While many gym climbers prefer to keep their climbing inside, inevitably some will feel the call of the wild and want to take their crushing into the great outdoors. We feel a responsibility to educate and mentor our members and guests who decide to climb on real rock. When climbing outside, paying attention to access issues and outdoor etiquette should be just as important as finding your next project.
LA Boulders offered its first Outdoor Bouldering Clinic in May, taught by desk staffer and routesetter Noah Peller. Our outdoor bouldering curriculum includes effectively reading real rock, creating a safe landing zone, correct pad placements, spotting, and outdoor ethics. Bouldering is Los Angeles is easy once you know where to look!
“We climbed at Stoney Point, a super fun area for it’s accessibility and really friendly rock,” said Peller. “We met at the crag, located in Chatsworth. The biggest focus of the class was really getting people comfortable with the experience and understanding the increased risk of outdoor climbing.”
A few participants had climbed outside before, but their experience had been limited. “Getting to take new climbers outside is pretty much like being Aladdin and showing Jasmine a whole new world of flying-carpet-scary-rock-adventures,” said Peller. “Except with crash pads instead of carpet…. And a one-eyed dog instead of Abu. In other words, it was completely awesome and very nostalgic of my first time outdoors!”
The participants all had a great time. ” It was my first time bouldering outdoors and Noah truly helped me with my first steps!” said one participant. “Noah taught me the basics and helped me feel safe the entire time. I’m so grateful that I signed up for this clinic! Thank you, LA Boulders and Noah for the great experience!”
If you are interested in learning to climb outside, keep an eye out for upcoming clinics at your local Touchstone Climbing Gym! Here are your chaces to learn to rock climb outside this month.
Outdoor Climbing Clinics
