11 free climbing guides
Climbing Guides
Crag guides, route beta, and gym picks, written by people who tie in.
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Crag GuidesJoshua Tree for Your First Outdoor Trip: What the Desert Will Teach You
An honest Joshua Tree primer for newer climbers: sandbagged grades, sharp rock, runout bolts, fees, water, raptor closures, and why a guided day is the right call.
GearHow to Choose a Climbing Harness: Fit, Type, and Features Explained
Choose a climbing harness properly: the tie-in points vs the belay loop, which loops are not load-bearing, where the waistbelt must sit, and when to retire it.
SkillsFrom Gym to Crag: Making the Leap to Outdoor Climbing
The gym-to-outdoor transition, honestly: cleaning anchors, closing the system, belaying outside, assessing bolts, and the errors that kill new outdoor climbers.
Destinations
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Crag Guides
3Crag GuidesJoshua Tree for Your First Outdoor Trip: What the Desert Will Teach You
An honest Joshua Tree primer for newer climbers: sandbagged grades, sharp rock, runout bolts, fees, water, raptor closures, and why a guided day is the right call.
Crag GuidesAMGA SPI vs. Rock Guide: Which Climbing Certification You Need
The real AMGA pathway: what SPI, MPI and Rock Guide each authorize, the prerequisites, and why certification is not the thing that makes guiding legal.
Crag GuidesHow to Choose a Rock Climbing Guide Service: Certifications & Safety
The three things to check before hiring a climbing guide: certification scoped to your terrain, a land-manager permit, and insurance. Anyone can call themselves a guide.
Gyms & Schools
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Gyms & SchoolsWhat Is a Gym Lead Climbing Course, and Should You Take It?
What a gym lead course actually covers and tests, what it costs, what it does NOT qualify you for, and the separate course you need before climbing outside.
Gyms & SchoolsHow to Choose the Best Climbing Gym for Your First Year
Choosing your first climbing gym: real 2026 costs, bouldering vs rope, what the grades mean, what to rent vs buy, and the safety facts nobody mentions.
Skills
3SkillsFrom Gym to Crag: Making the Leap to Outdoor Climbing
The gym-to-outdoor transition, honestly: cleaning anchors, closing the system, belaying outside, assessing bolts, and the errors that kill new outdoor climbers.
SkillsSport vs. Trad vs. Alpine Climbing: Which Discipline Is Right for You?
The real differences between sport, trad and alpine climbing: protection, falling, anchors, and the risks each one actually carries.
SkillsUnderstanding Climbing Grades: YDS, V-Scale, and Why 5.10 Doesn't Mean What You Think
How climbing grades actually work: YDS, the V-scale, French and Font conversions, the R/X protection ratings, and why your gym grade drops outside.
Gear
2GearHow to Choose a Climbing Harness: Fit, Type, and Features Explained
Choose a climbing harness properly: the tie-in points vs the belay loop, which loops are not load-bearing, where the waistbelt must sit, and when to retire it.
GearEssential Gear for Outdoor Lead Climbing: Your First Setup
The real sport-lead kit: what to buy, what it costs in 2026, the kN ratings to check, when to retire each item, and the tether mistake that kills people.
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