it pays to shop around for the best deal.

Sierra Trading Post offers deep discounts of up to 60 percent off retail, but doesn't have the widest selection.

Improving Your Climbing Technique

After mastering the basics, you're bound to start wondering how you can better your climbing. Learn technique from classes at your local rock gym, by climbing with more advanced climbers (watch their moves and ask questions), and read up on technique at the following sites.

Dulcinea's Insight

When looking for ways to improve your climbing, read about improving your center of gravity and increasing your strength, endurance, and flexibility, but consider psychological aspects too, such as controlling fear, increasing concentration, and understanding what motivates you.

If you really want to improve as a climber, learn how to honestly assess your weaknesses. You're only as good a climber as your weakest skill. Figure out what it is, and use the sites below to make improvements.

There's plenty to be learned on the Internet in terms of diagrams, instructions, and tips, but there's no substitute for actual practice. Take advantage of sites that offer training plans you can implement on the rock.

If you've become really addicted to climbing, you may want to consider building your own climbing wall so you can climb independent of weather or gym fees.

Dulcinea's Picks

For general training techniques ...

Archive of Rock Climbing Moves & Tips provides a very nice overview of actual moves you will use over and over, including some rudimentary, but nevertheless helpful diagrams of these concepts in action. This is written for a U.K. audience, so gear prices listed on site will need to be converted.

Body Results Rock Climbing Training & Conditioning is a free, comprehensive training plan to improve your climbing by NSCA-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists. The site features a great collection of articles and offers a range of fee-based, personalized Web training programs.

Rock Climbing 's "Free Ascent Log" will help you keep track of all your climbs in one handy place with room for notes. Watch yourself get better as you climb more progressively difficult routes and have fun reading other climber's comments. Register for a new account, then go to "Climbing Log" from the "My Stuff" menu on the left.

Chockstone offers the kind of tips you'd be most likely to get from other climbers in person. See the "Stupid Mistakes to Avoid" or "How Not to Get Pumped" (flooded by lactic acid, a condition that leads to short-term muscular failure).

For advice on common climbing injuries and staying safe ...

Climbing Injuries was created to help climbers who suffer from tendonitis, including a description, diagnosis, and treatment plan for shoulder, elbow, and finger pain.

Rock Climbing has a section of articles devoted to common climbing injuries and conditions, such as tendon pulley injuries and altitude sickness.

Spadout 's "Food for Your Joints" article focuses on the importance of silica in your diet to minimize tendonitis and recommends various herbal remedies.

For advice on how to build a climbing wall ...

Manufacturer Metolius offers a 10-page PDF on how to build a climbing wall with lumber specs, photos, and route suggestions.

Atomic Holds sells a variety of holds for climbing walls. There is a nine-page PDF on the site with lumber specs, anchor details, and route settings. It includes photos and makes a nice companion piece to the Metolius guide mentioned above.

Indoor Climbing provides guidance on planning, design, construction, and finishing.

Chockstone features a short article with photos on building a wall, but includes several links worth exploring at the bottom of the page.

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 could do, but they're also having fun and enjoying nature in the process. Be inspired and motivated by photos and videos of climbers in action and imagine yourself out there on the rock, moving with grace and strength. Read blogs and essays to learn about personal techniques and discover how some climbers got so good. Or why they're just average, but still love it.

Dulcinea's Insight

Yes, there are thousands of pictures online, so how do you slog your way through them without wasting countless hours, aimlessly clicking? Ask yourself what type of climbing you're interested in (bouldering, ice, etc.) and search only for those kinds of photos. Conversely, you can use a more refined photo search to hone in on an aspect of climbing you'd potentially like to explore, and see what you find.

Watching videos or looking at pictures online may require additional software such as a RealPlayer or Flash plug-ins. You should have the option to download those programs when you visit a site.

Dulcinea's Picks

Climb and More has a wonderful collection of thoughtful, in-depth interviews and a long list of books on climbing.

Rock Climbing offers over 60,000 photos and 120 videos of every type of climbing from around the world.

Urban Climber is based on the magazine and has a nice set of inspiring bouldering videos that will make you want to test yourself.

Steph Davis is one of the world's best women climbers. You'll find a link to her blog here so you can follow her globetrotting adventures and download a variety of movies that will blow you away.

Dave Graham climbs some of the hardest climbs in the world, both sport and bouldering. Catch up with him here and learn about his own personal approach to climbing.

Lisa Rands is another highly accomplished female climber. She writes a Q&A column for Rock and Ice, and the site features a collection of well-written essays from her climbs around the world.

Jason Kehl is one of the premier boulderers with an impressive list of first ascents. His eye for art is evident everywhere on this site (don't let the slightly macabre tone put you off)-check out his entertaining, self-effacing videos and pictures from travels to boulders far and wide.

Big Up Productions features high-quality climbing and bouldering DVDs and videos. There's a link to the blog, which features field notes from international shoots with some of the world's best climbers and boulderers. Run by a team of two brothers.

New Climber will make you want to go out and climb. Written by 32-year-old freelance photographer David Mejias, the site enthusiastically documents his love affair with climbing over the past two years.

Rock Climbing Organizations and Governing Bodies

Regulatory and developmental bodies are a fairly recent phenomenon for the field of climbing, but they're quickly improving the safety and quality of climbing. With training requirements for mountaineering guides, rules for competitions, and standards for monitoring both existing bolts and installing new ones, these groups are making climbing safer for everyone. The sites below will make you familiar with these organizations and the insight they offer.

Dulcinea's Insight

Even if you don't ever plan on competing or setting up routes yourself, it's a good idea to take a look at what these sites have to offer. You might learn information on the Safe Climbing site that will help you avoid faulty protection one day. And organizations such as the Access Fund work hard behind the scenes to preserve and purchase climbing areas.

Once you start climbing regularly, you might become desensitized to the acute and ongoing need for safe climbing habits and routines. Make no mistake, climbing in all its manifestations has clearly defined rules and guidelines, and these are based upon years of experience and often, fatal mistakes. Maintain a healthy respect for those safety codes and customs. Use the sites below to learn everything you can about them for your own sake.

Dulcinea's Picks

Safe Climbing is a California-based nonprofit founded in 1997 dedicated to replacing unsafe anchors and reducing the visual and environmental impact of climbing. The site features an updated list of replaced bolts, a history of bolting, and links to national conservation groups.

The Access Fund works with landowners on a grassroots level to keep climbing areas accessible to climbers. It's the only national advocacy organization that keeps climbing areas open, conserves the climbing environment, and has saved many areas in danger of closing by providing grants for land purchase. It represents over 1.6 million climbers nationwide and has five core areas that focus on public policy, stewardship and conservation (including grants), grassroots activism, climber education, and land acquisition.

USA Climbing is the national governing body of competition climbing in the United States, and it encompasses bouldering, sport, and speed climbing. Find out about upcoming competitions and competition results.

International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is an independent international organization that governs the sport, founded in 2007. It provides statutes and bylaws, a list of member organizations by country (almost 70), rankings for World Cup and Youth Series competitions, a calendar and the latest news.

The American Mountain Guides Association provides support, education, and standards for rock, alpine, and ski mountaineering. There is a "Hire a Guide" feature, along with news, a newsletter, and scholarship information.

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