Gym to Crag: Outdoor Climbing in Northern Arizona

Thick evening sun
is a honey glaze
oozing over cliff faces
Basalt tinged in glow

The meandering creek murmurs
along to the familiar song
of carabiners’ tinkling tones
and a music born of movement

Chalked hands reach upwards
grasping at the receding light
So high it seems
I could mantle the horizon

Falling forward into glowing sky

– Cooper Smith

Introducing Climbing in Northern Arizona

Around the world, the sport of rock climbing is exploding. The indoor climbing industry, in particular, has seen an exponential increase in popularity. By the end of 2023, more than 600 climbing gyms were open in the U.S., compared to just over 300 at the end of 2022. That’s a 76% increase in less than a decade. It makes sense – indoor climbing proves to be an easy, accessible, and safe way of introducing people to the sport. Yet while some climbers spend most of their time on the wall at an indoor gym, for many, like Peace Outfitters employee Cooper Smith, climbing outdoors is where the real enjoyment lies.

“Climbing outdoors offers an opportunity to meet the rock on its own terms,” he says. “The nature of climbing changes from an exercise to overcome to a puzzle to negotiate.” As a canyoneer and climber, Cooper spends much of his free time exploring the sandstone canyons and basalt cliff faces of Northern Arizona. But he didn’t start there – the first six months of his climbing journey were spent at indoor climbing gyms, preparing himself to navigate natural landscapes. 

“At its conception, gym climbing was born to facilitate preparation for rock,” he writes. Transitioning to outdoor climbing, he claims, brings the opportunity to transform the abstract shapes of plastic climbing holds into their “organic counterparts.” And he always knew that he wanted to climb outside, even during his days in the gym: “Outdoor climbing opens doors to experience, bringing a tactile and immersive dimension to the way our bodies move through the world around us.”

Just as Cooper writes, climbing on real rock can be incredibly rewarding. However, for those venturing out of the gym for the first time, it presents additional logistics and challenges. There are different considerations around safety and ethics, as well as new gear you might need and different skills you will need to master. Luckily, due to its proximity to many different crags and its comparatively moderate climate, Flagstaff is the perfect place to test out that new gear and hone those new skills.

Climbing in a Gym vs. Climbing Outdoors

Safety

Indoor climbing takes place in a relatively controlled environment. Gym staff (as well as other climbers) are around at almost all times, routes are meticulously set and reset, safety precautions such as liability waivers and belay tests are required, and bouldering areas are often covered in crash pads. Overall, risk is easily managed.

Outdoor climbing, on the other hand, is an entirely different activity that presents additional safety concerns. At an outdoor crag, there is no staff to make sure ropes are in good condition, ensure top ropes are properly strung, and continually check that that bolts and anchors are set up safely. Moreover, weather and rock conditions can change rapidly, routes are less obvious and/or can be set on less-than-ideal types of rock, and climbing areas can be remote and far from emergency services and medical personnel. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the systems involved in outdoor climbing – such as rope management and setting up anchors – mean that there are more opportunities for things to go wrong. Put simply, climbing outside is inherently dangerous. This is why it is of utmost importance for climbers to have the proper information, gear, and skills when heading outdoors. 

REMEMBER: As always, make sure you do safety checks with your climber or belayer. Double check each other’s figure eight knots and belay device/carabiners and ensure that your climber’s rope is through both hardpoints on their harness.

Gear

The additional safety considerations associated with outdoor climbing necessitate new and different pieces of gear for climbers who are looking to make the switch. The specific types of gear that you will need, however, depend on the type of climbing you want to do. If you will only be bouldering outdoors, for example, the only new piece of gear you’ll need is a crash pad (or a few). Chances are, if you boulder in a gym, you already own climbing shoes, chalk, and a chalk bag. Unlike the gym, however, make sure you always have a spotter with you when bouldering outdoors and carefully place your crash pads in the areas where you are most likely to fall or hurt yourself. Sometimes, this is farther away from the rock than you think.

If you want to climb ropes outdoors, the gear becomes far more involved. While you may already have shoes, a harness, a belay device, chalk, and a chalk bag, you will also need the following:

1. Helmet: When you are climbing on real rock, there is always a risk of debris and rockfall. Climbing helmets are designed to protect you – whether you’re the climber or the belayer – from that danger. They also protect you against injuring your head if you take a fall.  
2. Rope: If you are just starting your outdoor climbing journey, it is likely that a more experienced friend or guide who you are with will provide a rope. However, as you progress, you may want to acquire your own rope, so it is important to know the specifics about what you will need. Rope type, length, diameter, and features and safety ratings are all important factors to consider. 
3. Quickdraws: If you have learned how to lead climb at your local gym, you may be interested in sport climbing outdoors. It is important to note that leading an outdoor climb is inherently more dangerous than top roping, and will likely feel very different from leading indoors. Unlike a gym setting, quickdraws will not already be placed on the wall for you when putting up a climb outdoors. This means you must carry quickdraws with you while climbing. Make sure you have enough quickdraws for how many bolts the climb has (plus a few extra for good measure) as well two more to place on mussy clips at the top of a climb so that you are not lowering or top roping directly on the clips. IMPORTANT: If you are new to climbing outdoors, stick to climbs that have mussy clips at the top. 

Acquiring new gear can be stressful and time-consuming, especially when it comes to climbing gear. Peace Outfitters carries a wide variety of climbing gear, including shoes, chalk and chalk bags, carabiners and quickdraws, ropes, helmets, belay devices, and more. Our staff is also more than happy to walk you through these items to help you find the right gear for what you want to do, which can make the process less overwhelming.

Skills

When climbing outdoors, the basic skills apply more than ever. You must master and be fully comfortable with tying in and doing safety checks, giving commands to your partner, belaying, navigating the wall, and lowering/being lowered. However, new skills are required as well. 

For one, climbing outside means that you do not have preset, color-coded holds at your disposal. Instead, you are climbing the natural features of a rock. This will require a certain level of route-finding to ensure you do not veer off-route. Luckily, when top roping or sport climbing, it is generally easy to follow the bolts on the climb or keep an eye on where the top rope is anchored. 

Second, rope management becomes far more important once you start climbing outdoors versus in a gym setting. This means keeping an eye on where your rope is when you are climbing and being lowered to avoid rope drag, which puts extra wear and tear on your rope. It is also important to ensure that it does not get caught in any features on the rock. It is uncommon, but ropes can be cut when digging into sharp edges on the rock.

Third, when climbing on real rock, debris and loose rock can present challenges. Unlike in a gym, there are natural obstacles on outdoor routes. Shrubs, branches, and trees can be present on a route, forcing you to practice more spatial awareness. Moreover, sometimes a positive-looking flake can actually be loose and precarious, tearing off the wall when you pull on it too hard. If a rock comes loose it can injure you or your belayer, or even cut your rope. If a rock begins to fall, always shout “Rock!” so that your belayer receives a heads up. 

Lastly, if sport climbing outdoors, you must be comfortable with all the skills necessary to lead climb. You must know how to place quickdraws into bolts, clip the rope into quickdraws without back-clipping or z-clipping, and place quickdraws into mussy hooks in order to be lowered (opposite and opposed). You also must be comfortable falling and know how to fall properly, ensuring that your leg or foot is never in between your rope and the rock. 

Ethics and Etiquette

Like any other outdoor hobby, there are social and environmental ethics that surround climbing. Foremost, just as if you were hiking, trail running, camping, or fishing, always practice Leave No Trace: (1) Plan ahead and prepare; (2) Travel and camp on durable surfaces; (3) Dispose of waste properly; (4) Leave what you find; (5) Minimize campfire impacts; (6) Respect wildlife; and (7) Be considerate of others. For more information on these principles, visit the Leave no Trace website (https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/).

Climbing, however, is a unique sport with additional ethical considerations. If you are making the jump from gym climbing to outdoor climbing, it is essential to understand these considerations. There are a number of hot topics in the climbing world related to ethics and etiquette, such as bolting practices, climbing area maintenance, and relationships between climbers and other resource users and resource managers. 

Learning about the Access Fund’s Climber’s Pact (https://www.accessfund.org/get-involved/the-climbers-pact) can help new climbers understand these issues and climb in safe and socio-environmentally responsible ways:

• Respect other users.
• Dispose of human waste properly.
• Park and camp in designated areas.
• Place gear and pads on durable surfaces.
• Clean up chalk and tick marks.
• Keep a low profile, minimizing group size and noise.
• Pack out all trash, crash pads, and gear.
• Respect area closures.
• Be an upstander, not a bystander.

Outdoor Climbing in Flagstaff

The unique natural landscape of Northern Arizona provides ample opportunities for superb outdoor climbing. From pocketed limestone to lichen-littered basalt, the following are some of the Peace Outfitter’s staff’s suggestions for the best beginner crags around Flagstaff. 

1. The Pit: Also called Le Petit Verdon after the famous Gorge du Verdon in France, the Pit is arguably the most popular top rope and sport climbing area in Northern Arizona. It is a canyon formed of white Kaibab limestone, offering new outdoor climbers jugs and pockets galore.
   1. Type: Sport
   2. Best beginner climb: Sunshine Daydream, 5.7
   3. Best overall climb: Mr. Slate, 5.10b
   4. From Flagstaff: 15 minutes driving
   5. Approach: about 10 minutes
2. Priest Draw: Also known simply as “The Draw”, this bouldering area is a grassy plain about 50 yards wide with limestone bluffs on each side. These bluffs spread out over a 2-mile distance from the beginning of the road. Priest Draw offers boulder enthusiasts everything from vertical jug hauls to punchy, overhung roofs.
   1. Type: Bouldering
   2. Best beginner climb: The Fin, V1-2
   3. Best overall climb: Bat Cave, V3+ 
   4. From Flagstaff: 25 minutes driving
   5. Approach: variable, many boulders are right off the road
3. Griffith Springs: Located south of Flagstaff on the way toward Oak Creek Canyon, Griffith Springs is a small but beautiful shaded basalt crag. Featuring a few short routes, it is a great place to spend a hot afternoon climbing and escape the crowds at The Pit and Priest Draw.
   1. Type: Sport
   2. Best beginner climb: King of Cowards, 5.7
   3. Best overall climb: Climbing Karen, 5.9+
   4. From Flagstaff: 15 minutes driving
   5. Approach: about 15 minutes
4. Jack’s Canyon: Located near Winslow, Jack’s Canyon is the perfect crag at which to spend a weekend. While not quite as close to town as the previous crags, Jack’s Canyon makes up for what it lacks in proximity with a vast area of well-protected climbs on beautiful high-quality limestone.
   1. Type: Sport
   2. Best beginner climb: Jack Off, 5.8
   3. Best overall climb: Gouda, 5.9
   4. From Flagstaff: 1.5 hours driving
   5. Approach: variable, 15 to 30 minutes depending on which part of the canyon you want to go

Getting Outside

If you have been considering making the switch from gym to outdoor climbing, late summer and early fall in Flagstaff prove to be the perfect time. Whether you’re a new or experienced gym climber, outdoor climbing can open up an entirely new world, constituting a meaningful, exciting, and fun way to get outside. You do not have to chase grades or pump yourself out on every route to enjoy yourself; in fact, it is recommended to start slow and build your comfort when climbing on real rock. The most important parts of outdoor climbing are to have fun, stay safe, and respect your local crags. 

From offering advice to total beginners to pointing experienced climbers toward new and interesting gear, Peace Outfitters would love to be a part of anyone’s outdoor climbing journey. We hope to see you at the store, and we especially hope to see you at the crag!