{"id":11208,"date":"2017-02-17T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2017-02-17T15:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=11208"},"modified":"2017-03-09T09:46:58","modified_gmt":"2017-03-09T17:46:58","slug":"6-ways-to-find-your-climbing-gym-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/6-ways-to-find-your-climbing-gym-community","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Find Your Climbing Gym Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finding the perfect rock-gym community can feel like the quest for the Holy Grail. Conflicting schedules, lack of climbing compatibility, personality differences and shyness are all issues everyone must\u00a0rise above to find their\u00a0climbing crew. Are you on the hunt? Don\u2019t despair. With these easy tips, you\u2019ll find your group in no time.<\/p>\n

1. Community Events<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s easiest to meet your people if you go where people go. (Yes, the introvert’s dilemma.) Climbing gyms have a wide variety of events regularly. Find a few that work for you. Do you like climbing films? Trip reports? Happy hours? Make sure you\u2019re getting to a few of these events a month, and you\u2019ll find your tribe.<\/p>\n

2. Gym Classes<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Are you a beginner, just learning to lead or wanting to upgrade your technique? Classes are one of the best ways to discover like-minded belay partners and friends, all while learning some skills. Many gyms even have specialized classes\u2014like women\u2019s classes\u2014that make it even easier to find your crew.<\/p>\n

3. Volunteer<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Do good and make good friends. Find your local climbing advocacy organization and get involved. You can help grapple with access issues, be a steward of your local crags, build relationships with land managers and even educate your community. Find your stride with your\u00a0local climbing nonprofits\u2014it’s sure to be a blast!<\/p>\n

4. Technology<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s your friend. Join groups on Facebook, try out your local Meetup events and post on forums. We are more connected than ever, and with the minimal amount of effort it takes to come up with a post, you\u2019re sure to find some like-minded climbers. Just remember to be honest and to ask a lot of questions before you climb with strangers you meet online. Use common sense, and let technology work for you.<\/p>\n

5. Bulletin Boards<\/h4>\n

Take it offline too. Those bulletin boards you see up by the lockers really do work. If you\u2019re looking for a climbing partner, mentor or even a ride to your gym, post a note. While you\u2019re at it, peruse the rest of the board and respond to some other requests. Build your community yourself.<\/p>\n

6. Start a Group<\/h4>\n

Build it and they will come. Haven\u2019t found anything that meets your needs? Do you want a group of cyclist-climbers-who-love-micro-brews? What about unicorn-enthusiasts-who-wear-tutus-to-climb? If you can\u2019t find it, make it. Create your event, class, volunteer day, online group and post flyers on that bulletin board. We can\u2019t wait to join you!<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s that easy. Go where people are, use the power of the interwebs and be your own community organizer. Happy climbing!<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Finding the perfect rock-gym community can feel like the quest for the Holy Grail. Conflicting schedules, lack of climbing compatibility, personality differences and shyness are all issues everyone must\u00a0rise above to find their\u00a0climbing crew. Are you on the hunt? Don\u2019t despair. With these easy tips, you\u2019ll find your group in no time. 1. Community Events […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":11212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[451,442],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-11208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climb","tag-climbing-tips","tag-rock-climbing"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/climb\/6-ways-to-find-your-climbing-gym-community","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"6 Ways to Find Your Climbing Gym Community","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/6-ways-to-find-your-climbing-gym-community","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/6-ways-to-find-your-climbing-gym-community"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/02\/Vagnini-092116-1440.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/02\/Vagnini-092116-1440.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Climb","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aer Parris-Hoshour"}],"creator":["Aer Parris-Hoshour"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["climbing tips","rock climbing"],"dateCreated":"2017-02-17T15:00:04Z","datePublished":"2017-02-17T15:00:04Z","dateModified":"2017-03-09T17:46:58Z"},"rendered":"