What Equipment Do You Need For Indoor Climbing?

Published June 25, 2024

Climbing gyms can be intimidating places for freshly budding climbers. They're crowded spaces filled with impressively strong climbers, but everyone's route to success starts somewhere. Climbing gyms are a melting pot of ability levels, with both first-timers and professional athletes sharing the same facility and sending it (reaching the top of a climb) as one climbing community. So if you’re interested in starting your climbing journey, welcome!

This article’s purpose is to get you more familiar with the types of indoor climbing out there. Plus, we break down the gear you need to climb indoors so you can show up and progress with confidence.

Indoor climbing gyms are a great way to practice and perfect your skills so you can be more confident when climbing outside. They’re also a great place to socialize and have fun—some climbers just climb indoors. In addition to traditional gym facilities like weights, yoga classes, and cardio machines, there are three types of climbing you can do at an indoor gym: bouldering, top roping, and lead climbing.

Bouldering is the simplest form of indoor climbing: a climber uses their strength and “problem” solving skills to scale walls that are around 7–15 feet tall. Bouldering routes are often referred to as problems because they are short and technical, only requiring a handful of technical or dynamic moves to solve. Because the falls are small, safety equipment like a rope and harness isn’t required. Instead, climbers land on thick foam mats that gyms install in their bouldering areas. Bouldering is a great way to learn how to climb, as you don’t need a partner to get started and other climbers (read: new friends) are generally stoked to work through movement sequences (colloquially called beta) together.

Rope Climbing

Both top rope climbing and lead climbing involve long climbing routes, generally around 40–60 feet tall. A harness, rope, belay device, and climbing partner are necessary to top rope or lead climb at the gym. Additionally, gyms require a basic safety certification to top rope belay, and an additional safety test must be taken for lead climbing. Unlike with bouldering, which crams a few very difficult moves back to back, rope climbing routes test a climber’s endurance. Here’s a quick breakdown of the difference between top rope and lead climbing.

Top Rope Climbing

Top roping is more beginner-friendly compared to lead climbing. Like the name suggest, a rope is fixed to the top of the climbing wall with two ends reaching the ground. The climber ties one end of the rope to their harness while the belayer sets up a belay device on the other end. As the climber progresses up the wall, the belayer takes in slack to prevent large falls. Gyms generally have certain walls dedicated to top roping—these areas will have numerous routes with plenty of ropes set up for climbers to use. Top rope routes are generally set on vertical to slightly over-hanging walls for beginner- to intermediate-level climbers.

Lead Climbing

Lead climbing is more advanced than top roping. In this discipline, the entire length of the rope starts on the ground. As the climber progresses up the wall, they clip the rope into hanging carabiners, known as quickdraws or permadraws, that are pre-installed every 5 feet or so. The belayer keeps the climber safe from ground falls by managing the amount of slack in the rope system with a belay device. Lead falls are much bigger than top rope falls, which makes lead climbing inherently riskier. Because bigger falls are likely, lead routes are generally set on steeper, more overhung walls to reduce potential injury. If you are interested in lead climbing but don’t yet know the ropes, ask your gym if they are offering any courses. You’ll need to learn the basics and take an additional safety test to lead climb indoors.

Equipment For Indoor Climbing

From lead climbing to bouldering, climbing in the gym requires significantly less gear than climbing at the crag. However, all of the gear in this list is gear you would use outdoors. Having your own climbing gear to practice with makes you more comfortable and confident when you progress from plastic to rock.

Climbing shoes are as important and as versatile as the tires on your car, coming in an array of styles for different climbing styles and experience levels. It’s ok if you don’t have shoes when you are just starting out, as you can rent climbing shoes from the front desk of your local gym. Having your own pair of shoes will get you more comfortable and confident when on the wall, and it will save you money in the long run from having to rent every time. Climbing shoes come in many styles, but the main distinction between them is the shape or curvature. We cover the basics here, but for a more in-depth look into the world of climbing shoes, check out our Climbing Shoe Guide.

Neutral: A flatter profile shoe offers the beginning climber a relaxed fit for more comfort. Neutral shoes a preferred by newer climbers who are learning footwork technique and building strength in their feet. You’ll know you’ve found the right fit when your toes just touch the end of the toe box without scrunching or squeezing uncomfortably.

Performance: Moderate to aggressively curved (often called downturned) shoes offer a more powerful toe position for navigating smaller, slippery footholds. These shoes are built with performance in mind over comfort (though they don’t have to be uncomfortable when sized correctly). Boulderers and lead climbers tend to prefer more downturned shoes over neutral ones.

Harnesses are required for top rope climbing and lead climbing in the gym and serve as the point of connection between you and the rope or belay device. Most climbing harnesses are designed for specific types of climbing, such as sport, trad, or ice climbing. Any harness with two tie-in points and a belay loop is suitable for climbing at the gym. So if you already have a harness, you don’t need to purchase a new one for indoor climbing.

Some climbers, especially competition speed and lead climbers, choose harnesses that are extremely light weight and low profile, but these minimalistic options can be on the pricier side. Entry-level harnesses deliver cushy padding and excellent safety features in a less minimal, more budget-friendly package.

When lead climbing or top roping, the belayer manages rope slack to catch the climber in the event of a fall. Belay devices create extra friction to slow rope speed, which means that a belayer can weigh less than their climber and still catch a fall safely.

A belay certification and a test might be required if you have never belayed before. If you don't have a belay device yet, they may be available for rent at the gym. And if you are climbing alone, some gyms will have an automatic belay device installed in select top roping sections.


Tubular Belay Devices: Also known as ATCs, tubulars are simple, lightweight devices that pass a bite of rope through a narrow tube that uses friction to slow down a fall. Tubulars are inexpensive but can be fatiguing for long belay sessions.

Assisted Braking Devices: These belay devices lock down on the rope when the climber falls to help the belayer manage the fall. Petzl’s Grigri is a popular choice for beginners and experts alike because it is easy to use and extremely safe. The new Petzl NEOX is the next gen belay device optimized for lead climbers.


Auto Belays: These are large pre-installed devices at the top of the indoor climbing wall that automatically arrest a climber’s fall and slowly lowers the climber back to the ground.

Chalk improves your grip and reduces the chances of slipping off your hold due to sweaty fingers. Climbers of all styles and experience levels use chalk. It can come in the form of a loose powder, a fine powder encased in a small mesh pouch, or a dense block that is broken up with your fingers.

Climbers use chalk bags and buckets to secure their chalk while they climb. Unlike with climbing shoes, where a perfect fit helps you climb more confidently, climbers often choose their chalk vessel to match their climbing style. Unique colors, illustrations, and textiles can all be found in chalk bags and buckets.

Chalk bags are just big enough to fit a hand inside and come with a belt to attach to your waist. This way you can chalk up whenever you need to, whether your sizing up a boulder from the mats or resting half-way up a top rope route. We like using a chalk bag whenever we rope climb.

On the other hand, chalk buckets are much larger—generally big enough to fit both hands inside—and have flat bottoms. Many boulderers prefer chalk buckets, as they carry more chalk and often have dedicated storage for climbing accessories like brushes, tape, nail clippers, and even snacks.

While you can rent chalk from your gym, we recommend purchasing chalk and a chalk bag or bucket based on your preferences.

Your gym will provide ropes for top rope climbing. However, you’ll need to bring your own for lead climbing. There are many different types of ropes and rope features that determine their uses, including the type of rope, the diameter and length, and different safety ratings and features. When buying an indoor climbing rope, look for a dynamic single rope. Generally, 35m is an appropriate length, but it never hurts to ask your gym for their recommended minimum rope length.

FAQs About Indoor Climbing

Q: What types of shoes are best for beginners?
 
A: A neutral or flat climbing shoe is going to be the best starting point if you are new to climbing. The ideal beginner climbing shoe will be comfortable to wear with your foot in a natural position. It should fit snugly around your foot with no gaps or spaces, but it should not squeeze or pinch your foot. If your toes just barely touch the end of the shoe, you’ve found a great fit. For more climbing shoe fit tips, check out our Climbing Shoe Guide.
 
Q: What do I need to get started indoor climbing?
 
A: Just a will to learn! Climbing gyms offer shoe, harness, and even chalk bag rentals, but the rental fees can add up over time. Getting your shoes and harness will save you money in the long run and help you build familiarity with your gear.

Q: What is the difference between top rope climbing and lead climbing?
 
A: Top rope climbing is more beginner friendly, as you don't have to worry about rope management and your only focus is getting to the top. The rope is anchored at the top of the wall, and as you progress up the wall, the belayer pulls in slack. This ensures climber safety by reducing the size of a fall.

In lead climbing, there is no rope secured to the top of the wall—the climber has to clip it to carabiners as they climb. Because the lead climber is responsible for sticking the moves and managing the rope, most climbers consider leading to be more difficult than top roping. Lead belaying is also more complicated, as the belayer must be ready to take in or pay out slack based on the climber’s progression up the wall.

Whether you plan to top rope or lead, your gym may ask for you to take a safety certification before tying in.