I never expected my Facebook group “Bad Climbing Tips” to become such a vibrant community, but here we are, 2,900 members strong, using humour to highlight climbing safety in a way that traditional educational approaches never could.
The premise is simple: post the worst possible climbing advice you can think of.
But there’s method to this madness. As one member perfectly demonstrated with “When top rope belaying, thread your rope through the loop of your alpine harness and back into your belay device directly to economise on carabiners.”
It’s about using absurdity to underscore what not to do, while creating space for newer climbers to ask “Wait, why is that bad?”
The group’s tagline sets the tone: “Be clever, be witty, be sharp, be surprising, but above all… be kind.” This isn’t about mocking beginners or creating insider jokes – it’s about using humour to build a community where safety knowledge is shared organically.
The magic happens in the comments. When someone asks “newbie here, why is this actually a bad tip?” they’re met with detailed explanations rather than derision. It’s created this wonderful dynamic where experienced climbers can flex their creative muscles while newcomers learn in a welcoming environment.
Posts that might be genuinely dangerous or unclear get constructive feedback. As one member noted, “Wearing climbing hold earring to transform your ears in a climbing wall” might be silly, but “Use all your gear to build an anchor before climbing the next pitch” opens up important discussions about gear management and safety.
There’s something powerful about using humour to teach. Few people would regularly read a climbing safety manual, but they’ll happily scroll through outrageous tips that make them both laugh and think – making safety accessible and memorable rather than dry and prescriptive.
Bad Climbing Tips works because it recognizes that sometimes the best way to understand the right way to do something is to examine – through humour – all the wrong ways to do it. And if we can have a laugh while keeping each other safe, well, that’s just the cherry on top.
Originally posted on this post on Instagram
