What can I expect from outdoor rock climbing?

What an odd question but I guess that many people are now brought up on indoor climbing as a sport in itself without actually being a climber or having any kind of in-depth interest in the background of the sport outdoors. Genuine climbers (I am not being derogatory, I use that term to differentiate them from equally valid group of leisure climbers such as yourself who have only climbed indoors) see the wall as a means of training when the weather is rubbish or during the evenings when you don't have time to get your gear sorted and get out to a crag. As for top roping and lead climbing - you decide. You get back what you put in. I presume you mean trad climbing rather than bolted which is pretty much the same as an indoor wall outdoors (other than you would need to set up your own top ropes). First step in discovering what you can expect is to read all of the climbing books from your local library. Read books about techniques and gear, books by the early climbers like Joe Brown, Don Whillans, mountaineering tales etc. You will soon find out how the routes were 'set up'. At the same time, subscribe to some climbing magazines, you will soon find out about the ethos of climbing as a sport rather than outdoor climbing as an extension of indoor climbing. They are a complete mystery at first but after a few issues you will starte to see the picture. Then you could try bouldering. You get a feel for the moves and develop the different techniques that are needed when moving from indoor holds to real rock (yes, there is a big difference) without having to go any great distance off the floor. Having a bouldering mat and some mates helps greatly with this branch of climbing. Everyone will have a different experience, outdoors, trad routes are not 'set up', they are just 'there'. Climb them how you want - solo, lead, second or on top rope but please remember, top roping a popular route will annoy everybody unless the crag is deserted as it prevents others from climbing the route for longer than if it is climbed properly. This is why outdoor groups are really unpopular with genuine climbers, particularly in areas with a lot of visitor pressure such as the Peak District, whose crags (http://www.thepeakdistrict.info/climbing.php) are already overcrowded at weekends and during the holiday season. The best way to enjoy outdoor trad climbing, if you don't have the skills or knowledge of anything other than an indoor wall I think is to climb as a second which will ensure that you can enjoy the movement on rock with a good level of security. You will know when you are ready to lead. Stick to single pitch until you are experienced and try to make sure that your leader doesn't take you on a route with a traverse (climbing in Wales one year we were close to the site where a beginner had her neck broken by the rope when she fell off off a traverse as a second) as traversing often requires the second to be as competent as the leader. In short, if you encompasss climbing as a sport and actually take a genuine interest, you can expect a lot of enjoyment, fear, satisfaction, missing skin, great days out and tendinitis ... i.e. a real mix!

fun!