Rock Climbing Intro

Introduction & Assessment

Walk into any climbing gym in the Salt Lake Valley — The Front, Momentum, or Vertical Rush — and you'll see people of all ages moving up colorful walls. Before you touch a hold, take 15 minutes to just watch. Notice how climbers use their feet, not just their hands. See how they pause and plan before they move. Climbing is a puzzle you solve with your whole body. Search YouTube for "indoor climbing for beginners" and watch two or three short videos tonight. You're ready for the next step when you can name three things you noticed skilled climbers doing that surprised you.

Foundation Building

Every climbing gym requires a belay certification and a safety orientation before you can climb unsupported — and for good reason. Sign up for the intro class at your local gym; it usually runs 60–90 minutes and covers harness fitting, knot tying (you'll learn the figure-eight follow-through), and how to communicate with your partner using commands like "on belay" and "climbing." Practice tying your figure-eight at home with a piece of rope or an old shoelace. Watch "How to Tie a Figure 8 Follow Through" on the Climbing Narc YouTube channel to reinforce what you learned. You're ready for the next step when you can tie a figure-eight follow-through correctly three times in a row without looking at a guide.

Skill Development

Now you're on the wall. Focus entirely on footwork this week — it's the skill beginner climbers ignore most. Place the inside edge of your climbing shoe on each hold deliberately, like you're pressing a button. Keep your hips close to the wall and your weight over your feet so your arms stay relaxed. Try every V0 and V1 route in the gym at least once. Between attempts, use the free app "Crimpd" to log your sessions and review footwork drills. Film yourself on one route with your phone so you can see what your body actually does versus what it feels like. You're ready for the next step when you can complete a V1 route cleanly, placing your feet intentionally on every hold.

Practice & Refinement

Pick three V1 or V2 routes and climb each one five times this week — not just to the top, but with control and intention. Practice "silent feet": if your shoe scrapes or slips, that's a reset. Work on reading routes from the ground before you start. Trace the path with your eyes, identify the rest positions, and plan your sequence. The free app "27 Crags" has beta videos for indoor routes at many gyms. Ask a more experienced climber to watch one of your attempts and give you feedback — most climbers love helping beginners. You're ready for the next step when you can climb three different V1/V2 routes back-to-back without falling off and without your forearms burning out.

Challenge Mode

Time to push past your comfort zone. Choose one V3 route that looks hard but not impossible. Your goal isn't to flash it — it's to work it. Break the route into sections: lower third, middle crux, upper finish. Try each section separately, then link them. Learn the drop knee: rotate your knee inward on a foothold to bring your hip closer to the wall and reach moves that seemed impossible. The YouTube channel "Mani the Monkey" breaks down intermediate technique in a way that actually sticks. Also explore the Wasatch Front's outdoor bouldering at Little Cottonwood Canyon as motivation for where indoor skills can take you. You're ready for the next step when you can explain and demonstrate the drop knee to someone else.

Mastery Demonstration

Send that V3 you've been projecting — and document it. Record a clean ascent on video, then write a short route beta (a description of how you solved the problem) as if you're explaining it to a friend who's never climbed it. Share your video and beta on a climbing forum, the gym's community board, or a Discord server for local climbers. Reflect on week one versus now: what changed in how you move? Set a goal for your next six weeks — maybe an outdoor climb at Big Cottonwood Canyon or a V4 project. You're ready for the next step when you can send a V3 on camera and write a clear beta that another beginner could follow.