Moving from indoor to outdoor rock climbing

Thinking of making the jump from rock climbing indoors at your local climbing wall to braving the natural stuff outdoors? Excellent choice, you won’t regret it.

I’m assuming that you have done some indoor lead climbing on sport routes, and that you’re comfortable with clipping into quick draws, but that you haven’t yet placed any gear (wires, nuts, cams, hexentrics etc).

Here’s a few tips to make the transition as smooth as possible:

1. Go with someone who has some outdoor experience
   The first time you climb outdoors, you’ll find there’s a lot to think about. It’s really easy to miss things and compromise your safety. An experienced outdoor climber will spot the potential pitfalls and keep you on the straight and narrow. If you can’t find an experienced climbing partner to go with, consider investing in an outdoor lead climbing course.
2. Practice placing gear
   Ask someone to show you how to place the various pieces of protection that you’ll be using. It is imperative that you know how to place them properly. Gear placed by even the most experienced climbers can work its way loose. Walk around the foot of the crag and find spots that you can practice placing and removing gear (with one hand).
3. Start with something very easy
   You might be able to comfortably climb a 5c sport route indoors, but please don’t attempt anything like that on your first outdoor expedition. Start with adjective grade Diff or V Diff (these are both below 4a), preferably with some nice ledges to stand on for placing your gear and clipping in. You’re likely to find that you end up climbing a good 3 grades below your indoor lead grade. I consistently lead around 5b on indoor sport routes, but I only confidently lead around HS (4c) outdoors.
4. Learn as many climbing techniques as you can. Mother nature will throw challenges you will rarely face at an indoor climbing wall. Lay backs, finger jamming and bridging will all come in very useful. Learning to mantle shelf will be very useful as almost every outdoor climb will involve climbing over the top (rather than the lowing off that you’re used to). This can feel quite scary the first time you do it, and you may end up performing a move more akin to a baby seal (from one who knows).

If you’re careful and keep your risks to a minimum, outdoor climbing is no more dangerous than climbing indoors. It is hugely rewarding and places you in some very beautiful environments.

I hope to see you out there.