Women sharing the first steps into climbing

Pulenaz: a first visit to the local wall

Pulenaz checks in at a local climbing gym for a beginner session and asks what happens during a first visit. A staff member helps her find rental shoes and explains the gym’s introductory arrangements. In the class, she listens to the briefing, watches the instructor and joins the other beginners at the wall. The unfamiliar part is not only climbing: she is also learning where to go, whom to ask and how the session is organized.

Her first attempt is short. After a few moves she pauses, looks down and decides she has had enough for that try. She returns to the floor with the instructor’s guidance and watches another beginner before deciding to come back another day. The visit ends with a question at the desk about returning, not a dramatic finish.

On a later low-level bouldering session with a friend and gym supervision, Pulenaz recognizes the room and takes a little more time on the wall before coming down. She still notices the height. What changes is that she knows she can pause, speak up and end an attempt when she wants to. Her earlier uncertainty and later return make a useful sequence for someone who wants to watch ordinary progress inside a local gym.

Sam Ortiz: returning to the wall and finding a place

In a 2018 essay, climber and photographer Sam Ortiz describes approaching a small YMCA wall with shaking, sweaty hands. She kept returning and, after weeks of attempts, reached the top. She later enrolled in climbing instruction where encouragement and room to make mistakes helped her learn.

References: Sam Ortiz / The Mountaineers

Ortiz also writes about not seeing climbers who looked like her and describes herself as a curvy woman of color among other climbers. She connects that sense of difference to the difficulty of finding a place and suitable gear. Her account is valuable for a heavier beginner looking for more than an equipment list: it explains how comparison with others affected her sense of belonging while she was learning.

References: Sam Ortiz / The Mountaineers

She describes a strong fear of heights and sees climbing as part of confronting it, while still describing fear in the same essay. Ortiz shares her outdoor photography and journey; a 2021 interview links her own Instagram account and describes her work with Climb Big. Her written account gives a longer perspective on persistence and belonging than Pulenaz’s first visit.

References: Sam Ortiz / The Mountaineers · Tough Girl Challenges / Sam Ortiz

agelessmuse.mei: trying it for the first time at 50

In a 2025 post, agelessmuse.mei looks back on her first indoor climbing experience at age 50. She remembers being hesitant in front of the wall, shaking and sweating during the attempt, and not reaching the top. She is proud that she tried. Her post is a useful first-person account for someone wondering what beginning in midlife might feel like, including a first attempt that ends before the top.

References: agelessmuse.mei

Sources and attribution

1. agelessmuse.mei

   My First Time Rock Climbing at 50Published Oct 16, 2025 · Recorded Oct 29, 2026

2. Sam Ortiz / The Mountaineers

   Overcoming Impostor Syndrome: Climbing Through the Status QuoPublication date not listed · Recorded Oct 29, 2026

3. Tough Girl Challenges / Sam Ortiz

   Sam Ortiz is a plus size, Latinx, rock climber, mountaineer, and founder of Climb Big.Published Aug 4, 2021 · Recorded Oct 29, 2026