Non-Belayer
Hey, your friend wants to take you climbing!
we’re sure they’ve told you all about their sends and given you the beta on what climbing means to them but we’re here to fill in the blanks.
First off, a ‘send’ is a climb that is completed from the ground to the anchors (the top of the climb) without any falls or rests. Beta is any information you receive about how to complete a climb, useful or not.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are the things we think are important for you to know.
In the time of Covid, plan ahead. Your friend has probably booked the two of you in for a climb but maybe check with them just in case. We have limited capacity and sometimes it’s hard to get in.
Get your waiver done ahead of time. It saves time when you arrive at the gym and you get to use that easy peasy autofill. Under 18? Have your parent or legal guardian fill it out for you to prevent those awkward phone calls.
Wear clothes you can move around in, get sweaty in, and that aren’t ruined by a bit of chalk dust. We’ve got all of the above here.
Climbing shoes. They make all the difference but they have to fit just right. Don’t spend your first climb in pain crammed into shoes that are too small
Climbing is dangerous. Bouldering is dangerouser.