Rock Climbing from the beginning for the beginner

Rock climbing is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. Many people have taken to this sport for fun and exercise. At the beginners level it may seem a little intimidating. We see people scrambling up and down these rock faces so quickly it boggles the mind. Well you did not start off riding your bike in the Tour de France, did you? No, you started off slowly and most likely with training wheels. You did not start swimming like a dolphin right at the start either. You had to practice the movements and learn the appropriate balance to get better at riding that bike or swimming. The same holds true with rock climbing.

It is fortunate that at this level sport rock climbing you don't need a great deal of physical strength or know very much about technique. Rock climbing in the beginning is all about learning about safety the gear you will use and a few basic techniques that will make your rock climbing experience better. Rock Climbing , for the beginner is more about learning the basic concepts, the basic technique and developing your balance than it is about climbing hard routes. With just a little experience you will learn that good technique will make the physical demands of climbing easier.

We begin learning about rock climbing safety. After that we will learn about the gear needed for this sport. I will limit my discussion to top-roped (a term I'll explain later) sport climbing. This is the type of climbing you will find in every indoor climbing gym, and it a common form of outdoor rock climbing. Next we will learn about some basic techniques and tips that the beginning rock climber will find most use full, without overwhelming you with too much information at one time.
I am going to limit my discussion to sport climbing, at least for now. Sport climbing uses the natural rock to climb on. The hand holds and footholds used are natural features of the rock. Occasionally protective anchors that are permanently bolted into the rock are used so the climber carries a minimal amount of gear. This differs from traditional climbing. Here routs that are climbed require the climber to carry these anchor systems with them. Traditional climbing is usually what is seen on TV. In Sport climbing, the climber doesn't have to carry protection with him/her. This makes sport climbing easier for the beginner and is safer and faster.

Another useful guide to climbing can be found here
Also Check out The Climbing Harness Co.