I started almost 3 years ago. To be honest, I didn’t really want to go. My then-girlfriend, we only recently had gotten together, was new to the country and was struggling to adjust to the new culture, busy work life, and effort in making new friends. As a way to bring some normalcy to her world I decided it would be a good idea to take her to something that was familiar, and for her that was rock climbing.
Back in Australia, she had dabbled in rock climbing. She was no expert, she did not even go very often, but it was something she enjoyed. So one Friday morning we ordered an Uber and made our way down to the local climbing gym. We lived on a college campus, yet the university gyms had no rock walls. There were two options in the area: one bouldering gym, smaller and farther away, or a large bouldering and top roping gym that was closer. We chose the latter.
We pulled up the gym in the small Prius that we shared with another student who was going to the grocery store nearby. The building was an old warehouse converted into the concrete playground of my dreams. I stepped inside, filled out a waiver and then paid the fees.
I really had no concept of what the cost would be, was this cheap or expensive? It turns out that the day pass costs $20, for students, and that does not include the essentially necessary climbing shoes, and harness as well, if top roping, coming to a grand total around $30, excluding the Uber ride.
Disregarding the price, I fell in love with it. I started out bouldering, doing shorter climbs without ropes or a harness. It was cheaper this way, without having to pay an extra $5 per visit, or put up cash for my own. Soon we were coming about three times a month. This was just shy of making financial sense for me to get a membership, which was $80/month plus $100 initiation. Still, I was shelling out around $100/month just to climb a few times, but to me it was worth it.
A few months into my introduction to climbing and I am sure that it is a sport for me, and I decided to make this announcement and commitment to the sport by buying my first pair of climbing shoes. Financially, it made sense for me because, unlike a harness, I will use it every time I climb. It’s an investment in myself that I will keep climbing and it would pay for itself over time.
I made my first mistake here. I bought the cheapest pair I could on Amazon and did not do a lot of research. There are ranges of climbing shoes, cheap off-brands that do not last or perform very well, mid-range brand-names, and then the expensive elite shoes. My mistake was that the mid-range brand name shoes which, despite not being top notch, are made sturdily and will last longer than the cheapest shoes. They are also only moderately more expensive than the cheapest pair on Amazon.
My recommendation is to go for a moderate shoe from Black Diamond, Five Ten, or La Sportiva, they are good quality and will be a good first shoe. Go into your local climbing gym or an REI and test out the shoes. The fit is very particular and you want it snug but not too tight. Figure out your size and place an order online where shoes are cheaper and there is more variety.
The purchase of climbing shoes is just the first in the gear I will purchase. Chalk and chalk bags, harness and carabiner, new shoes, and a climbing bag, all additional expenses on top of the now $80/month membership that I purchased. I figured the membership is an investment and a challenge for me to go more often. There was no longer the $20 barrier at the door. Once I got myself to the gym, it was mine to have.
I later introduced friends to the sport, bringing them as my guest and showing them the ropes, and they too fell for the sport and took it up as their own, both of them greatly surpassing me in ability. But we are the fortunate ones. We all had the money to pay up to play. We all decided that it was worth it. Despite the days where the gym is crowded and the walls are full, I wish climbing was more accessible. We need to get more people on the walls and trying it out without worrying about the financial burden.
If you have yet to try climbing, find a gym in your area and pick a day to try it out. You might just find that it is for you, no matter the cost.
