Sport climbing is appealing to many because it’s similar to indoor gym climbing, and does not require a huge investment of money. A solid sport climbing starter kit only involves five items: a climbing harness, a pair of climbing shoes, quickdraws, an assisted belay device like a Gri-Gri, and a rope. That’s all.
If you’re a beginner sport climber or shopping for a sport climbing starter kit as a gift, we’ll break down each item quickly and make a suggestion for each one. A helmet is optional, but certainly a good idea.
Climb on, below!
Sport Climbing Harness
You don’t need to go for anything fancy in a sport climbing harness. Comfortable and affordable are the two main attributes we look for. There’s no need for anything ultralight like a glacier harness, nor anything extremely padded, like a big-wall harness. Just a simple, snug fit around the waist, and a minimum of two gear loops (one on each side) is all you need. There are many options which fit these criteria, so choice will come down to availability, sizing, and color preference. Lightly used climbing harnesses are often available on Facebook marketplace, from people who have tried the sport a few times and not stuck with it. If you prefer to buy new, Black Diamond and Petzl still offer introductory harnesses for around $50 – not too bad these days.
Our Beginner Harness Recommendation: Black Diamond Momentum
Sport Climbing Shoes
The best sport climbing shoes is a touchy topic. Overturned, aggressive climbing shoes are generally considered to have the best performance for sport climbing. The shoe above, a La Sportiva Miura, is an example of an “aggressive” climbing shoe. The serious curve allows for better purchase on overhanging routes and very small edges. However, if you’re looking for a good starter kit for beginner or intermediate climbers, our opinion is that the person will appreciate having comfortable feet over top-of-the-line performance. By the time a climber needs that super-performance, they’ll know exactly what they want. This is a tough category to give a universal recommendation for, since different climbers will have different foot shapes and different desires. So consider the below nothing more than personal favorites:
Our Recommended Aggressive Sport Climbing Shoe: La Sportiva Solutions
Our Recommended Comfort Climbing Shoe: La Sportiva TC Pro
Our Recommended Budget Climbing Shoe: ClimbX Rave
But really, if there’s any uncertainty, we recommend visiting your local outdoor retailer and trying out a few different pairs of shoes.
Sport Climbing Belay Device
There is little debate these days – the best belay device for sport climbing is a Petzl GriGri. The Gri-Gri is the most popular belay device due to its extra-safe auto-lock feature. Although belaying a sport climber involves paying close attention, the Gri-Gri adds additional safety because it will lock and hold a fall even if the belayer fails to control the brake strand. This feature also allows a climber to “hangdog” a route without the belayer needing to hold their body weight – appreciated by both people!
If you want a cheaper option, many climbers learn to belay on an ATC (tube-style) device, which is perfectly safe, cheap, and does teach good fundamentals. But the GriGri is the standard for a reason.
Our Recommended Starter Belay Device: Petzl GriGri Plus
Quickdraws
Quickdraws are the “clips” which a sport climber uses to connect to the bolts in the rock and protect against falls. A quickdraw is two carabiners connected with a length of nylon or dyneema webbing – this connective webbing is called a “dogbone.” There are an almost infinite amount of quickdraws on the market – every climbing company produces several different models. The practical differences between these different quickdraw sets are minimal, and all sport climbing draws sold will be perfectly safe and very durable. The only thing we think is worth paying extra attention to is the thickness of the dogbone: thinner dogbones are lighter to carry, but thicker dogbones are more comfortable to grab on to. We think a thicker dogbone is preferable for most sport climbing kit.
Quickdraws are usually a little cheaper if bought in sets of five or six.
Our recommended quickdraws: Camp Orbit Wire Quickdraws (6-pack)
Sport Climbing Rope
A rope for beginner sport climbers doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Although one would be forgiven for thinking the most expensive rope might be the safest climbing rope, the fact is that this is actually usually reversed – expensive ropes are usually thin, which makes them less safe. See the above climbing rope diameter infographic for further explanation on climbing rope specifications. For a new sport climber, we recommend a rope in the 9.4-9.8mm range, and with a length of 70 meters, so you can climb most routes. A bipattern is a nice safety feature if you can afford it, but it isn’t a necessity.
Our Recommended Climbing Rope: Mammut 9.8 Crag Classic
Satisfied With Our Sport Climbing Starter Kit recommendations?
If you make a purchase through any of the Amazon links included in this article, we get an affiliate commission. Your purchases help this website thrive and support dedicated climbers going on new adventures. However, we also love our local gear shops — if you have a dedicated outdoor retailer in your city, they will also have more options for you to peruse, and you can check the fit on items like harnesses and shoes, which is important!
Oh, one more thing! Any beginning climbing kit should include a couple locking carabiners, and some chalk. Chalk is a consumable and one can always find a use for more carabiners.
Gym to Crag 