Movement Blog

As climbers, gear is a vital part of the sport we love. It comes to the gym, iconic crags, climbing trips, and some pieces have been with us potentially for years. Despite all the great memories, identifying when it’s time to replace gear is an important safety measure that should not be overlooked. Some signs may be obvious when gear is at the end of its life, others may be more subtle.

So you’ve been climbing for a little while now—you’ve got your harness figured out, you know what a crimp is, and you’ve maybe even surprised yourself and sent that project you’ve been working on. The days of fumbling through a figure-eight are behind you (shoutout to that Intro to Ropes class!), and you’re starting to feel more at home on the wall. You’ve found your rhythm, taken the intro classes, and now you’re wondering: what’s next?

You’ve probably seen a bunch of run clubs popping up, and you probably have some climber friends who can’t go a single day without hitting the pavement. Then again, you might know someone who refuses to do any form of cardio that isn’t just the approach to a route or boulder. So, how much does cardio actually help us in climbing?

I remember looking 30 feet down at my friends, my fingers and arms were sore from over gripping, there were no colorful plastic rocks, and all that I could think was – Oh this is hard.

Thinking about trying climbing but low-key intimidated? Climbing tends to have this hardcore, extreme sport vibe—like it’s only for super-fit, daredevil types. But honestly? That couldn’t be further from the truth. People walk into our gyms every day from all kinds of backgrounds, fitness levels, and experience, —some with zero clue what they’re doing (and that’s totally okay). So, let’s bust through 5 common myths that might be holding you back!

Whether you're a boulderer or a rope climber, you've probably felt the dreaded pump—the moment when your forearms are on fire, your grip starts failing, and your hands just want to peel open. Even worse, the moves feel totally doable, but stringing them together from the ground up? That’s a different story. You find yourself thinking, "If only I had better endurance..."

Climbing grades. Love them, hate them, argue about them in the parking lot—they're a root part of climbing culture. There are a ton of grading systems across the world of climbing, but the goal is to come to a shared understanding of what you can expect when venturing into the vertical unknown. Here at Movement, we like to use the Yosemite Decimal System (more on this later).

Finding a sport you love doesn’t always happen early in life. Sometimes, it takes years to discover an activity that excites you, challenges you, and keeps you returning for more. For Movement San Francisco members Diarmuid and Mary, climbing became that sport—proving that it’s never too late to start something new. We caught up with them to talk about their climbing journey and what keeps them coming back to the gym. Check out our conversation below!