But unlike those two and other sinewy 20- and 30-somethings I encounter in the climbing gym and out in the mountains, I have not been climbing since my teens. I previously considered rock climbing a fringe sport for the young, super fit and freakishly brave. I did and thought to myself, ‘If I’m going to stand here and belay, I’m going to climb, too.’The author and others participating in a 2018 Salt Lake Climbing Festival clinic at the Salt Lake Slips, Big Cottonwood Canyon. Find a mentor: My first outdoor climbing session was with Julia Geisler, executive director of the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance. Others include clinics offered through the Salt Lake Climber’s Alliance Climbing Festival (held annually in August) and hiring a guide.