If you work out at a climbing gym for any period, you’ll realize that a significant percentage of the members did not start as climbers in search of technical improvement. Many of those who are hanging from their fingertips and standing on features little larger than the thickness of a pencil is there because they hate to exercise! So what was the catch that has exercise haters getting in far better shape than they could dream about at an indoor climbing facility? A climbing gym provides an incredible workout for both the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems without tedious iron pumping or pedal spinning. More importantly, one of the fastest-growing sports of the last decade got its popularity because it is just plain fun.

If you want to try out climbing indoors, find out if you have a climbing gym in your local vicinity. If you live in or near a city of over 100,000 there will probably be a climbing gym or two nearby. Many smaller cities have climbing facilities as well.

Chances are the gym will not only have all the gear you need but an introductory class so that you can start up the “cliffs” within minutes. Expect to find many paths up the textured surfaces. Usually, there are so many routes up the walls that climbers of all levels can find a challenge cracking a sequence of moves that will allow passage to the top. Besides the roped climbs, climbing facilities usually have a bouldering section where groups of climbers work on specialized “problems.” Boulder problems are short sequences of more difficult moves where skills are polished and an encouraging atmosphere keeps motivation power high. To round out the exercise aspect of climbing gyms, most facilities build long traversing climbs close to the ground so that a person who wants to exercise for endurance could stay climbing until total muscular failure if so desired. Some climbers enjoy the gym experience because the activity of climbing can be practiced with an exceptional degree of safety and at a moment’s notice. Career professionals and house moms alike can hit the gym and be nearly as proficient as the person who has unlimited time to climb since the indoor cliff is open day and night. Should one decide to take the sport outside, a short course about safety on a natural rock will be all that is necessary. Since the gym climber will have already developed the skills for advanced movement he/she will be ready to partner up with a competent leader on increasingly challenging technical climbs.

A rock climbing gym is a perfect place to get you started in the sport of rock climbing. In a rock climbing gym, you can learn all the safety techniques and safety procedures you will need in order to be a successful rock climber. You can’t just decide to go out and climb some rocks; that can be dangerous. You need to be aware of the perils you may encounter while rock climbing, as well as be properly outfitted when it comes to equipment. You can learn all this and more when you join a rock climbing gym in Orlando.

A rock climbing gym is a great place to meet new people who share your interest in the sport of rock climbing. You can find out where to purchase the best gear for the best prices, as well as find out about great rock climbing destinations.

A rock-climbing gym in Orlando is great for winter when it is too cold to rock climb; unless of course, you are into ice climbing, but that is a whole other story. You can go to the rock climbing gym anytime, whether it’s raining or snowing, or below freezing. You can practice the latest moves you have learned when you belong to a rock climbing gym before you use it on the real rock face. You can perfect your techniques and get instruction on the best way to implement them.

A rock climbing gym allows you to climb whenever the urge hits. No planning for the weekend, and being disappointed if you are rained out, you can go and climb anytime you like when you belong to a rock climbing gym in Orlando. You may be able to get discounts on some of your gear, and if you’d like, you can join a rock climbing league or team, and begin competing in the sport of rock climbing.

The sky is the limit for possibilities when you decide to join a rock climbing gym. You will be among people who share your interest and won’t think you are crazy for talking about rocks all day long. You can become a seasoned rock climber in no time when you practice and climb at a rock climbing gym. Before you know it, people will be coming to you for advice.

At an indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando, you will find a staff that is dedicated to making your rock climbing learning experience as easy as possible. The staff will show you all the equipment you will need to utilize when you are climbing. They will demonstrate and show you the proper use so you will feel confident using it yourself. They will go over all safety procedures with you. Rock climbing is not an easy sport and it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.

At an indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando, you will learn the techniques and moves on an indoor rock climbing wall to ensure your safety before you go out onto the real rocks. You will have class instruction on safety, equipment, and procedure if something should go wrong.

When you join an indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando, you are joining a community of people who are passionate about the sport of rock climbing. You can benefit from many of the member’s experiences too. Not everyone at an indoor rock climbing gym is a professional, you will find people of all ages and levels of experience at an indoor rock climbing gym.

You can participate in a myriad of activities when you decide to join a rock climbing gym. Not only can you practice all your latest moves and perfect your technique, but you can also join a rock climbing competition, join a rock climbing league or find out where any lectures or conventions will be held.

You can learn a lot about the sport of rock climbing at an indoor rock climbing gym. If you are not sure this is the right sport for you, go to your local indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando and hang out for a while. See what all the fuss is about and talk to people you meet. They will be only too happy to wax poetic on their favorite sport and you can then decide if joining an indoor rock climbing gym is for you.

As with any sport or activity, we need a starting point. The same applies when one would like to learn how to rock climb. Old wisdom would say that, if you wanted to learn a particular skill, seek the community that is engaging in that skill, and go join them.

So taking some “old wisdom” advice, the options are, find the nearest outdoor rock climbing club and join up, or find the nearest indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando and pay it a visit.

I find the latter option, visiting an indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando, to be a more subtle and smooth introduction when learning how to rock climb. It has the added benefit of meeting and socializing with others who share the same enthusiasm as you, for this wonderful sport.

What to expect on your first visit to the indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando?

The well-trained, experienced, and friendly staff will go through with you the most important aspect of learning how to rock climb… SAFETY. The introduction to safety covers, each piece of the equipment, its purpose, how to use the equipment, and how to belay your climbing partner.

The key pieces of equipment covered for indoor climbing are the harness, the belay device, the carabiner, and rock climbing shoes.

The skills taught during this introduction are, how to set up to belay a rock climber, tieing a figure-8 knot to attach to the harness, how to use a carabiner, and how to feed and “lock-off” the rope correctly. These basic skills are essential for everybody’s safety.

At this point, you may be thinking, what is belaying?

To belay your climbing partner, means as the belayer, you are the anchoring point and are in control of the rope feed, and the “locking-off” of the rope, in a smooth and succinct fashion. The idea is to provide the climber with just enough slack for them to climb freely, and continually “locking-off” the rope, so in the event of a fall by the climber, the rope is locked, free fall distance is minimal.

After displaying your understanding and proper performance of the safety skills, you are then left to your own devices, and those of your belaying partner, to start scaling the various climbing walls, the indoor climbing gym has to offer.

At first glance, all walls look the same. However, from wall to wall, the rock climbing holds, their placement, and configuration, are purposely designed for different difficulty levels, also known as the climbing grades. This allows novice climbers to move from an easier grade to a more difficult grade as their skills improve.

Although rock climbing is not regarded as a team sport, it is typically not an individual sport either, but rather a communal sport that is done in pairs or with a few people.

It’s time to have some fun, so grab a friend, or go solo to your nearest indoor rock climbing gym in Orlando, find a partner, and start scaling the walls.