Movement Blog

There’s something special about ending your weekend surrounded by nature—especially when that nature lives in the heart of San Francisco. Nestled inside Presidio National Park, our San Francisco climbing gym offers an experience you can’t find anywhere else in the city: climbing, movement, and recovery, all steps away from miles of trails, iconic views, and historic landmarks.

Let's face it—climbing shoes can get funky. While your climbing partner may not be running for the hills, there's a good chance they can detect the faint aroma of French cheeses emanating from your neglected footwear. The good news is that a few simple steps can take your shoes from funky to fresh. Let's dive in.

If you've been climbing for a little while, you've probably heard someone mention crimping or even been told to stop doing it so much. And if you're newer, you might not have thought much about your grip at all. You're just holding on however you can.

So you’ve been putting in the reps top roping, building confidence, and eyeing those draws on the wall. Lead climbing can be an exciting and rewarding next step in your climbing journey. Leading challenges you both physically and mentally, and because it comes with more risk than top rope, learning the right systems, building good habits, and having a solid belay partner really matters. The good news? You don’t have to rush into it. Like any new climbing skill, learning to lead climb safely is all about progression. In this guide, we’ll walk you through three approachable ways to start lead climbing to build your skills, confidence, and comfort on the wall.

It's one of the most common questions we hear from people considering their first visit. And the answer is straightforward: NO. (Surprising, right?!) Climbing looks like it requires almost superhuman strength when viewed from the outside, but once you learn proper technique and body mechanics, it becomes something you'll fall in love with. Climbing is unique because it's a sport that builds the strength it requires as you progress. You don't arrive with it; you develop it by showing up.

Whether you’ve been climbing for a few days, years, or decades, you’ve likely felt the physical changes that come from pulling on plastic or rock. But as climbing has moved more into the mainstream light, another aspect has gained attention: the mental changes.

Board climbing has boomed in popularity—and for good reason. It allows us to stay in one place while gaining access to more than 36,000+ problems (at the time of writing), all while sharing the same user experience with climbers around the world. These boards also distill climbing down to its rawest form, demanding a tremendous amount from our bodies. This intensity is why many of the best climbers spend the majority of their training time on boards. They are an exceptional tool for targeting the most critical strength components required to climb harder: finger strength, power, contact strength, and core strength.

Are you hoping to get outside in the coming months? Whether it’s your very first day at the crag or you’re a seasoned climber planning a trip somewhere new, hiring a guide can completely transform your experience. Climbing guides bring a wealth of knowledge to any outdoor adventure. They know the best routes at every grade, how to move efficiently through a crowded crag, and how to manage technical systems safely and smoothly. They’re not just strong climbing partners, they’re instructors, mentors, and often your biggest cheerleaders when it counts.

Crack climbing is one of those styles that looks completely unhinged from the outside. You watch someone willingly get their hands and feet stuck, grimace, and somehow move upward, and you think, “How in the world does that even work?”

Sometimes healing looks like simply moving your body....