Alta Climbing is a challenging, physically and mentally demanding sport. Whether it’s 3,000 feet up a big wall or just 5 feet up a boulder, the thrill of accomplishing a difficult route is addicting.
Studies suggest that climbers are highly task-oriented and intrinsically motivated. Studies also show that flow, confidence, anxiety facilitation and perception correlate with climbing performance.
Climbing is an incredibly fun, physically demanding sport that can be done on natural rock, man-made structures, artificial walls or even indoors. It can involve ascending a small boulder in your backyard or summiting an 8,000-meter high peak on the other side of the world. It can require lots of specialized equipment or none at all. It can be as easy and accessible as bouldering or as complex and involved as roped climbing and free BASE jumping.
Regardless of the type of climbing you choose to do, there are some basic concepts that all climbers must be familiar with. The most basic category of climbing is route climbing, where you use a rope and a belayer to help protect you from falling off the wall. Route climbing involves ascending a set of predetermined paths (sometimes called “routes”) on the surface of a rock face. Typically routes are a few to several pitches in length.
Roped climbing is the most common form of climbing. In top-rope climbing, a belay partner provides safety by holding the climbing rope and feeding it through carabiners attached to the climber’s harness so they can catch the climber in the event of a fall.
In order to get higher on a rock wall, it is important to have good footwork, which requires the ability to place your feet in the right position at the right time. You must also be able to use your legs to generate power towards the next hand hold, which requires proper body positioning and the ability to move quickly up the wall.
Another key climbing technique is to create and maintain a secure jam in a crack in the rock. To do this, you must insert your fingers into the crack at least to the second or third knuckle and then lock them off in a constriction by rotating your elbow down and torqueing the fingers with opposing force. The result is a solid, secure hold that allows you to continue moving up the wall.
Lastly, there are some advanced techniques like a dyno or a traverse that can be used to maneuver around difficult or impossible sections of the rock. These movements are often performed in competition climbing and are a great way to show off your strength, endurance and technique.
Equipment
Climbing requires certain equipment to be safe and successful. If you’re learning to climb indoors, your instructor will provide the necessary equipment such as shoes, harnesses and a chalk bag. Depending on the type of climbing, outdoor routes may require additional equipment like quickdraws or cams and nuts for establishing an anchor. You’ll also need a belay device and climbing ropes to tie in and belay.
A belay device is a mechanical brake that takes the force of a fall and lowers the climber to the ground safely. It consists of a metal plate with a slot that allows a bight of the rope to pass through to a locking carabiner, which is clipped into the belayer’s harness who can control the speed and direction of the braking action.
The other piece of climbing equipment, called passive protection, are metal pieces that wedge into constrictions in rock to act as anchors and stop a climber’s falling body from hitting the ground or another person below them. Climbers would previously jam stones into these spots but now machined metal nuts are designed specifically for this purpose in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Runners are long slings that clip into a protective anchor or other piece of gear. They’re used to extend a route and reduce rope drag that could slow or even prevent a climber from moving fluidly while ascending a wall.
Climbing ropes are made of braided or twisted nylon and come in a variety of lengths for different types of climbing. They are equipped with plastic sheaths and grommets that protect the cord from fraying and abrasion, but these should be replaced after a few years of use.
Other climbing accessories are used to improve comfort, safety and navigation while out on a route. Chalk bags keep hands dry and allow for a smoother grip, while hand exercisers strengthen the fingers and help maintain a solid form while climbing. Tape is used to cover sharp holds that might cut the skin on a climber’s hands while climbing.
An altimeter watch is useful for estimating your climbing elevation, especially when it’s snowy or foggy. While these gadgets aren’t essential to start climbing, they are great accessories that add more enjoyment and efficiency to your climbs.
Techniques
Climbing requires a lot of strength, but it’s also about knowing how to use that strength. You’ll need to know the proper techniques for each movement, and these may change from climber to climber. For example, some people use straight arms to climb – but this is not the most efficient way to do things. You’ll need to use your arms in a way that reduces the amount of friction between your hands and the rock.
The right grip is vital, too. It’s important to have the right amount of pressure, so you don’t over-grip and lose control of the holds. Over-gripping can be dangerous and is a common cause of falling off the wall. You’ll want to keep your hands and forearms strong by doing exercises like bicep curls or using chalk, but you’ll need to balance that with the ability to “float” on the rock with your feet.
You’ll also need to learn about bridging and flagging, which are ways of counter-balancing with your legs. These will come in handy for difficult moves that are too far out to reach with your hands. Flagging involves opening your hips and extending the opposite leg to keep from barn-dooring, or swinging your body too far away from the rock. It’s easy to practice on a juggy route, and is useful for balancing out wide reaches on overhanging climbs.
Stemming is another leg-powered technique that can be used for difficult stretches. You’ll need to be able to use the footholds on the wall in order to stem, and you’ll also need to have a good understanding of how to use a kneebar. A solid kneebar will allow you to rest on a ledge where you wouldn’t be able to stop climbing without risking a fall.
It’s a good idea to learn the basics of backcountry climbing, as well as advanced self-rescue techniques, before attempting any adventure routes. You’ll also want to make sure that you have a belay partner who is familiar with the proper belay setup. It’s a good idea to take a safety class to get started, and you’ll need to make sure that your rope is properly looped through the belay device and locked.
Safety
Climbing involves life-threatening risks that every climber assumes. It is important to understand these dangers and prepare accordingly. However, no matter how much you train and practice, climbing can still be dangerous. Climbing centres and their staff try to provide the safest possible environment, but there are some inherent risks in this sport.
The first risk is falling. Fortunately, this is rare, but it does happen. Climbers must be trained in proper fall arrest techniques and use this knowledge to avoid falls.
Other hazards include rockfall and loose rocks. These can come from the route itself or the environment around it. Climbers must take care to clear routes of these hazards before starting a climb.
A second major hazard is lack of adequate protection. When a climber is lead climbing, they must set protection throughout the route so that they can catch themselves in the event of a fall. This protection reduces the distance that the climber will fall, and can prevent injury or death.
Climbers must also pay attention to their own safety, both when they are climbing and when they are belaying. They must always double-check their equipment at the beginning of the climb, checking things like their harness buckles, belay device and locking carabiner. This is an easy and effective way to make sure everything is in working order.
One of the most common errors occurs at the belay station, when the climber is asking their belayer to “take” or “lower.” Climbers must be very clear in this communication so that there is no confusion. This is especially important when the climber is at the anchor, where a mistake here can be fatal.
Finally, it is crucial that climbers and belayers maintain a constant focus on each other. Distractions can cause a belayer to miss signals from the climber or even forget to feed the rope in, leading to an uncontrolled fall.
Lastly, climbers should always report any problems with the walls or equipment to a member of staff immediately. This is the best way to ensure that any problem is resolved quickly and efficiently.