8 Tips from Climbing Women - How to Get the Most out of Outdoor Climbing

Mar 8 2018

Mar 8 8 Tips from Climbing Women - How to Get the Most out of Outdoor Climbing

When spending plenty of time climbing outdoors you accumulate knowledge, tips and tricks that make climbing & being out even more enjoyable.

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These awesome climbers and outdoor enthusiasts shared their best tips with the community.

1. Warm hands

Anna warming her hands on a route at Red River Gorge. Photo: Matty Hong.

"Keeping hands warm while climbing can be difficult. One tip for this is to put a hand warmer inside your chalk bag!

Also if you have a cooker around, you can heat up a small rock and warm your hands with that before heading to the wall. It keeps the heat for a very long time!"

Anna Liina Laitinen / Professional Climber from Finland.

2. Go outside no matter the weather

Zofia working on a boulder problem. Photo: Andy Day (andyday.com).

"I've always been outdoorsy but transitioning from gym to outdoors was tough.

When I moved to Sheffield I took my friend's advice and started bouldering outside no matter the weather. I climbed when it was cold and I climbed when it snowed. At first it was miserable but now bouldering in sub zero conditions feels pretty normal!"

Zofia / Organiser of The Women's Bouldering Festival.

3. Keeping the energy levels up

"Food is the key. My best tip is to bring LOTS of yummy food, snacks and coffee out to the crag or boulders. In that way you’ll have enough energy to send your stuff, and still be able to chill out and enjoy nature under the best conditions 😉"

Anna Hassel / Passionate climber, outdoor lover & 27 Crags Ambassador

4. Embrace the community

"Climbing and the community which threads it together have served as my teachers to so many pillars in my life, like having goals, working towards them, understanding how to get back up after falling, and having self confidence. It has also been my vessel to explore remote corners of the world and to create global friendships through a common language.

Communal love and appreciation for natural resources creates a much stronger sense of wealth than materialism."

Sasha DiGiulian / Professional Climber

Sasha DiGiulian climbing in Chulilla, Spain. Photo: Javi Pec.

5. Comfortable gear

"Clothes don't matter as long as you feel comfortable, but good approach shoes are crucial!"

Maya Ayupova / Russia/Spain, Rock climbing since 2010 & 27 Crags .premium topo author of Margalef

6. When nature calls

"You CAN actually pee with the harness. Once you’ve found the perfect spot simply pull down the pants as if you weren’t wearing a harness and you find that the leg loops will come down with the pants and sit nicely behind your knee. Make sure you have a clear aim and then fire away! No need to take your harness off at all."

Hazel Findlay / Professional Climber

Hazel Findlay on El Cap. Photo: Jonny Baker.

7. Keeping the phone alive

Enni on a competition route in Rabenstain, Italy. Photo: Patrick Schwienbacher

"Phones and their batteries tend to die in subzero temperatures. Because of safety reasons (or sudden urge to post to social media) it's good to have working phone with you.

Chemical warmers meant for toes have a sticker on the other side which you can use to attach it to your phone. Re-usable are more ecological, so prefer them, but then you need to use tape."

Enni Bertling / 8th in Ice Climbing Worldcup overall rank in 2018

8. Getting stronger

"Don't be afraid to flex those guns a little - wide pull ups proved the single most useful training exercise for gaining the power and confidence I needed for tackling big moves."

Alice Hafer / Travelling climber, outdoor writer and filmmaker. You can follow her travels on the blog Strength Follows.

Alice Hafer. Photo: Sandro Gromen-Hayes.

Have a tip you would like to share with the climbing community?

Comment below!

Text by Hanna Vartia, who's working as a marketing manager @27 Crags and prefers her rock 5 meters high.

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