Lilly’s Climbing Party Ideas

Now that summer is finally on its way, a whole new world of celebration options is available to you, party people.

Let’s face it nobody wants to be stuck indoors at this time of year. Also, it’s been scientifically proven that going outside is good for you.

You owe it to your friends to throw a brilliant alfresco get together. Get the ball rolling with these fabulous outdoor gathering ideas for those who like to climb.

Life of the party LILLY has a few ideas for a fun celebration.

Milestone Birthdays

Reaching the chains on any route is a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday, whether that is your 5.13 project or someone’s first 5.6. It doesn’t matter as long as you get your squad to the crag to hang out.

You might not be able to convince all your friends to join in your outdoor fun. Some may prefer to admire you and your friends crushing your climbing goals from the ground.

That’s fine, you can put these timid souls in charge of bringing the food.

Types of Rock Climbing

You can take part in rock climbing in several different ways. Participants can either jump right in with bouldering or pair off and try out climbing with ropes, which inherently has more gear and safety concerns, so be aware of that before getting your feet wet. Better yet, find your local climbing gym (new ones seem to pop up every day) and schedule a party.

Indoor Climbing

Climbing gyms offer a very user-friendly option to get new climbers up on the wall. With the sport increasing in popularity, it seems every town has a climbing gym available. Most offer party options where they have staff dedicated to your group to ensure a safe and fun gathering for your group even if none of you have climbed in the past.

Bouldering

Bouldering offers some lower-commitment fun. For some people, the idea of roping up is a little daunting. Climbers try to negotiate routes on boulders, called “problems,” on their way to an end-point.

These boulders are usually not tremendously high and are of short duration. Foam-filled crash pads are placed below to cushion any falls. This is perfect for friends who aren’t keen on extreme heights because all you need are shoes, a chalk bag (we know where to find those) and a crash pad to boulder.

Sport Climbing

In sport climbing, the protection is permanently fixed to the route with fixed bolts that are drilled into the rock. Quickdraws are then clipped to the bolt to catch any fall with the assistance of a belayer. All the climbers must do is follow the bolts up the route while clipping the rope into the quickdraws along the way.

For new climbers, an experienced leader can take care of setting up the route and create a top rope that the crew takes turns climbing. This offers a lower barrier to entry for your friends.

Make a Weekend of It

There’s no better way to get your gang out than organizing a camping and climbing weekend for your get together. Roughing it can bring out the best (and sometimes the worst 🙂 ) in everyone.

It’s also a great way to bond and spend quality time together without interference. What could be better than roasting marshmallows and telling fireside tales during your celebration?

There are excellent campsites for climbers of different abilities at State and National Parks as well as public land all around the US. International options abound as well, so be sure to check with your local organizations to find options.

Where to Find a Great Climbing Venue

You don’t have to head to Yosemite to enjoy this variety of fresh-air fun.

There are opportunities for climbing and bouldering to suit inexperienced climbers almost everywhere. You can even dress the part in funky climbing gear.

A local climbing club can help you with a list of suitable venues and most gyms have guide options available to show your crew the proverbial ropes (pun intended).