Indoor climbing challenges novices, old hands alike

Conquering indoor rock climbing routes can be a fun option as Southern Nevada’s summer heat continues limiting outdoor activity.

Las Vegas-area indoor climbing offerings have expanded in recent years, with drop-in sessions to explore the pastime costing about $25 with rentals. After watching the athletes compete in sport climbing events at the Paris Olympics, even more folks might be tempted to give it a try.

Bill McLemore, a partner and manager at Red Rock Climbing Center, said regulars at the West Charleston Boulevard gym range in age from children to 70-somethings. “Climbing is intrinsically fun for so many,” he said. “It’s such a good workout, and you are using your whole body.”

Upper-body strength and stamina give newbies an advantage, he said, but being in stellar shape isn’t a prerequisite.

“You don’t need to be a superstar to do it,” said McLemore, who for the past 30 years has made his mark on the local rock climbing scene by championing the outdoor and indoor sport, guiding climbers and accomplishing first ascents at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Color-coded routes

For anyone tempted for the first time by the challenges of indoor climbing, courage and a can-do spirit are requirements.

To escape the heat on a recent afternoon, I slipped into the 68-degree Red Rock Climbing Center, and my gaze followed an intimidating collection of ropes, holds and tape stripes straight up 35-foot walls. Colorful holds — grips attached to walls for climbers to place their hands and feet — looked like scattered artistic chunks capable of creating patterns inside a giant kaleidoscope. Those holds, many in whimsical shapes, were carefully placed in spots that climbers could logically follow.

Difficulty ratings apply to longer ascents with ropes and shorter bouldering routes without ropes. Numbered labels help climbers understand the levels of challenge as they consider which color-coded paths to tackle on 8,000 square feet of wall space. The routes range from easy, as in climbing a ladder, to extreme, as in Spiderman crossing the ceiling.

Solving a puzzle

With or without a safety rope, climbers in comfortable clothing face the wall once they have chosen an upward path. If their route has bright yellow holds, for example, they then grab the nearest yellow grip and step on another one of the same color, working their way up. One of the ideas is to engage all of the body’s strength and to not overly rely upon arms and hands. “You’re not just pulling yourself up a wall,” McLemore said. Getting foot placement right requires leg strength and moving your hips in the right ways to shift weight.

The holds help provide balance as climbers figure out the puzzle in front of them. If that puzzle is 35 feet high, climbers will be in a harness and connected to a safety rope that is regulated mechanically or by a partner (a technique called belaying). A bouldering route is closer to the ground, and in that case, the cushioned flooring provides a forgiving landing when climbers lose their grip.

Kennedy Longley hasn’t been to a rock climbing gym since middle school, but friends recently recruited her there, and she discovered an irresistible mental challenge.

“You have to use more IQ because it’s like a puzzle,” the 19-year-old UNLV student said. “You have to stop and think while your body is on fire.”

Confidence builder

Climbing gyms offer lessons for those who wish to learn tips and techniques for quicker progress.

On a recent afternoon, Daniela Soto and Seth Clark were completing their last in a series of five introductory lessons at Red Rock Climbing Center. Both desert tortoise biologists, they decided to give indoor climbing a try because they have a long-term goal of climbing outdoors with friends in the beauty of nature.

Indoor rock climbing, they said, helps build confidence and boost strategy.

“It’s really fun,” added Soto, 26. “There’s a lot more emphasis on body placement instead of just on your strength.”

“You can get really far as long as you know where to place your hands and feet,” agreed Clark, 27.

Falls are inevitable, but Soto said they’ve taught her lessons about getting past mental blocks. “I was more willing to try stuff when I got over my fear of falling,” she said.

Another positive aspect of climbing mentioned by Clark: “The community is welcoming and great, even though we’re new.”

Challenged on every level

Local outdoor climbers use indoor gyms to help them train for climbs at Red Rock, which has some of the best climbing conditions in the country.

In the 1990s, McLemore said, almost everyone who visited the gym sought to develop their skills with the goal of eventually taking them outdoors. “Now, I’d say, 30 to 40 percent are happy climbing inside and don’t have an outside objective,” he said. That still leaves plenty who transition from indoor to outdoor climbing.

Rock climbing’s appeal isn’t just the physical challenges of figuring out the best sequence of hand and foot movements to reach the top of a wall or rock, McLemore said.

“It was the one thing that challenged me on every level,” McLemore said about the start of his own rock climbing story.

Valley of Elah is a Red Rock ascent McLemore got to name after completing the vexing route. “I was challenged emotionally, overcoming fear, physically and mentally,” he recalled.

“Climbing has a way of capturing your attention,” he added. “You’re not thinking about any problem or anything else. You’ve got to be focused.”

Such a combination is “one of the things that’s so engaging about rock climbing,” he said. “You’re solving a puzzle with your body and mind.”