Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 75 Once satisfied with the indoor climbing experience, climb- ers often migrate to the great outdoors, where they can apply basic principles of climbing and experience the excitement of the vertical world while enjoying nature. Nowadays, it's easi- er and safer than ever to see if climbing is for you. Starting out, one must understand the basics. Knots, types of climbing, gear, technique, and know-how are just a few of the basics you want to dial in before getting on the walls. To start off, the basic knots to know are the overhand, figure 8, and clove hitch, all of which are vital to learning the ropes and having a good knowledge base to pull from in a variety of the situations you may encounter. When it comes to climbing shoes, you are looking for a shoe that is tight enough so you can feel all the edges of your feet and toes, as you'll definitely appreciate the advantages of using the edges of the sticky rubber-soled shoe. Harness- es should feel comfortable and snug both around the hips and legs; you don't want to have a loose-fitting harness! Today's climbing equipment is safer and more advanced than ever, tremendously safer than the days of simply tying hemp ropes around one's waist. Great Montana climbing pioneers such as the Dirty Sox club of the 1960s-70s docu- mented using obscure and minimal climbing gear, such as hemp ropes, straight shaft ice tools, and webbing harness- es for cutting-edge ascents. Now, advances in technology and safety devices such as the Petzl Gri-Gri, an incredible self-locking belay device, are a great option to increase your safety margin. As for types of climbing, the list is seemingly endless: bouldering, trad climbing, alpine climbing, speed climb- ing, ice climbing, scrambling, mixed climbing, and sport climbing, to name a few specific niches in this great sport. During summer, you will often come across troves of eager sport and trad climbers heading to the dry crags and into the mountains where spectacular routes are ripe to ascend. In winter, hearty climbers brave the barren temperatures, as- cending great pillars of ice and snowy alpine mountaintops. Climbing is truly an incredibly diverse sport that may seem intimidatingly difficult, but is life-changing once the basics are learned, practiced, and eventually mastered. Around Montana, we are blessed to have a variety of climbs and locations that make climbing in the Treasure State so spectacular. The recorded history of climbing in Montana dates back hundreds of years, and even longer with thou- sands of potentially un-documented climbs. Generations of vertical pioneers have spent lifetimes exploring the state's abundant crags and mountain ranges, scouring them for their most beautiful lines. Great climbers have ascended walls tall- er than El Capitan in our very own Glacier National Park. While most climbs are recorded and meticulously docu- mented, others have been forgotten or simply hidden to en- sure their secrecy within the tight-knit climbing community in Montana—though many graying climbers will be quick

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