11 free climbing guides
Climbing Guides
Crag guides, route beta, and gym picks, written by people who tie in.
About these climbing guides
11 free guides from Climb Hubs, spanning Destinations, Crag Guides, Gyms & Schools, Skills and Gear. Practical, ad-free, and written for people who already know where they'd rather be. No sign-up, no paywall, just answers.
Latest
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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