TNT: A Beginner’s Guide to Planning a Climbing Trip
Today’s post is from Climb On! Sister blog editor-in-chief and fellow Primo Chalk athlete, Jeline Guiles. As a bouldering dynamo and outdoor climbing aficionado, we thought Jeline could give us the lowdown on how to plan a successful climbing trip for all you outdoor virgins, or those who just need a refresher.
Here’s a video from her February trip to Red Rocks in Nevada to get you psyched on getting outside!
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So you’ve talked to some climbing buddies at the gym and are ready to plan your first climbing trip of the season (or first trip…ever), but don’t know where to get started?
Planning your first climbing trip can easily become a daunting task without the right resources. There are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself: what gear do I need to bring? Where do I stay during my trip? What will the weather be like? How will I get around the area without a guide? And the list goes on.
To make the planning process a little easier on you, I’ve created a mini-guide of things you should do/know in order to prepare yourself for your upcoming epic trip.
Jeline concentrating on her target.
The Climbing Area:
Before making a decision on what climbing area you want to travel to, make sure to do some research. Talk to the climbers at your gym about any crags they suggest checking out. You want to choose an area that caters to the type of climbing you’ll be doing and the grades you’re interested in climbing. Let’s face it, you don’t want to be trying 5.14d if you’re barely making it up a 5.7 route. Most areas will have a variety of problems/routes that should cater to all levels of climbing, but again, you’ll want to check into this.
Some great websites for looking into different routes/problems available at a climbing area are:
I also suggest going to your local library, bookstore, or REI (or outdoor retailer) and reading through climbing guidebooks of the area. Which brings me to my next tip…
Once you’ve decided on the place, buy a guidebook. Guidebooks will give you information on driving directions, hiking trails, locations of routes/problems, and give you some beta on how to complete the climb. There may be numerous guidebooks for one area, so make sure to research and read reviews on them before purchasing.
The RV Project 