rock climbing on a budget - basics

Indoor rock climbing has been a hobby of mine for awhile now, on and off depending on location, climbing partners, etc.

One major con of climbing – it’s kind of expensive. Most places charge $12-$15 to climb, then about $4 for each piece of equipment you rent. (If you need/want all the equipment listed below, most places have a package price for less than the $16 it would cost to rent it all separately.)

Equipment:

Harness – This is absolutely necessary. You tie the ropes into the harness to ensure your safety.

Shoes – Shoes help a lot when you climb, but are not a necessity. You can climb in tennis shoes.

Chalk Bag – Chalk is kind of nice to have when you climb, but Alex has a chalk bag and I never use it.

Belay Device – You need one belay device, to feed the ropes through as you climb, per pair of people.

If you’re doing the math, you can see that each climbing trip could cost you as much as $30.