Any indoor climbers around for advice for a newbie?

[Skippyasyermuni]

Any indoor climbers who can give some advice?

My kids have started climbing; they’re loving it and have been signed off to climb solo, but my youngest is under 14 so needs an adult registered climber with him. Gonna have to be me!

I’ve booked the 3 hours intro to auto belay climbing, and once that’s completed then I’ll be able to climb unsupervised on the auto belay walls, and supervise my kid. However, I’m 37 and I’m 5 foot 3, and 13.8 stone. So, I’m not fit. I do swim a mile 3 times a week, but my upper body strength is still nothing at all. I have decent leg strength I think. Am I going to be able to do this?

I don’t have to be up to any amazing standard - just need to complete the intro and show I understand how to do it safely. But, I haven't stepped outside of my comfort zone since I had my oldest, when I was 22. I haven’t started anything new like this or pushed myself so I’m finding it really hard to convince myself to just go for it.

Any climbers got any tips or can reassure me that I can manage this to get signed off and can then learn to climb and increase my strength and fitness?

I think the swimming will give you more strength than you think! Also you should be using your arms and legs, not just relying on your arm strength. You also don’t need to do just one colour, you can rainbow.

I am similar stats to you. I can belay but don’t have the strength to climb. So when my children were younger it was fine because I could do what was needed for them to climb.

The kids have learned the rope work and belaying so they can do that for each other, but still need an adult registered climber just there with them in the place because of my youngest being under 14.

I’ll learn rope work eventually, but that’s the second level course so I only need to do the level 1 where you click yourself onto the auto belay rope and climb.

I’m just nervous about humiliating myself. But I also really want to give this a go - and get fitter and stronger doing this activity with the kids.

Thank you. I just kept watching my kids on the difficult walls with all the protruding angles and sometimes they’re hanging off using their arms whilst getting their legs into position and I think I’ve scared myself!

I’ll definitely use all the colours on each route to start with, if I can even get myself up a few feet 😬

I did the training course at the age of 50 and am not particularly fit and I managed it! They mainly want to know that you can follow the rules, put harness on correctly, clip on correctly. They are more interested in safety than how far you can climb, I had to do a small climb up the wall, and auto belay down, but I didn’t go to the top.

Leg strength is the most important as you should be pushing up, rather pulling up. The good thing about climbing gyms is that there are all sorts of people there, not everyone is young and fit.

They won't expect you to climb the whole wall to the top at the auto belay session

If you've never worn a harness before that will be some of it, checking it fits correctly, securing it properly, knowing what being properly clipped in looks like, checking the fittings and the belay for issues before you start and so on and so forth

Then they'll show you what to do to use it, so you'll be climbing up the wall a little bit, they'll coach you through how to come down and then you'll do that a few more times until it becomes natural.

You'll probably feel very nervous at this bit as being lowered feels awkward. But don't worry, practice makes perfect

And then they'll probably coach you through some easy climbs and give you some tips

It does feel very difficult at first, being off the ground, moving in an unfamiliar way and using muscles you're not used to. But it's great for upper body strength.

My number 1 tip - keep your arms straight and bend your knees. Push with your legs, don't pull with your arms.

Your hands/forearms will tire soon the first time but stamina comes surprisingly quickly the more you do it.

Thank you, that is very useful to read. I think it's really just me needing a kick up the ass to just do something new and not worry about finding it hard.