Wherever you live, there is probably a great place for rock climbing nearby. This climbing place might be huge cliff faces on the side of a mountain. Maybe this is in a tamer area, with a few natural rock faces that are 15 to 20 feet high. Perhaps everything is flat where you live, but somewhere up the road they have an indoor rock climbing place. Regardless of your availability for rock climbing walls, rock climbing can be a great way to get in shape, and it can also be a whole lot of fun! You need to make a few basic purchases before you can begin climbing, and then you will be all set to go. Although you might have thought that climbing shoes are the first purchase you should plan to make, you should actually plan to buy a crash pad first. Crash pads are generally small, soft pads that fold up and are easy to carry. These pads provide soft landing places for those times when your hands slip, or when you decide to jump down before you finish a wall. Crash pads cost only about one hundred dollars, and they are well worth the price – they are absolutely vital to a climber’s safety. Secondly, you will want to purchase a chalk bag. Chalk bags hang around your waist while you climb, and they are filled with climbing chalk, which is intended to help your grip. Climbing chalk is important because of your hand’s tendency to expel oils and sweat. Chalk bags cost only about fifteen dollars, as does climbing chalk itself. The cost of these two items is negligible, as a single purchase of chalk will last you for months of climbing. Finally, it is time to purchase climbing shoes. Of course, many people think that their best bet is to purchase climbing shoes online, in order to get a good deal, but you must also understand how climbing shoes are supposed to fit. Don’t just hop online and purchase a pair in your normal size; go to an outdoor store first, and get help from someone who knows how to size you for the shoes that will be right for you. Climbing shoes can range from sixty dollars to well over one hundred, but you can certainly find a good pair for a beginning climber for under one hundred dollars. Rock climbing is an excellent hobby, as it works out the whole body and allows you to enjoy the fresh air. You will be all set to begin climbing yourself once you have purchased these simple items.