Name a non-contact sport that can make your body fitter, stronger and more agile than indoor climbing, all without making you feel like you’re doing a workout… we’ll wait.
While 2021 may have been the first year that climbing was included in the Olympics as a medal-earning sport at the Tokyo Games, the popularity of climbing – in all its forms – has been on the incline (ahem) for some time.
According to Sport Climbing Australia, the number of climbing gyms worldwide increased by 50 per cent from 2007 to 2012, and the pandemic did nothing to quell the popularity of this challenging form of fitness.
Last year saw more new climbing gyms than ever before open in the US and Canada (more than 700). Locally, we’ve seen our own influx, too – with new indoor-climbing facilities opening suburban outposts in the ACT, Victoria and NSW.
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Podcast producer and bouldering fan Andrea Thiis-Evensen has felt the allure of climbing firsthand.
She confesses that she’s now “hooked” and climbs up to four times a week. “It is an incredible strength exercise that feels like you are playing,” she explains. “It’s the best possible way to gain muscle and to get strong or fit, because you don’t notice it’s happening until one day [you notice] your body has changed. Plus, it’s a great way to meet new people – I have made some of my best friends through climbing.”
Thiis-Evensen isn’t alone, with celebrities including Zac Efron, Brie Larson, Jason Momoa and Kristen Bell having openly shared their love for climbing, both indoor and outdoor.
But before you pull on a pair of cargo pants and grab a chalk bag, you might want to think about the type of climber you want to be.
Thiis-Evensen sets it out simply, explaining to Body+Soul the different types. These include: “top rope climbing (climbing with ropes and a harness), speed climbing (with ropes, but fast) and bouldering (with no ropes).
“I started off top-rope climbing, where you need a partner to belay you [secure the rope],” she continues. “But one day I tried bouldering and fell in love. [It’s] like a team sport. The routes you climb are shorter since there’s no rope, but [it’s] also more complicated. Often you all try to solve a ‘problem’ together.
“And then I started lead climbing,” Thiis-Evensen says. “It’s where you bring the rope with you as you climb – which has more risk, and is way more exhilarating.”
Advice for beginner climbers, from someone who’s been there
Experienced indoor climber Andrea Thiis-Evensen shares her top tips for getting started on a rock wall
Don’t be alarmed if it feels weird to climb the first time – it will. You will feel clumsy and odd on the wall but stay with it.
Once you start getting the hang of the difficulty levels, and the gear, you will either fall in love, or not really vibe with it. Either way, it will have been a great exercise, and hopefully a bit of fun.
The shoes and harness you borrow [at climbing gyms] are [often] not that comfortable, so if you end up enjoying climbing, I recommend buying some secondhand shoes; they will be better than the ones at the gym.
When buying secondhand shoes you can go up to two sizes up to make sure they’re comfortable.
Professional climbers [often] downsize in shoes, so they can almost grip with their toes. But in the beginning there is no need for pain, just enjoy yourself.
Bring a good friend, and don’t be afraid to ask people questions. If you’re bouldering and don’t understand how to do the climb, ask someone.
Climbers love giving advice. But don’t give advice to someone who hasn’t asked for it. There’s actually a word for that, it’s called “spraying”. You don’t want to do that.
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