7 Best Rock Climbing Apps
Wish you could keep track of every climb you’ve done outdoors? Or even just keep track of the climbs you’ve done in the gym?
There’s an app for that.
Do you ever find yourself wondering why there isn’t a “Bumble” for finding climbing partners?
Yup, there’s an app for that too.
Frustrated because you know that when you check the weather for this weekend’s crag you’re actually getting the weather report for the nearby town- not the actual climbing spot?
Good news, there’s an app for that too!
Lucky you! 🍀🍀🍀
There are now tons of awesome rock climbing apps coming out (what seems like every week) and they’re all here to make your climbing life better.
Mountain Project | Best Overall Climbing App
Price: FREE
If you’re climbing outdoors or plan on starting soon, you’re definitely going to want to download this app.
Related: Outdoor Rock Climbing For Beginners: Gear, Safety, and Etiquette
Think of it as the Yelp of rock climbing routes.
You can search pretty much any climbing area and get to peep at all the routes which usually include beta, photos, votes, comments, and usually up-to-date CURRENT conditions.
I really enjoy the “Tick” feature where you can keep track of ALL the routes you’ve climbed, the date, and whatever ridiculous comments you want to leave yourself about the experience.
While I don’t recommend using the Mountain Project app in place of a guidebook, I do think they complement each other really well!
Guidebooks, typically, are going to offer you so much more detail on climbing areas, routes, history, culture, nearby food and gear shops in town, etc.
Mountain Project is great for checking out recent comments and updates about route conditions and approaches.
One pretty cool feature of this app, is that you can download an entire state’s route database onto your phone.
This lets you search routes offline which, let’s be honest, is most of the time.
Looking for belaytionships? Did I mention it’s a great place to connect with climbing partners in your current city?
Also, it’s a great place to buy and sell used gear. #dontfeedthelandfills
Related: How to Save Money on Outdoor Gear
Best part about Mountain Project is that it’s totes FREE! 🤩
Download it here: iOS | Android
Gaia GPS | Best Climbing App for Navigating
Price: free with paid membership upgrades available ($16-$32/year).
No service bars? No problem.
Whether you’re backpacking, day hiking, or looking for that tucked away crag, this app is excellent for downloading topo maps onto your phone and navigating through out-of-service wild spaces.
You can even print them out as a backup (just be sure to place it in a waterproof bag).
Related: Leave No Trace Friendly Gear | The Ultimate Backpacker’s Gear Guide
Perhaps the most useful feature for any climber exploring a new area, is the feature that lets you drop a pin where your car or campsite is located. 🙌
Long days at the crag and forgetting where you parked or camped is not a good combination. 😆
I REALLY love that this app allows you you to create tracks and waypoints.
You can even categorize them into folders so you can easily find them next time you hit up that crag or trail.
The app is free to use but magic of the app is unlocked in the yearly subscription (like offline location and base maps) and is SUPER affordable.
Related: 15 Backpacking Safety Tips Every Smart Backpacker Should Know
Download it here: iOS , Android
Climbing Weather | Best Climbing App for Weather
Price: FREE
I know this might come as a shocker to you, but it’s a weather app. 😜
It’ll tell you the usual like the temp highs and slows, chances of rain, wind speed, etc. 🌤⛈❄️🌬
But what makes this weather app special, is that it has the latitude and longitude points of climbing areas programmed in.
So compared to other weather apps where you would search the weather of the nearest town (i.e. Las Vegas vs. Red Rock Canyon), this app will show you what’s going on with the weather in the actual climbing area.
Download it here: iOS
Related: Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit Joshua Tree National Park
Rakkup | Best Climbing App for Downloading Guidebooks
Price: app is free with guidebook purchases available.
Rakkup is basically like a kindle app for rock climbing guidebooks.
You can get all the beta your dirtbag heart desires by downloading guidebooks straight onto your phone so you can use them offline while in the backcountry.
Because let’s be honest, gear is heavy enough already.
It doesn’t help that we’re usually lugging’ around beta novels in our packs as well.
Rakkup helps you navigate offline with area maps and topo maps. You can even filter climbs by sun/ shade and climbing grade. What what?
Another sweet feature about this app, is that you can actually create, publish, and sell your own guidebooks on this app.
On a side note, Rakkup also has guidebooks for backcountry skiing.
Download it here: iOS, Android
Knots 3D | Best Climbing App for Learning Knots
Price: $4.99
Working on perfecting your climbing knots?
Then this app is going to be your new favorite obsession!
With a library of over 135 knots, you can practice perfecting your knots like the:
- Alpine Butterfly
- Bunny Ears
- Double Fisherman’s Knot
- Double Overhand Knot
- Figure Eight Bend
- Figure 8 Follow Thru
- Flat Overhand Bend
- Prusik
Knots 3D allows you to check out a knot from every angle, helping you better understand climbing knots in way that a book just can’t offer you. #flatpaperproblems
Related: How To Pass A Belay Certification Test Like A Pro
Download it here: iOS | Android
MyClimb | Best Climbing App For Being Social
Price: FREE
Keep track of your gym climbs, outdoor climbs, find climbing partners, and compete with your friends on MyClimb.
Take the location-based partner finding element of Tinder, the climbing route/ problem logging ability of Mountain Project, the social networking of Facebook, with a little sprinkle of friendly climbing competitiveness (leaderboards) and I think you get what this app is all about.
Related: Women’s Climbing Events & Courses Every Female Climber Should Know About
Download it here: iOS | Android
Carin | Best Climbing App For Safety
Price: free with very affordable in app purchases
Carin makes it easy to:
- share your climbing plans with your friends and family
- find spots with cell coverage
- download offline topo maps
- see stats on your route
- record a map of your climbing approach
This is one of those apps that you hope you never really need to use.
Carin allows you to create a “safety circle” by importing contacts from your phone (aka your “ride or dies” ) who will be contacted if you don’t return from your wilderness adventure at your said time.
Your people can see your approach/ return progress (or lack thereof) and have peace of mind knowing you’re moving and doing your thing without having to blow up your phone all day.
Download it here: iOS | Android
Final Thoughts On These Rock Climbing Apps
Using these (mostly) free rock climbing apps, I’ve been able to be sooo much better prepared for my rock climbing adventures.
Why not give them a try?
Related: #LoveYourCrag: 34 Ways Climbers Can Protect Their Crags and Planet
What’s your favorite rock climbing app? Holler at ya girl in the comments below!
Pin for Later | Best Rock Climbing Apps
