Climbers face an unforgiving landscape of sandpaper-like rock. They are often bleary-eyed and hungover, and they spend long days outside in the elements.

Accomplished climbers ascend rock as if they are dancing, fluidly transferring their weight to maximize efficiency and use strategic hand and foot placements with precision. This is called ‘flow’. Read on Alta Climbing Gilbert for more details.

There are a number of techniques that climbers use to make progress up a wall or cliff. Some of these are simple and easy, others can be quite complex. A good climbing technique will be specific to a particular route or problem, and will take into account the climber’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, a powerful climber may use a different technique than a less-powerful one to compensate for a lack of strength in certain areas of the rock.

Using efficient movement and body position is very important when climbing. This will help the climber avoid using unnecessary force and avoid wasting energy. For example, many beginners tend to reach for a hold with their arms straight out. While this is very effective on easy climbs, it is inefficient when a higher grade of climbing is attempted. A better way to reach is by twisting the shoulders so that the climber is reaching backwards toward the next hold. This allows the climber to utilize their full range of strength while maintaining balance by keeping pressure on both hands and feet.

Footwork is also an important technique, especially on slab and crack climbing. To get maximum traction on small volumes of rock, it is often necessary to “smear” the rubber of your shoes. This involves putting pressure on the edges of your shoe while simultaneously pushing with your toes. The more you practice this technique, the better your footwork will become.

A key element of any climbing route is the ability to read it. This is very difficult for many novice climbers, but it will dramatically improve with practice. A climber must be able to visualize the movements needed for a given problem, and then plan out how to make them with minimal effort. This can be done on the ground before starting a climb, or it can be done while on the route as the climber makes their way up it. Ideally, the climber will be able to do both at the same time.

Equipment

Modern equipment has replaced a number of items once regarded as essential to climbing, including the harness (which replaced tying the rope around oneself), carabiners (replaced many knots), the descender/abseil device (replaced the dulfersitz), and belay devices (which have replaced body belays). These advances make it possible for climbers to achieve ever-greater feats on rock.

Climbers rely on several types of equipment to help them complete a route safely and with the least amount of effort. Some of the most important pieces of equipment include:

Shoes-Climbing shoes provide a snug fit and sticky rubber soles that allow you to hold onto a rock face with your feet while using counter-pressure on the opposite sides of your feet to move up the wall or crack. Most climbers also use a pair of padded arm protectors to protect their arms from injury.

Harness-A nylon strap that wraps around the climber’s waist and lower back, with leg loops for support. Most harnesses have quick-release buckles for safety and easy on/off use. Some models can be adjusted to fit different body sizes.

Chalk and chalk bag-The purpose of the chalk is to reduce moisture on a climber’s hands, thus allowing them to hold on to the rock better. It is especially useful when climbing outside or in a gym, where your hands tend to perspire.

Runner-A 9.5 foot length of tubular webbing tied into a loop with a water knot and used to attach pro to the climbing rope or create anchors. Can be doubled or tripled to be worn comfortably over one shoulder when climbing. See single runner, double runner and triple runner.

Protection-A method of protecting a climb by either bolting or placing passive pro such as hexs, nuts and cams in the cracks of a rock face. This is the preferred method of protecting big wall routes because it does not damage the rock like pitons do.

Belay device-A device to belay a climber, which takes the weight of the leader and keeps the rope from slipping off the belay point (a snag could cause a fall). Climbers often prefer to practice their belay skills at a climbing gym before they take it outdoors.

Safety

Climbing is a high-impact sport, so it’s important to take the necessary safety measures. Even indoor climbing isn’t immune from accidents, but by following a few simple rules and procedures, your facility can prevent injuries and help climbers stay safe.

Always wear a helmet when climbing. A helmet reduces the chance of head injury during a fall and can also protect climbers from head trauma caused by falling equipment, such as a belay device or a rope. Ensure that the climbing helmet fits snugly and is free of any loose spots. It’s a good idea to purchase climbing helmets in multiple sizes for adults and children to provide a proper fit.

Climbing falls are a natural part of the climbing process, so it’s essential to have a belay system that can hold a climber’s weight. Belay systems should be tested regularly to make sure they are in working order. It’s also a good idea to have several types of belay devices in your facility so that you can accommodate different styles of climbing.

Clear communication between the climber and belayer is essential for climbing safely. It’s a good idea to establish clear communication before beginning the climb to avoid misunderstandings or accidents. Climbers should communicate with their belayers by speaking clearly and using appropriate climbing commands. It’s important for belayers to pay attention to the climber, and never talk on the phone or distract the climber in any way.

If you’re an experienced climber, don’t be afraid to offer advice or “beta” to new climbers. However, you should never give beta without first asking if the climber wants to hear it. Some climbers are happy to accept beta, while others prefer to focus on their own climbing.

It’s always a good idea to carry a backpack for storing extra safety gear, water and snacks. You may also want to bring a warm hat and gloves for cold weather climbs.

When cragging outdoors, be sure to clear debris from the crag after you’re done. It’s also a good idea for outdoor climbers to wear closed-toe shoes to prevent injuries from tree and rock debris as well as trash and human waste left by other users.

Training

Climbing is often not a comfortable sport – it requires stooping to reach high handholds and wriggling in cramped positions while dangling by the feet from a rope. Even a single fall is potentially catastrophic to the climber and it’s the responsibility of the belay, usually another climber or experienced instructor, to catch the fall. Climbers are also required to use equipment called quickdraws to clip carabiners to the bolted anchor points along the route – a process that requires a significant amount of fine motor control as well as a good deal of skill and attention.

Aside from the physical demands of climbing, the discipline also requires a strong mental focus in order to overcome obstacles such as fear and uncertainty. Climbers must also be able to analyze the problem, identify their options and decide which strategy is best for them. They may need to try a different tactic in order to make progress and they often have to accept that they might fail, even in front of an audience.

The skill set of a climber is split almost evenly between strength, technique and psychology. This unique interplay is why children can turn professional at 12 years old and adults can still compete at elite levels into their 60s. But climbing is not without its limits and many climbers find themselves frustrated by the inability to increase their grades season after season.

There are a number of training techniques that can help climbers overcome this plateau. These training methods run the gamut from one-repetition maximum strength exercises like max dead-hangs to long-duration climbing intervals that train specific skills while climbing. The key is to find the right balance between these two extremes and to ensure that new skills are trained both in isolation and in concert with more robust and functional movement patterns.

Intrinsic feedback, which comes from the body’s internal monitoring systems, is essential for identifying and responding to problems that are developing throughout an exercise. For example, it’s common to notice that a climber’s grip strength decreases or they begin to fall when moving statically up a climbing sequence. The climber can counter this by incorporating dynamic movements into their training such as the “drop knee” drill where the climber rotates their hips and pulls in with the hand on the same side that they are turning. This trains the ability to maintain a dynamic climbing style while maintaining a strong, stable core and efficient momentum generation.