I just started climbing I’ve been like twice to a climbing gym and I instantly got hooked lol I already bought some shoes but I was curious how does outdoor bouldering compare to indoor? I can do like a couple of the V4 V5s at the gym was wanting to go out this weekend and try my hand at like V1 V2 climbs outdoors is it similar difficulty or am I gonna end up hurting myself lol anything helps!
There's a couple of things that make outdoor climbing and bouldering harder than in the gym, for comparable grades:
-No clearly marked holds, route finding is trickier (unless every hold is chalked up to the max...)
-Wall texture and finger feel is coarser, so hurts more
-Exposure feels different
I would expect to be climbing a full grade lower than my indoor grade. So, while I know I can climb 6b French in the gym, I know I will have to work hard to climb a 5c outdoors.
T Duffy
·
Apr 21, 2025
·
Peshastin, WA and Haleiwa, HI
· Joined Nov 2023
· Points: 32
Also, both gym grades and outdoor grades can vary quite a bit depending on the gym or the outside climbing/bouldering area. Start on some easy problems to warm up and work your way up. Just have fun and don’t fall from too high up!
A plan: Give gym climbing a few weeks, then ask everyone who will engage if they climb outside. See what they climb indoors, ask what grade they climb outdoors. After a few months if no one has asked you to come along offer to bring food/snacks, and ask yourself: am I being too pushy, not assertive, do I offer to drive, am I over 18?
Plan B: Go to where the boulders are and watch. Try the lower holds/starts. Pull on where the landing looks reasonable. Bring candy and offer some to break the ice.
There are at least 24 other ideas I suspect an aspirational climber should be able to consider.