Should I start climbing at an indoor gym or outside on real rock?

Should I start climbing at an indoor gym or outside on real rock?

Daniel Wade (Rock Climbing Manager) gives expert video advice on: Why is rock climbing so popular?; How much does rock climbing cost?; What are the different types of rock climbing? and more...

My personal opinion is that beginning climbers should get some experience outside with real rock. As long as they're with people who know what they're doing, or if they're bouldering, which is a relatively benign form of climbing. I'm not a big gym climber myself. I have climbed in the gym but I don't make a habit of it because I feel that it's a different type of climbing and a lot of people I know get stuck in the gym. So I do believe that feeling real rock and understanding how grading systems work outside is a lot different than in the gym. However, the gym is an easy, safe place to go if you don't have anyone to take you outside because there's trainable layers and the anchors are pre-built and the holds aren't going to break. So gym climbing is safe but I do think outside experience is invaluable.