How do i make the transition from indoor rock climbing to outdoor

Gather your gear go outside and find a mountain. Wa-La!!!!

1) go outside.

2) climb some rocks.

Well, the obvious answer is go climb some rocks.
However, indoor is a lot different to outdoor: more dangerous, more fun, harder, cooler.

The best way is to start on easy climbs to get the feel for 'reading the rock' as when you are indoor, it is just reach, pull, lock off, reach.and so on.

But no-one can really tell you all that much.just make sure you know how to top out!

Good luck!

If u already have not done so, learn how to properly & safely set up anchors. Often ur local outdoor shop will either offer classes or will know of climbing school outfits. (Sometimes climbing gyms also offer outdoor climbing classes.) Or, if u know an experienced climber, u can see if he/she will climb with u & share his/her knowledge.

Whether u want to lead climb or TR outdoors, l highly recommend a guide book of the rocks that u want to climb. It will show u the routes, their ratings, & other important information about those particular rocks. Also, u will need to invest in gear if u become a serious trad climber. ( l cannot stress enough, however, to properly learn how to set anchors before venturing outdoors to climb.)

Also, note that outdoor conditions bear little semblance to the ones inside a gym. Whereas, in an indoor gym, they've taken away many of the variables, in outdoor climbing, they exist (like loose rocks, poison oak/ivy, unexpected weather, lack of water, etc.).

If u want to get a feel for real rock but have not yet learned how to anchor, u can always go bouldering. It is a great introduction to real rocks. Remember to take along a landing pad & a buddy.

Good luck & happy climbing!

The biggest difference between indoor & outdoor rock climbing is skill in the use of equipment. It can be much more complicated because so many more things can go wrong (rope sawing over edge of rock, stuck ropes, finding places to rappel from, even something as stupid as dropping a rope!). DONT buy old used equipment just because you're a beginner, make sure everything u have is brand new, or go with an experienced climber that already has well-maintained equipment.

In learning how to use the equipment, go to places where it is very easy to climb, because the whole point is learning how to use the equipment, not to climb! Once u get familiar with the use of equipment, then u can tackle climbs up to the level u think u were in indoor gyms. But, trust me, outdoor climbs of the same rating as indoor ones r much harder!

One more thing: Understand the use of the equipment before u begin, even if it means u have to buy & read books on it. A friend told me how his friend broke his pelvis falling while rock climbing, because he was using a STATIC rope, instead of a dynamic one. Now, if u do not understand this, u better get a good book on it & learn why!

The best way is go find a basic book and then read it after you do that, find a course or someone who really knows what they are doing and then have them teach. Perferably it will be a hands on course, where you can setup an anchor system and then they can critique you. After that just have fun and try to get more people interested so you have some climbing partners.

Read up on it a lot. Join the Alpine Club, or find someone to take you out, maybe you will meet someone at the gym.

Go out with someone who knows what they are doing, or you might just end up broken or dead.

My passion is mostly bouldering, so l would say get a spotter, crash pad or what ever u need to boulder safe & comfortably, & then go boulder!
l did alot of indoor bouldering at first! the transition is not too hard, but depending on the type of rock, ur finger tips will need to adjust. The first time l climbed Joshua tree l lost my tips pretty quikly.
bring a scrap rug square or towel to lace up on, because climbing can be moist & muddy at the bases of climbs. l do not know if gyms still allow chalk, but try to use an alternative on the rock. Local ethics will dictate too if it is a no-no or not.
mostly just find some rock & climb