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Rock climbing shoes are one of the items in rock climbing that you cannot substitute for, and when you are beginning with rock climbing, a pair of cheap rock climbing shoes can be a good investment. Running shoes, for example, are not good for climbing, and if you ever tried…

A good sport climbing backpack is one of the things that just make your life easier. Sure, they’re not super crucial for climbing per-se, but if you ask me, life is just more comfortable when you have a decent backpack. Not only to hold your rope, but also carry a…

Is it allowed to bring a climbing rope bag on a plane, maybe even as a carry-on item? Since I want to go on a trip overseas and want to bring my climbing gear, I was thinking of carrying my rope inside a backpack. Along with a laptop and other…

Camping is great, and for most of my friends and me, it’s a great way to see different places and wake up in the morning, nose full of fresh nature. But even when you go camping and enjoy the outdoors a lot, after a few days you want to take…

Regular training is important when training for bouldering or climbing. A lot of people are not really sure if they should do some dedicated finger strength training, and I’ve been in the same situation. In the end, I decided to postpone dedicated fingerboard training for a while, but I also…

You know how the story goes, if you want to become a better climber or boulderer you should go climbing or bouldering more. But what if you have a busy office job and spend more time at the desk than you actually like? Is there a way to use grip…

Days are short, the air becomes colder, as winter is nearing. Many people in norther Europe and America want to keep climbing outside. But if you want to keep climbing outdoors, you need some warm pants. We recently reviewed the best climbing and bouldering pants for 2020, look here for…

Visiting Bavaria, Germany and wondering where in Bavaria you can find climbing and bouldering gyms?  This is probably the most comprehensive list of climbing and bouldering gyms in Germany for the Area around Munich and Bavaria. It’s broken down by City. And we included a map to show you where…

When you hike and go outdoors in Northern America, there is a decent chance to have wildlife encounters.  Chances to have a bear encounter are actually quite low, despite what the media and YouTube “Experts” will tell you. But, bears are probably not the biggest concern when you go backcountry…

When I began to rock climb, I was afraid of heights. I still am to a certain degree, but rock climbing helped me control this fear better than anything else. Before starting rock climbing I actually picked up bouldering in a gym, and this was a nice way to get…

Primus introduced the Firestick canister stove for 2020. While we haven’t had a chance to do a full review yet, we did our best to get our hands on samples and collect all kinds of valuable information for this hot new gadget for 2020. Read on for our detailed 2020…

When I started hiking, I usually just wore jeans or old army cargo pants. But after I went on my first multi-day hike and experienced a bad case of thigh rash, I decided to investigate and find out more. It turned out, cargo pants are not necessarily your first option…

Old ropes are cool. Remember the neon-bright colored ones from the 90s? Some of that old rope served me very good as a top rope, coiled away in a drawer, ready to be picked up whenever I needed a backup. But after the 3rd new rope, you will end up…

Most children have a natural urge to move. They usually climb early: they sit up at chairs or coffee tables before they learn to walk. Later, it continues on trees and climbing frames with zeal and courage. Most children enjoy climbing! At what age can a child begin with rock…

Are you excited about your next climbing adventures? If yes, you might need another essential piece of climbing gear aside from your backpack and harness – approach shoes. We tested the best climbing approach shoes 2020. Some hiking routes are only accessible via steep, technical terrain, where normal hiking shoes…

The fact that all or most professional climbers nowadays wear helmets to protect them from rocks and banging their head speaks for itself. One accident can be enough to leave you severely injured, and your head is especially sensitive to injuries. If you’re still not convinced, read more here. But…

Days get shorter, nights longer, the weather turns cold and wet. It’s autumn time, and this means for many of my friends and me more time inside the bouldering and rock climbing gym. But besides training to become a better climber, indoor rock climbing is actually a good workout if…

Climbing is a sport where you need lots of finger strength. The same goes for bouldering and alpine climbing. No matter what you do exactly, your fingers will usually be sore if you’re new to climbing. There are actually findings that show that climbers fingers and hands actually adapt to…

First time I did a multi-day hike I actually spent a lot of time thinking about how to carry my food. I wanted to make sure I brought enough, so I undertook some research. I came up with lots of information, and I thought, why not put them together, so…

Around for over ten years, the Black Diamond Positron quickdraw has been updated with new colors and a better and thicker dogbone. They now last even longer. In our Black Diamond Positron quickdraw review, we tested this inexpensive and durable entry-level quickdraw. Bonus: It comes with dual keylocking carabiners. The…

I know you like to browse some good whippers, I do at least. I put together a top 20 climbing huge whippers from different sources like Instagram, Youtube and Vimeo. When I collected these links, I had two rules: A) Must include a decent fall or ‘whoops’ moment B) No…

No matter if you go hiking or mountaineering, if you’re on a multi-day hike, there is no way around a heavy backpack. All the things you need to set up camp like a sleeping bag, cooking gear, your tent plus freshwater and food are heavy. And in most cases, your…

Most of you including me have bike helmets, and when I started climbing I was wondering if I can wear my Bike Helmet for Climbing? I figured any helmet was better than no helmet at all. Later an experienced rock climber told me that bike and climbing helmets are actually…

Rock climbing is exciting to watch and do, but if you haven’t really begun and watched it for the first time, it can also be a little intimidating to watch. I know that many friends I have were initially shy about going to a gym and starting to learn rock…

No matter if you sport climb or trad climb, quickdraws are one of the essentials. Finding good quickdraws can be quite hard, and especially when you are a beginner it’s hard to find quickdraws with good value for the money. Our Skylotec ClipZ Basic Quickdraws review shows if they are…

The Verdict from Us Let’s make it brief, the Axiom Jean are probably the best looking climbing pants we ever tested. Is it a good pant for traditional climbing, outdoor expeditions or long days of sport climbing at the crag? No, we cannot say that. But if you plan of…

I want to talk about the basics today. Basics as in basics of bouldering foot placement. It’s one of the most underrated aspects for many beginners. When people start with bouldering, they usually focus on their hands only. If you’re rested and fresh, nailing a route is easy if you…

Not many other pieces of hardware are so crucial for climbing like the carabiner. No matter if you tie into your harness, build an anchor or connect safety devices for belaying or rappelling – carabiners are use everywhere. They are the one piece of metal in climbing, used to connect…

Climbing shoes are one of the essential climber gears. That is why you need to make sure you buy the best pair for your style of climbing. On the other hand, with tons of different styles of climbing shoes available to select from, it can be overwhelming to choose the…

If you talk about climbing and secrets to become good, one of the surprising things good climbers speak about a lot is skin. It seems that the condition of skin makes a big difference when climbing, which makes sense. It’s your main contact point to the rock (together with your…

How many falls can a climbing rope take? Short answer: A typical ISO approved climbing rope can take a minimum of 5 falls. But what is a fall according to the norm? There is a standardized way to test ropes for falling safety, and I will give you some more…

We put 16 of the best climbing and bouldering pants on the market through the wringer for 2020. Prana Stretch Zion (women’s equal counterpart is the Prana Halle Pant) is our winner, closely followed by the AP pants of Mountain Hardware. We also included a low budget option to find…

Most of the new routes you tackle need training, and if you try hard routes you will almost never climb the first try. Look at the pros when they redpoint climb a route (unsure what redpoint means, read my article), they almost seem the flow through the route. Precise legwork…

Many pieces of equipment enhance your experience when rock climbing. Are belay glasses worth it? They totally are, they will help you reduce strain and tension in the neck, making belaying more comfortable while still keeping a keen eye on the climber. And that way, they make climbing safer too. I…

Want to send harder routes climbing? Tackle new problems when bouldering? Well, you need to know how to use your lower body, specifically how to edge. If you can place your feet properly, your arms will have less weight to hold, and finding the right position for your feet is…

Climbing gyms are expensive, most charge more than 50$ per month for a monthly membership. And a day pass isn’t cheap either with at least 10$ or more. So, it seems they must be a goldmine, right? I mean, if they have 1000 members, this means 60,000$ per month –…

When I started climbing, I actually started with bouldering in a gym. I didn’t know how to find a rock climbing mentor, and for that meant no outdoor bouldering, let alone rock climbing with a rope and harness. For me it felt like the safest way of starting and made…

Oh here we go again, how should climbing pants fit, or how I say: The endless struggle to find the perfect pair of climbing pants. Most people who start climbing focus way too much on their arms. But in reality, footwork and leg movement is one of the most essential…

Top rope climbing is a fantastic way to build confidence and learn new routes. While lead climbing pushes your limits, it’s top rope where you will learn movement basics. Top rope climbing helps you to train specific techniques to a level where you can rely on them. The short answer…

How can I protect my climbing rope? How to treat your climbing rope right! Climbing ropes are pretty durable and abrasion-resistant. Most of the time, you won’t have to worry about your climbing rope, as it can take beatings and rough treatment. But as it is a textile product, made from chemical…

As much as I love rock climbing and bouldering, I used to get arm pumps pretty often. And I do try to go to the gym and boulder gym 2-3 times and climb on the weekend outside. But no matter, my arms pumped quickly, so at one point I decided I…

Lots of people on Reddit and climbing forums ask how to get started with mountaineering. I’ve been asked it several times too. There is a ton of info about mountaineering online and offline, but most of it is very specific and detailed. While the focus on one topic is good,…

Oh, the good old fingers. While there are some parts of the body which take a while to notice as important, every beginner knows that fingers are essential immediately — no feeling like hurting fingers and broken skin from a long climbing session after a break. As fingers are so…

Conventional wisdom has it that climbing shoes either hurt and are made for performance or they are comfortable but lack edging and pointiness for pockets. While this is true in general, there are some shoes that promise qualities for both beginners and pros that look  for a versatile all round…

We all know the problem, summer season is way too short for most of us living in northern climate zones. And when September ends, days get cooler and you might be able to sneak in a good session in October, but wait until November and thats over. Rain and cold…

Climbing and bouldering are hyped right now. Everyone is training with a system now, and new disciplines, methods, and programs pop up almost daily. This being said, some of the applications can overwhelm and between the forest of campus board training, grip strength, moon board, endurance, ancap core, and recreational…

Redpoint, lead climbing, and “I have flashed this ” makes no sense to you? Is this just gibberish, jargon and or maybe even something terrible? Don’t worry, these are standard terms in climbing sports, such as golf handicap or a home run in baseball. It’s about how you approach a…

This one I wanted to write about for a long time. I’m going to show you a dirt cheap and easy way to build a do it yourself DIY portable hangboard setup. No carpentry skills needed, it’s so easy anyone can do it. It’s way easier than most manuals guide…

Climbers, if I’m completely honest, we don’t have a reputation of being the cleanest, most well-groomed people on the planet. We spend days to weeks living out of a car or a tent, next to a mountain someplace, eating on the cheap to spend all our time doing what we…

A strawberry is to a tomato, what indoor bouldering is to outdoor bouldering. I mean, sure, they’re both technically a fruit and both are usually pretty sweet— but does that mean that they both go well on a cheesecake? Oh please, no. Not again. My friend had a cake like…

When I first started climbing, around 2 years ago (but who’s counting!?), I tried climbing every day, in every way I possibly could, on anything I possibly could. Climbing gyms, bouldering gyms, outdoor routes, — I was just slightly obsessed. Once climbing became a part of my life, everything was…

Climbing and bouldering are complex sports. I love this aspect, and it was one of the reasons why I fell in love with it. You can find tons of guides on the internet about how to warm up before you hit the walls or the boulder gym. Likewise, there are…

The other day I watched Free Solo, Alex Honnold’s movie, with a friend. It’s breathtaking and my palms were sweaty for 90% of the movie, definitely In the middle of the film is a scene where he starts the ascent but then bails out when he reaches the Freerider slab-pitch.…

Bouldering is a pretty minimalistic sport. In terms of gear requirements, it’s like climbings little brother. Wild and strong, always on the move but not with a lot of baggage. Typically people ask me if they really need climbing shoes when they start bouldering. Quick Answer: No, you don’t really need…

I was climbing in the gym the other day and one of my friends asked me, being a beginner if climbing pants were any good and had some benefits. So are there any real benefits from wearing pants like Prana or E9? It took me around 3 months to actually…

I love camping, it’s the perfect combination of adventure and relaxing. I used to only go camping during spring and summer, but last year I started winter camping. It’s a little bit more advanced, you need to prepare better, but it’s really rewarding too.  There’s something about being outside in…

Kids love to move around, and a lot of times they have more energy than their parents. Yes, you should definitely take your kids rock climbing and/or bouldering. It’s great for developing general fitness, good balance and teaches them life values such as resiliency, confidence and how to think on their…

Rock climbing needs strength and puts stress on the fingers and arms. Whether it is on natural rock formations or in the gym on artificial rock walls, sending a route requires you to be in very good shape with your whole body. You need to use arms and legs to…

I love bouldering, it’s the perfect training for hard climbs. If you want to become a stronger climber, doing more bouldering is the surefire bullet to do it. And you can do it in a gym during wintertime with your friends. Plus it’s a boatload of fun. Why does it work?…

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned expert – if you climb you need to know your ropes. There are four essential rock climbing knots you definitely need to learn. Whenever I introduce friends and family to climbing a big part of is just showing them how to tie solid…

  I believe that few activities come close to giving you a sense of liberation, freedom, and excitement like climbing does. I started to climb when I was in my early thirties, and I immediately fell in love with it. Climbing gave me an opportunity to break free from the…

So you just started out rock climbing in the gym and now you are hooked. After you took the first lessons you quickly became more confident. Now you are bored by top roping the beginner routes in your boulder gym. Maybe you already tried intermediate routes or even some lead…

Rock climbing makes you physically and mentally stronger. And if you do keep doing it, it will also change your personality. There are aspects of it that directly translate to the rest of your life. See, rock climbing brings some skills into your life that you can use for other…

  The question i get asked most often One of the first questions i get asked by friends and family members who i teach basics of rock climbing. It’s a justified question that one: When people learn to climb, one of the first things to buy are usually shoes and…

I started climbing indoors two years ago, and when I transitioned to outdoors I felt unsure at first. This changed after I learned how to build basic anchors and was able to go top roping on my own with my buddy.I will tell you how to build a simple and…

When i got into climbing i was overwhelmed with the vast knowledge needed to stay save. There are tons of nots and rope techniques to lear. And if you ask people out there you will get 12 different answers for the same question. Let me tell you one thing: There…