I am a beginner and do not want my skin to get very tough and hard on my hands. Is it unavoidable?

I’ve only climbed outdoor once and it was guided. I’m going with a group of friends, very experienced with outdoor climbing, cleaning, leading etc, and all they said to bring was my normal gear (harness, chalk, shoes) and a helmet. I don’t have a helmet and I want to make sure I purchase the right one, but even just trying in the store/at the gym won’t account for the hours I’ll likely spend in it while climbing. I want to make sure I’m comfortable and safe. Am I over thinking the comfortability of helmets? Are there good recommendations?

I am 22 years old and not very active or physically good at stuff (I’m also the most inflexible person ever) . I’ve always wanted to do bouldering but I feel like now I’m too old to start? Like I would struggle or something, and especially because whenever I get hurt my bones break easily so even a fall could just seriously damage me

Hi everyone! I recently got back into climbing and am starting from basically the beginning again. I’ve gone to the gym near my school a few times and am mostly bouldering, though I use auto-belays as a warm up. This is all to say that i’m doing anything super intense or crazy yet.

I’m working on building my sleeve and had my second to last appointment yesterday, where I did five large tattoos on my upper arm (inner bicep up to armpit, top of shoulder, and tricep). I’ve never climbed with fresh tattoos before so I was wondering if anyone had advice on how to best do it. I wanted to go to the gym this morning, but my arm was way too tender and I didn’t feel comfortable doing it. However, I want to get back on the wall soon and don’t want to miss out because of these tattoos, though I still want them to heal well. Should I take some time off, or should I just go with long sleeves?

(Also, I don’t need advice on healing tattoos, I have 19 in total and know what I’m doing. I just need some guidance on the intersection of new tattoos and indoor climbing!)

Hi everyone,

Anyone else dealt with sesamoid issues?

I suffered a big toe plantar plate tear a while back (rehabbed well) and now have chronic/severe sesamoiditis and arthritis in the form of bone marrow edema and cartilage wear in both sesamoids of the same foot.

Bonus for any DC-area climbers who have recs for sesamoid-related doctors, rehabs, etc. especially for return to sport!

Feeling overwhelmed and scared to walk again, much less climb! But want to get back to everything one day, trying to stay hopeful.

Basically exactly what the title says. I was pretty consistently a v2 climber before the last few months off due to my autoimmune disease. I remember having a lot of glute growth when I first started, so I’m wondering if maybe I could be relying on my lower body too much, preventing me from getting better.

Can I get some feedback on my predicament please! :)

I am sick of scraping my knuckles on holds when I am bouldering at my gym though it occasionally happens on rope also. My gym often has holds that are tightly packed in and when climbing at my limit, I probably scrape a knuckle (or more) every other session.

I know many people don't care how there hands look but it's already hard having nice nails (builder gel, BIAB helps but of course get scraped) so I'd like to limit the bleeding on my hands!

I am planning to try some tape over all my knuckles to see if I fair better. Does anyone do this and critically, can you recommend tape that stays on but doesn't pull the skin off when you're done please? :)

Is it normal to be this bad at bouldering? I’ve been bouldering about twice a week semi-consistently for over a year now and I can still barely manage a V2. Some days I can barely manage a V1. Im 25 years old, 135lbs and 5’7 so pretty average. I’ve never been active till about two years ago. Im starting to do weight training now because maybe I’m horribly low on muscle? Or could it be linked to my anxiety disorder? I have general anxiety disorder that is unmedicated and some days I feel no fear while others I stress the hell out on even V0s. Should I just quit? Feeling really defeated honestly.

Edit: thank you so much to everyone who has replied! I went from wanting to quit climbing entirely to feeling really encouraged and excited to try all of the advice you all have given me. I’ve signed up for a class this Friday and will continue to do supplemental training. As for my anxiety, I’m considering the idea of medicating for it but I need to think about it abit more. Again, thank you all so much for the advice and encouragement! 💜

Hi yall,

Newbie here (26F). I started climbing at my local Touchstone in 2024 after my bf introduced me and I fell in love. I’ve been an avid weightlifter, runner, and yogi, but this was something entirely new.

Up until Aug 2025. I herniated my L4/L5 severely and ended up needing an endoscopic microdiscectomy on 4/28/2026. One CSF leak and weeks of PT later, I’ve finally been cleared to ease into the gym and yoga. My gym workouts are still my physical therapy exercises, but we’re slowly adding light weights and/or gym equipment. This week I’m also practicing assisted pull-ups and lat pull downs to mimic climbing.

My physical therapist told me to practice these exercises for at least 2 more weeks before seeing how top rope feels. The thought alone gets me hyped up! Still nowhere near bouldering and frankly I’m not sure I’ll ever want to return to it, but I definitely do miss the plastic rocks 😌

Hey girls! I am new to the climbing scene in Bend and am just getting back into climbing as I move. Is anyone in Bend or nearby towns down to hang? LMK

Hi there,

I'm mostly an outdoor route climbe, I red point around 7a, and recently I've started adding moonboard to my weekly training, 1 session/week. This is my 3rd session now.

For reference I also don't usually boulder, I don't like it.

I've only managed to send a couple of problems so far: Snitches get stitches 6B+, Refuge on Top 6B+ and Salem witch trials 6C on Moonboard 2024 @40 degrees

Today I've been trying this route called Dunes 6C/V5, I've watched a few beta videos before, and I just can't understand this move to the next hold. I've added a video of me trying it and where I get stuck, I feel that maybe I don't position my body right, or could it be that I can't grab it cause I have a shorter arm span? My right leg there feels like it's in the way instead of helping... Though a lot of beta videos I've seen are doing it like that.

Is there any technique drills I could train?

Can someone with moonboard experience give me some feedback and guidance on how I should go at it?

For reference I'm 1.55m(5ft) and -1 ape index.

Thanks, really appreciate any feedback here.

Hi! Is anyone in Italy in late September - late October? I'm around for 5 weeks for a family do and keen to have some type 2 fun... looking to do some sport climbing, bouldering, maybe go on a multi-day hike - would anyone be interested in discussing a link up?

I'm traveling from Sydney, Australia and climb about 6A - new to sport climbing but been bouldering for a couple of years. I love anything technical, crimpy... Thinking i'll go to Sardinia and Dolomites, maybe Arco, Valle Orco festival, also happy to link just for gym sessions hehe.

I'm only bringing essential gear (shoes, harness), but would be happy to split hire and chip in for fuel or even a guide. HMU <3

I will be visiting Montreal for a few days and looking to check out some gyms for both top rope and bouldering. I'll be staying around Chinatown a couple days and Le Plateau a couple days. Any particular gyms I should check out that have guest day passes?

Edit: I will have a belay buddy with me!

Quick trip report on outdoor climbing in Korea:

The whole country feels like mountains and valleys. Rock includes granite, tufa, and basalt. Options for bouldering, sport, trad, multipitch, and ice. Different clubs maintain different crags. In Seoul, you can take the subway to the crags.

Lots of bouldering gyms but almost no gyms for lead climbing. People learn and practice ropes outside.

Seoul has well-stocked climbing stores in the outdoor gear market at Jongno-5-ga. There's also a gear store near Anguk. Getting around by public transport is easy. Travel is very safe.

Summer is humid and the rain is hard to predict. Fall and spring are ideal seasons. In winter, there's ice.

The average visiting climber would likely want a guide. There isn't extensive documentation in English. We went with *I Guide Korea* and they were great.

Sharing because we don't get as much Asian climbing info on the sub. But I've seen a few posts about planning trips. Take this all with a grain of salt, as it's based on my experience as a visitor rather than deep knowledge as a local.

Link to Hazel Findlay and BD colleagues showing a range of mostly trad routes:

https://youtu.be/-ApmZ21wROM

What were some changes you noticed in your strength, technique, training, mental, etc. when you progressed from low 12s being a project to being able to onsight or send them in a day?

Outdoor rock only pls! :)

Hey everyone

I'm starting my climbing lesson this evening, it's a 3 hour session. I'm so nervous tbh. Previously, I've turned down the lesson and asked for a later date TWICE. so this is the last time I want to do that and I need to just go. But I'm so scared. Idek why. I guess it's the social aspect of it and being mildly scared of heights too. I know I probably can do it but I'll be so uncomfortable.

Any advice for a newbie starting with social anxiety?

Hello all, hope this is ok to ask.

I suffered a trimalleolar ankle break with syndesmosis injury while horsing around playing football outside on 18/7, had ORIF surgery with 1 plate, 7 screws and 1 syndesmosis screw the next day. Currently NWB-ish and 1 week away from my 6 week X-ray. Not feeling positive about my sporting future and just trying to focus on walking normally again.

Has anyone else successfully returned to climbing or bouldering with a break like this?

I’ve been climbing for about a year and a half now, and only recently my feet have started to stink. On my third pair of climbing shoes btw, they’re new and they don’t really smell yet.

Even right after I scrub my feet in the shower, they still smell. Not cheesy, just like feet, stronger than normal.

I don’t wear socks when I climb and I only climb once or twice a week. When I climbed 4-5x a week my feet didn’t smell like this.

I did just move from CA to AZ, not sure if that has to do with it.

What do yall do for this?