Peter James
September 6, 2022
So you’ve just completed your first full year of climbing. Whether it was every day, or just on the weekends, the first year of climbing is a portent of your skills and progress. Among callused hands, a broadened vocabulary, and a long list of climbing goals, here are ten things we can all learn from one beginner's first year.
For anyone, the first year of climbing is an influential and formative period. During this time we form habits both good and bad, positive and negative. Reflecting on this period will help in remedying the bad habits while encouraging the good ones. Like many others, I started climbing after being inspired by films like The Dawn Wall, Freesolo, and Valley Uprising. Leagues away from the superheroes I watched on screen, my first climbing experience left me on the couch with both hands a bucket of ice. Still, I knew then that this wasn’t going to be a one-and-done or passive hobby. I was hooked. I’d caught the bug. A year to date, I’ve learned more than a few things about technique, training, mentality, and applying my climbing skills outdoors. Read on for a brief list of a beginner’s takeaway after a year of climbing.
1. First, Use Your Feet
The number one thing every beginner can focus on is footwork. Not only are your legs naturally stronger than your arms, but proper footwork also encourages positive technical habits. Focus on moving your feet before your arms. Try to stand on your toes rather than the balls of your feet. While cutting loose looks awesome, it’s often not necessary. Use your feet to keep your body tension and hips close to the wall. Proper footwork will not only increase the lifespan of your first pair of climbing shoes, but it’ll also set you up for success once entering into more advanced grades.
2. Take Time to Make Time
Nothing happens overnight. Training your muscles for climbing takes time. Unlike other sports where a few big muscles do most of the work, climbing requires hundreds of small muscles to each do a little. These muscles are also very dense. The tendons in your fingers will take years to develop the necessary strength for harder climbing. If you’re an older beginner, give yourself a break when it comes to finger strength and upper body power. The youngsters you see flashing your project not only have a geyser of youth to drink from but are also physically more resilient. You can’t beat biology, so embrace the process and look for minor improvements to bolster morale. Time and presence go a long way in your first year. Simply showing up to the gym or crag is one of the easiest ways to improve.
3. Be Kind to Your Mind
No one likes a cocky or arrogant climbing partner. That being said, confidence and self-realization go a long way in mentally preparing for success. Remind yourself that every climber, even Alex Honnold, and Tommy Caldwell, started out as a beginner. Be generous with yourself and your self-assessment. Remember that difficult things take time. If it were easy, everyone would do it!
4. Go Alone for Speed, Go Together for Distance
So much of climbing is rooted in community. Days at the crag or in the gym can be long and arduous. Good company is a priceless commodity that will make even a dreary day a little brighter. Climbing is often a lifelong pursuit, so having a good partner or group is essential in preserving your enthusiasm for the sport and your mental fortitude.
5. Water Your Roots
Drink plenty of water while climbing. Beginners are far more likely to get injured than experienced climbers. Set your body up for success by giving it ample hydration and sufficient nutrition. This doesn’t mean you have to guzzle 30g of protein right after your session. A balanced diet and plethora of water will give your body the best chance at high performance and quick recovery.
6. You Can’t Fall Off If You Don’t Let Go
Climbing is hard. If you want to get to the top, you’re going to have to try really, really hard. While screaming like Chris Sharma isn’t always necessary, it sometimes is. Visualize yourself climbing an impossible route. Imagine what the holds feel like, even if they seem untouchable. Don’t give up on a climb just because it feels difficult. Building strength requires trying really hard things over and over. Failure is an unavoidable part of the climbing experience, so embrace it!
7. Variety is the Spice of Life
There are so many different kinds of climbing routes and styles. Especially outdoors, climbing offers a variety unlike any other sport. Think of it this way: speed climbing and free soloing are both, technically, climbing. Just as a marathon and a 400m sprint are both running. During the first year of climbing, (and beyond), seek out a variety of routes, styles, and terrain. Not only will this keep things interesting, but it will also round out your strengths and weaknesses.
8. Seek Advice
I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll say it again - every climber starts out as a beginner. That means every climber has a pool of knowledge to swim in when it comes to progressing. The best resource for gaining tips and learning techniques are other climbers. Not necessarily better climbers, though they often do have valuable guidance. Since every climber is different, ask them for their perspective. One thing climbers never seem to tire of is talking about climbing.
9. Climb Now, Train Later
The first year of climbing should consist of climbing, more climbing, then maybe a climb or two after that. Training aids like hang boards and campus ladders are truly awesome, but what’s more awesome is avoiding injuries. Most training aids require a base level of fitness that beginners simply do not possess. That being said, supplemental exercise like pull-ups, push-ups, and cardio is always good to incorporate and will absolutely help to speed up progress. For the first year or so, refrain from using training aids and hop on the wall instead. It will help gradually strengthen your muscles, tendons, and core towards a base level of fitness.
10. Seriously, This Should be Fun
At the end of the day, climbing is about having fun. While, on some level, we all care about performance, the majority of climbers are not professionals. While the elation from finally sending a route you’ve been pouring yourself into can be incredibly motivating and satisfying, climbing is, at its core, just another form of self-expression. It is a way to advance yourself. The lessons learned in climbing are a foundation you can build yourself on as a human. So keep it light!
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