Etiquette: The Do's and Don'ts

Off the Wall

• Avoid walking in front of people who are recording their climb. In the gym, you will tend to see phone stands, or phones alone, pointed towards the wall. This could mean that a person is recording their climb either to watch how they can improve or post it on social media. Therefore, it can be rude to mess up their video.
• Feel free to support other climbers! The climbing community is generally very social and supportive of each other. You can cheer for other climbers or if they ask for advice or say yes to the question "would you like some advice," then you can help give them some beta (this term is explained under the terms page).
• Do not beta spray. What this means is giving unsolicited advice about a climb. Some climbers like to try to finish a climb by themselves without help. This gives them a greater feeling of accomplishment because they were able to figure everything out by themselves.
• Do not walk into bathrooms with your climbing shoes on. The bathroom floors can be dirty, which can dirty the shoe that is about to go on a climb everyone else is going to climb and touch.

On the Wall (or near it)

• Watch where people are on the climb. Climbers are generally focused on the wall they are on and not very aware of people below them. Moreover, the climber could lose their grip and slip off the wall at any time. Safety is of the utmost importance for everyone.
• Try to stay arm's length away from other climbers on the wall. If the climbs are too close to each other or if your climb intersects with other climb paths, then it is best to wait for the other person to be done.
• Take turns climbing. If there is anyone around you, then they might be trying a climb near you. Wait to see if they are going to climb or ask them if they are going to give a shot at the wall. When you are clear to climb, then try your climb one or two times and take a break so the other person, or people, can attempt their climb. If they end up doing a climb farther away from you, then you are free to attempt your climb again. Additionally, do not take too long waiting for your turn. You came to climb as well!

Common Climbing Gym Rules

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

These rules may change depending on the indoor rock-climbing gym! So, check with your gym first.

Proper Start

The starting holds will have two pieces of tape indicating that your hands should be placed there to begin with. Some may have four pieces of tape, which indicates where each limb (hands and feet) must be placed to count as a proper start. The tapes do not specify whether a hand or foot should be placed in a certain spot. Therefore, you can start with a position that feels most comfortable. When placing your limbs on the starting holds, you must ensure that your body is still. This avoids using momentum from the ground to reach the next hold.

Proper finish

There are two types of finishes. A hold may have a tape or indicator that it is the last hold of the climb. Both hands must touch this hold and for it to be considered a proper finish, your body must be stable. For example, if you touch the last hold with both hands but fall because you lost your grip, then it is not counted as a proper finish. The amount of time you have both hands on the finishing hold does not matter. The only thing that is important is that your body is stable and that you have secured the finish. The second finish is when no hold on the climb has a tape or indicator that it is the last hold. This means that you must go to the very top of the wall. In some gyms, this is just grabbing the edge of the wall while in other gyms it is mantling your entire body over the wall.

Following the correct route

Climbing routes are indicated by the color of the holds. When going for a legitimate send (definition found under the terms page), you must only use the holds specific to that route. Some climbers may use other holds to reach certain parts of the wall that they are trying. This is to check certain parts of their climb and see what techniques may work.

Disclaimer: This website only provides tips for indoor rock climbing. Additionally, individuals must be responsible for their own health and safety.