Climbing gyms have become essential hubs for climbers of all levels, offering a safe, controlled environment to train, learn new techniques, and push personal limits. Whether you're preparing for outdoor adventures or just seeking a new challenge, the climbing gym provides endless opportunities to grow as a climber. One of the most exciting aspects of gym climbing is the ever‑changing route setting, where new challenges are added regularly to keep climbers engaged and motivated.
In this article, we'll explore a seasonal checklist of must‑try routes in every climbing gym. From beginner‑friendly to advanced, we'll cover the different types of routes that climbers should seek out in every season to improve their skills and enjoy the sport to the fullest.
Gear tip: A solid pair of Climbing Shoes and a reliable Chalk Bag are the basics you'll need year‑round.
Spring: The Season of Technique and Conditioning
As the weather begins to warm up, many climbers shift their focus from indoor to outdoor climbing. However, the spring season in climbing gyms is perfect for sharpening your technique and improving your endurance. Routes during this time often focus on stamina, precision, and controlled movements.
1. Slab Routes
Slab climbing involves ascending a vertical surface with very little overhang, demanding strong technique and precise footwork. These routes are often easier on the arms but require excellent body positioning, balance, and mental focus. Slab routes with small holds challenge the climber's ability to trust their feet and maintain balance in tricky situations.
- Challenge Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Focus: Footwork, balance, and body positioning
Gear tip: A lightweight Climbing Harness with good waist padding helps keep you comfortable on longer slab sessions.
2. Endurance Overhangs
Overhangs are great for building endurance and arm strength, especially when set in a way that requires sustained effort without much rest. In the spring, many gyms will add overhang routes that encourage climbers to keep a steady pace and work on their breathing technique. Look for routes with long sequences of moves or ones that require you to climb through overhung sections without stopping.
Gear tip: A high‑quality Climbing Rope with low stretch can make a big difference on endurance overhangs.
3. Volume Climbing
Volume climbing has become increasingly popular in gyms, with large plastic volumes serving as holds or features on the wall. These routes often feature a lot of side pulls, mantels, and unique body positions, helping climbers develop body awareness and flexibility. Spring is the perfect time to explore volume‑based routes, as they challenge a climber's creative use of holds.
- Challenge Level: Beginner to Advanced (depending on difficulty)
- Focus: Creativity, body movement, and flexibility
Gear tip: Try incorporating a Climbing Volume Hold Set into your home training wall for extra variety.
Summer: The Season of Power and Agility
As the summer heat kicks in, climbing gyms often feature routes that test your explosive power and dynamic movement. This season emphasizes short, intense bursts of energy, where the ability to make quick, powerful moves is crucial. It's the perfect time to push your limits and focus on strength training.
1. Bouldering Problems
Bouldering is all about short, powerful movements, and during the summer months, gyms often set challenging problems that require a combination of strength, technique, and agility. These routes usually don't require ropes, but they do require the climber to execute powerful moves on small holds or overhangs. Try tackling problems that emphasize "dynamic" moves---think explosive jumps or "deadpoints."
- Challenge Level: Beginner to Expert (depending on the problem)
- Focus: Power, agility, and body tension
Gear tip: A sturdy Bouldering Crash Pad is essential for safer dynamic attempts.
2. Dynamic Route Climbs
Dynamic climbing involves using momentum to make difficult moves, such as leaping from one hold to another. Summer routes often include dynamic moves like big reaches, controlled falls, or precision jumps. These routes are often set on steep overhangs or roofs, where reaching for holds requires a significant burst of energy. If you haven't worked on dynamic climbing yet, now's the time to push the envelope.
- Challenge Level: Intermediate to Expert
- Focus: Power, timing, and body control
Gear tip: A pair of Climbing Tape can protect your fingers during those high‑impact dynamic moves.
3. Speed Routes
Some gyms set speed climbing competitions or routes that encourage climbers to focus on speed and precision. These routes often require climbers to memorize movements, strategize their holds, and complete the climb in the least amount of time possible. Speed climbing is a great way to hone your mental focus and reaction time, which are crucial for more intense climbs.
- Challenge Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Focus: Speed, strategy, and reaction time
Gear tip: A Training Hangboard can help you develop the finger strength needed for rapid, precise clipping.
Fall: The Season of Mental Focus and Technical Mastery
As the temperatures cool and the leaves begin to change color, fall offers climbers an opportunity to focus on more technical aspects of climbing. During this season, many climbing gyms will focus on specific skills such as technique, problem‑solving, and body positioning.
1. Crack Climbing Routes
Fall is the perfect time to work on crack climbing---a technique that many climbers overlook. Crack routes involve jamming your hands, feet, or body into narrow fissures in the rock. This is a unique skill set that requires a solid understanding of body mechanics, finger strength, and foot placement. Look for crack routes with varying difficulty levels and sizes for a full‑body workout.
- Challenge Level: Intermediate to Expert
- Focus: Finger strength, body positioning, and crack techniques
Gear tip: Strengthen your fingers with a Fingerboard or a portable Grip Trainer.
2. Multi‑Pitch Routes (or Simulated Multi‑Pitch)
Although not always available in indoor gyms, some climbing gyms offer multi‑pitch routes or simulate multi‑pitch climbing setups. These routes are perfect for climbers who want to prepare for outdoor climbing experiences. Multi‑pitch routes challenge your endurance, rope management skills, and belaying techniques in a realistic, longer‑climb format. It's also a great time to work on communication and teamwork with your climbing partner.
- Challenge Level: Advanced
- Focus: Endurance, rope skills, and communication
Gear tip: Practice with a Dynamic Climbing Rope and a reliable Climbing Belay Device.
3. Technical Traverses
Traverses involve moving horizontally across the wall, rather than vertically. These routes often test your ability to plan moves ahead, maintain body tension, and adapt to unusual holds or foot placements. They're a great way to challenge your mind and develop efficient climbing technique. In fall, gyms often incorporate tricky, high‑level traverses that require serious mental focus and problem‑solving.
- Challenge Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Focus: Technique, planning, and footwork
Gear tip: A Climbing Volume Hold Set on a home wall can help you practice traverses year‑round.
Winter: The Season of Strength Training and Mental Resilience
As winter settles in, climbing gyms often set routes designed to keep climbers strong and mentally tough through the colder months. The focus is on maintaining strength and preparing for the upcoming spring season. These routes often emphasize power, strength, and mental toughness.
1. Power‑Endurance Routes
Power‑endurance routes are designed to push climbers to their limits, testing their ability to maintain power over extended periods. These routes typically have long sequences of difficult moves, requiring the climber to keep pushing through the burn. This is the ideal time to focus on maintaining strength in challenging conditions, and climbers should look for routes that push both their physical and mental limits.
- Challenge Level: Advanced
- Focus: Strength, endurance, and mental resilience
Gear tip: Use a Weighted Vest during training to increase power‑endurance demands.
2. Pinch‑Grip Routes
Many gyms set specific routes that focus on pinch‑grip holds---those that require you to squeeze the hold between your thumb and fingers. These types of routes are excellent for building finger strength and improving your grip. Pinch grips can be tricky, especially on larger holds, so look for problems or routes where pinch grips are incorporated into the crux.
Gear tip: A dedicated Pinch Grip Trainer can speed up progress.
3. Ice Climbing Simulation (For Indoor Gyms with Ice Walls)
Some climbing gyms feature ice walls or ice climbing simulators that mimic real‑world ice climbing conditions. If your gym has one, winter is the best time to try these routes. Ice climbing requires unique techniques like the use of ice axes and crampons, and winter is the perfect time to simulate outdoor climbing conditions in a safe, controlled environment.
- Challenge Level: Expert
- Focus: Ice climbing techniques, body positioning, and mental toughness
Gear tip: Try an Ice Climbing Axe and Ice Climbing Crampons for authentic practice.
Conclusion: Every Season Brings New Challenges
Climbing gyms are designed to help you grow and challenge yourself year‑round. By embracing the seasonal checklist of must‑try routes, climbers can ensure that they are always developing new skills, improving their technique, and staying motivated through the changing seasons. No matter your skill level, there is always something new to try in the climbing gym, whether it's conquering a tough overhang in the summer or working on endurance during the colder months.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and climb your heart out---season after season!