Guide to Outdoor Rock Climbing: the Insect Lifecycle

Outdoor rock climbing roughly follows butterfly gestation. Here’s my rough guide to outdoor rock climbing and associated gear.

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Caterpillar Phase

Welcome out of the egg! You have just arrived and are staring at the cliff. There are typically two reactions. In the first one, it looks impossible. It’s the Cliffs of Insanity! In the second one, it looks so easy. You just put your feet and hands there and then there and there! That’s it! So you move to the cliff face, put your hands at the start, and …. nothing happens. You can’t even hold onto the handhold long enough to put your feet in the envisioned start. Your grand dreams pop. Patience grasshopper. I mean caterpillar.

The first few times out you will roughen and toughen your hands, back, and muscles you didn’t know you had. If you’ve been indoor climbing a few times, you’ll find outdoor climbing a different world, which it is. There are no pretty, preset handholds. You must make sense of the plethora or dearth of handholds out there which are variable quality. It can be a little bit of a shock compared to a cozy indoor climbing gym.

Equipment you need:

  • Rock climbing shoes

  • Safety harness

  • Bicycle helmet to serve as climbing helmet

  • Climbing friends who can provide guidance and necessary equipment

Chrysalis Phase

Ok, so you’ve been out a couple times and you think you like it! Your hands are a little stronger and the fingertips don’t feel rubbed raw at the end of a climbing session. It’s time to learn top roping, rappelling, and serious training. Experienced indoor climbers can leapfrog directly to this phase.

Over time you should accumulate the following equipment for your cocoon:

  • Climbing backpack

  • Bona fide climbing helmet

  • Approach shoes

  • Rope

  • Toprope webbing

  • Three autolocking carabiners

  • Two regular carabiners

  • Chalk bag

  • Belay Device (e.g. ATC)

  • Grigri

  • Bouldering crash pad

  • Hangboard and pegboard for your garage at home

  • Mountaineering emergency survival equipment

Butterfly Phase

After several years in your chrysalis, it’s time to take flight. The preparation in the cocoon will serve so that your flight will not be to the afterlife. You will now learn how to climb by yourself with a microcender, to lead climb, and to place anchors. You will need:

  • Microcender

  • A massive rack of lead climb carabiners and regular carabiners dangling from your harness

  • Longer rope

  • Pneumatic drill

  • Bolt kit

  • Off-road capable vehicle for getting to the climbing walls

  • Your own style of climbing

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