Rock climbing is a dangerous sport, and it requires precise movement. A bad move could easily send you hurtling off the wall.

Keeping your center of gravity (COG) close to the wall will help you find and use the most efficient footholds. It will also prevent you from becoming a human pendulum. Contact Alta Climbing now!

Stemming is a key skill to develop as a climber. It involves pushing with opposing pressure on your hands and feet to take weight off the arms and balance your body. It is particularly useful for short rests on a steep wall, and it helps conserve energy on long routes or overhanging walls. Stemming also allows climbers to shake out tired arms and reposition their gear between moves.

Proper stemming requires more hip flexibility and balance than pure muscle strength. Climbers should practice stretching and yoga exercises to improve their performance in these situations. Stemming is often used on steep walls, such as dihedrals and chimneys. It is important to be able to stem between these features because they are often more secure than hand positions.

One of the most common and effective stemming techniques is to smear your feet across two separate planes of rock, using footholds that are close together. This technique is most common in corners, but it can be used anywhere there are opposing footholds. If the footholds are too far apart, you can try a drop knee to bridge them with your body.

A good stemming position allows a climber to push down with both legs while pulling up with the arms. A climber may also rely on underclinging to keep the arms straight and take weight off them. Undercling is especially helpful in cracks and on steep walls with flaky features that are difficult to jam a hand into. When a climber cannot stem in a corner, they can try to back-step or chimney it instead. They can also bridging between the two walls with a dyno or deadpoint move.

Flagging

Flagging is a technique that can be used to reduce the amount of effort it takes to reach holds on a rock wall. It is a counter balancing movement where the climber uses a leg to shift their weight and prevent them from swinging away from the wall. This can be especially helpful on steeper climbs with long moves and dynamic movement. The most common types of flagging are the side flag, inside flag and back flag.

In the side flag, the climbing foot is extended out to the same side as the handhold being accessed. For example, Brian might flag his left leg out to the right so he can reach for a hold that is high off to the right. By flagging the leg, Brian can reduce the effort it takes to reach the hold and also conserve energy in his arms by not having to extend as far.

The inside flag is similar to the side flag, but instead of extending the leg to the same side as the handhold, the climbing foot is pulled in closer to the body. This can be a useful technique when a handhold is low and there is no room to step up onto it.

The back flag is a more advanced technique, where the climbing foot is moved to the rear of the body. This can be beneficial on overhanging climbs where the handholds are on the opposite side of the wall from the feet. In this position, the climbing foot can be used to help counter balance and provide extra strength to push up against the wall. One of the most important aspects of flagging is remembering to use the leg to push against the wall, not just to flag. It is easy for climbers to get comfortable with a specific type of flagging and forget to switch to a different method when needed.

Mantling

While mantling is not for the faint of heart, it can add a whole new level of challenge to an already-challenging rock climbing route. Often the hardest move on a climb, it requires a great deal of balance and strength. Climbers who can master this technique will find themselves capable of tackling routes they never dreamed possible.

In its most basic form, mantling is the act of extending one’s center of gravity over a horizontal ledge by utilizing high feet and locking off. It’s typically used when a climber is unable to place their hands on the next hold higher up, such as a dihedral or chimney. Mantling also works well on slopers, as it can help a climber overcome a section with a steep angle or difficult footholds.

A climber should use the trailing leg as a sort of rudder, squeezing it into the rock to generate momentum. The leading leg, on the other hand, can be used to push off of the ledge with force and generate more speed. The technique can be especially effective on rounded, rather than flat, ledges.

Some climbers are reluctant to learn how to mantle because it can be an insecure position, but it’s a necessary skill that should be learned over time. It is, however, more dangerous if attempted in the context of a hard-solo climb or by a novice without adequate training. In these situations, the fall can be catastrophic.

For this reason, beginners should not attempt a mantle until they have the proper training and experience. If you are unsure of your ability to perform a mantle, ask an instructor at your local gym for tips and guidance. They can help you build the necessary muscle and mental fortitude to master this exciting climbing technique.

Underclings

Holds that can only be gripped from the bottom with your palm facing up are known as underclings. These deceptively strenuous holds test climbers’ biceps strength as well as their body position. They may be a tiny seam on the back side of a roof or a dreamy incut hold behind a flake, either way, they are challenging to use and must be mastered for more advanced climbing moves like heel hooks and mantles.

The best way to improve your underclings is to practice on easier routes with these holds and learn how to do them efficiently. You can also try smearing your feet on the wall or using a layback position to get more friction against the rock when traversing an undercling. Just remember to keep your arms straight to prevent adding too much strain on your biceps.

A crimp is a hold that requires the climber to pull upward on it while pushing down with their feet. Climbers often crimp holds to gain more friction against the wall or to increase the size of their footholds, which can help them traverse a hard problem. Crimping can be a great way to build forearm muscles as well as strengthen the wrists and fingers, which is why it’s essential for any climber.

A pinch is a type of grip that requires the climber to grab the hold with their thumb on one side and their fingertips on the other. This type of grip is great for gaining extra gripping power but puts more stress on your fingers and tendons. To minimize this strain, try to crimp only on small holds where the digits can fit with ease and use pinches whenever possible.

Belaying

If you want to go big wall climbing, or even just rock climb indoors, you’ll need a partner to belay you—meaning they’ll feed you the rope, catch your fall and lower you back to the ground. Belaying is a highly-skilled job that requires significant practice and instruction to perform properly. New climbers should always take a class or have a certified instructor show them belay techniques before trying this.

Belaying is an essential skill for any climber. It involves managing the slack in the line so that it stays tight as the climber moves up the route. As the belayer feeds slack into the device, the climber needs to clip into protection, which adds strength to the system. It’s crucial that the belayer is able to assess the slack in the system and make adjustments, as well as correctly lower the climber to the ground.

To belay, the belayer should stand a few feet away from the climber and several inches above her. This protects the belayer from falling rocks and other equipment and makes it easier to spot the climber. During belaying, it’s important to keep your eyes on the climber at all times—never look down or away from them for long. It’s also helpful to avoid distractions like music, other climbers and conversations.

To give a belay, move your guide hand (weaker hand) to the top of the ATC and gently loosen the grip with the brake hand (dominant hand). As the climber moves up the wall, PULL up on the ATC to take in slack while maintaining a firm grip with your guide hand. When the climber reaches a ledge or is ready to be lowered, SLIDE the brake hand down to release the slack and lower them to the ground.