Being a newbie is hard!!! I started out not knowing a THING about climbing, just that it looked like something I could be into. I started in the gym(I don't want to hear any shit! It was January in MN!), where I learned the basics. That really helped me to feel a little more confident moving outside onto real rock where I then had some great teachers to help me out(Mostly from this site I might add! Hon, if you're real, hang in there and you'll get some great partners from cc.com). The gym was a great place for me to learn, but it's not where I wanted to stay. The keys to having a good intro to climbing are to find some good teachers, ask lots of questions, and have fun!!!!!