Let’s face it, sport climbing is taking over South East Asia. And if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re one of the few. 

Here are a few common questions for any first-timer.

What is bouldering?

Bouldering is a discipline of sports climbing where you climb up a rock face/wall of up to 5m in height with no rope and with a crash pad/mat to arrest your fall. This differs to other climbing disciplines, namely top rope, lead, and speed, as bouldering is the only discipline that does not use a rope system.

Because bouldering walls are lower, bouldering routes tend to be shorter (average about 5-10 moves). People often think of bouldering as more ‘powerful’, though the style of climbing will vary greatly depending on the route.

Do I need to prepare anything beforehand?

All climbing gyms will need you to fill out a waiver form before you start climbing. Most gyms will have a link to fill this out online before you arrive – we advise doing this to make your experience at the gym smoother and so you can get straight into the fun part!

However, if you haven’t filled it out beforehand, that’s fine too. You’ll just need a few minutes to fill it.

Do I need to buy equipment?

Climbing gyms hire out all the necessary equipment for a small fee, generally about $5.

If you’re going bouldering, you’ll only need two things: climbing shoes and chalk.

Climbing shoes are specially designed shoes with a sole which improves your grip on the climbing holds. Pick a shoe size equivalent to your normal walking shoes. All gyms will ask you to keep socks on if you’re renting shoes, so be sure to bring a pair (something that won’t slip down, because we all know how annoying that is). Good climbing shoes are essential when you start climbing more seriously, but hire shoes are a decent starting point if you’re just trying out the sport.

Chalk is a fine powder used to coat your hands. It helps to absorb moisture and increases friction when you climb so it’s perfect especially for those of you with sweaty palms! It also has the added benefit of protecting your skin, as climbing holds can be a bit rough. Yes, you can prepare for some sore hands afterwards, but trust us – it’s worth it! Most chalk is made with magnesium carbonate and is fairly hypoallergenic. It’s rare to have an allergy to chalk, but it can be quite drying. If you have very sensitive skin, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly and moisturise afterwards.

What do I wear?

Anything you’re comfortable moving in! It can be your favourite Lululemon apparel, or your old workout t-shirt, so long as you feel comfortable working up a sweat in them. Do keep in mind that you’ll probably get some (or a lot of) chalk on your clothes, but it washes off easily with a normal wash.

Keep jewellery to a minimum, especially things like rings, watches and bracelets. These tend to get damaged easily while climbing (don’t want to scratch that brand new apple watch). Necklaces and earrings generally don’t cause too much problem as long as they are not too long or dangly. They can, however, be dangerous with a risk of getting caught in a hold as you fall, so best be safe and keep them while you climb.

I’m scared of falling!

Even if you don’t have a fear of falling, it can be pretty intimidating when you first start climbing! But most gyms will require you to do a few things to ensure your safety. And if they don’t, lucky you, we’ve got you covered.

Climbing Safety

On your first session you’ll most likely have a safety briefing with the staff at the gym. This will cover two main things: how to fall safely, and watching for safety hazards.

Safe falling means landing on your feet and immediately rolling backwards onto your back. Always tuck your chin in and do not break your fall with your hands. It may feel instinctual to put a hand out to stop yourself from rolling back, but that can put excessive strain through your wrists and hands.  Most landing injuries happen in the extremities – your hands, wrists and ankles. Also remember, you’re not in the Matrix. Don’t try some fancy mid-air spins when you’re falling. Looking cool is just not worth the medical bill!

Watching for safety hazards is important when you’re both on and off the wall. When you’re off the wall, it’s important to check where you’re walking or sitting. Climbers can fall suddenly and sometimes at extreme angles, so if in doubt, always give them a wide berth. Never walk underneath someone climbing, and sit in areas designated for chilling.

Side note: You may see other climbers chilling on the mats – to be safe, it’s best not to. But as you get more experienced in watching climbers, you can anticipate their fall zone quite well. Chilling on the mats becomes more common as you’ll know where is safe to sit.

When climbing, it’s important to check you’re not going to climb into someone else (more on this later). Whenever possible, before jumping off the wall check there is no one below you. It should never happen, if climbers follow the rules just mentioned above.

Crash Mats

All bouldering gyms have crash mats installed in all climbing areas. These mats are tested and standardised to minimise landing injuries. They are usually soft enough to absorb your fall, but firm enough to walk on without twisting an ankle. Take it from us – we’ve taken some pretty nasty falls while bouldering but haven’t had any serious landing injuries, thanks to the integrity of those mats. As you try harder climbs, knowing it’s safe to fall will help a lot in committing to the move. Practicing jumping off the wall and falling a few times can help get your confidence up.

Downclimbing

As confident as we are in crash mats, we always advise downclimbing whenever possible. Downclimbing is when you find any holds you can reach to climb back down the wall, or to a height where you can fall confidently. You can climb the entire way down, or just climb half way and then jump. This minimises the risk when falling from height.

Someone is on the climb I want to try… How do I know when it’s my turn?

There is some climbing etiquette you should observe to make sure everyone has fun and stays safe.

It’s normal for a few people to work on a climb at the same time. If you would like to try a climb as well, stand near the climb (at a safe distance as not to be in the fall zone of any climbers) and wait for any climbers to come off the route. Watch for anyone else walking towards the climb – if no one else seems to being going at that moment, it’s safe to start climbing. If you’re not sure if someone is trying a climb, you can always ask them if it’s cool for you to give it a go. Don’t be that kid that cuts the imaginary line by running up to the climb.

And please, always check if there is anyone climbing on routes next to yours. Bouldering routes often overlap with each other – the risk is if someone is climbing above you and falls, they may fall onto you, or vice versa. Otherwise, it’s just an awkward situation of you both trying to grab holds around the other person. In this situation, the person who started climbing first gets precedence.

If you start climbing then realise you’re moving into someone else’s route, you have two options:

1. Hop off the climb and try again once they have finished. A bit annoying if you worked hard to get to that point, but it’s not worth them falling on you.

2. If it’s safe to, you can stop mid-climb and wait for them to finish. Only do this if your waiting space does not clash with their route or fall zone.

In Conclusion

Your first climb may be a little scary and intimidating, but things will make more sense once you give it a go. The most important thing to remember (as cliché as it sounds) is to have fun! Get ready to fall a bunch of times, push yourself out of your comfort zone, and don’t be afraid to look a little silly while doing it!