Whether you’re practicing for an outdoor climb or enjoying the freedom of a climbing wall there’s nothing quite like indoor climbing. At the Outdoors Man, our veteran climbing instructor Phil always starts his lessons in the comfort of an indoor climbing gym.

He recently set up his own climbing wall at home and it’s been a big hit with the family, so what can you expect from climbing indoors? Well one of the most notable attributes is that it’s a lot safer than climbing outdoors. Being able to exchange rugged rock faces for comfortableclimbing holds can be very encouraging when it comes to pushing your abilities.

Climbing holds also come in a range of shapes and sizes, so depending on your skill level you’ll either be tackling larger holds, or extra smallones. If you’re new to the climbing scene, larger holds are great as they represent easy rock formations and can provide plenty of support during your climb.

If you prefer to push your abilities, then small to extra small holds are ideal. They provide just enough space to secure a grip, but not enough so as to make the climb easy for you. Most climbers progress fromlarge to extra small as their skill levels progress, so it’s definitely recommended to give that routine a go, or mix up your climb entirely.