Monthly Archives: July 2011

Improving Your Rock Climbing Skills
Rock climbing has grown in popularity over recent years. For many it is an exhilarating experience to conquer a pitch.

Being successful as a climber, whether indoors or out, requires the development of skills. Practicing these techniques will allow an individual to improve.

Climbing requires one to be in good physical condition and to be mentally alert. A climber must be able to plan a route and problem solve during the climb.

There are many practices which a climber should make part of his routine to become better. Some of these practices are important to all those who are physically active, no matter their chosen sport.

Others of these practices are specific to rock climbing. All, however, is vitally important to the success of a climber.

As is true of all exercise, it is important to stretch before beginning a climb. Holding on to precarious hand and footholds causes strain on the muscles of the hands, arms, and legs.

An individual who does not stretch before this activity could pull a muscle and might even be injured. It is better to take the time to warm up your muscles than to risk injury because of negligence.

Not only does stretching decrease the risk of injury, but it also increases a climber’s range of motion. Handholds are sometimes difficult to reach, but being flexible allows you to have a better shot at grabbing hold of them.

When you reach that handhold, you must be prepared to cling to it, no matter how unusual the position of your body is. Stretching will increase the ability of the limbs to maintain a position.

Once your stretching is complete and before you climb, take the time to plan out a basic route which you will take as you scale the facade. Quickly scanning for good hand and footholds decreases your chances of getting stuck in the middle of a climb.

Planning a route does not mean, however, that you will be problem free during your ascent. The sport takes a certain amount of mental acuity to be able to problem solve in the middle of a climb.

Strengthening the muscles of the hands can be beneficial for when something goes awry. Exercise your hand muscles, increasing the power of your grip.

When it comes to that critical moment and it is necessary to grip a difficult handhold, you will have no trouble keeping a grasp on the rock face. Even holding on will be difficult, though, if you do not have adequate balance.

Most people who are uncomfortable while climbing suffer from a lack of balance. The feeling that you are going to fall off from a wall can be very disconcerting.

In order to improve in this area, try to be more aware of your center of gravity and how it will pertain to your movements. Also, you can find a steep incline and move across it, and up and down it, using only your feet.

While performing this exercise your hands may be used to steady you but never to propel you along. Let your feet do the work.

As you do this, you will begin to notice how your body is behaving relative to your center of gravity. Over time your balance will improve.

Maintaining a proper forward-backward balance ratio is also a critical principle of rock climbing. Leaning too far back will disrupt your ability to make a move.

If you keep yourself close to the wall, you will be able to better control your movements. You will use different types of movements, depending on your style as a climber.

Some favor a slow and methodical approach. These people use controlled muscle actions to edge along their chosen route.

Others prefer to generate momentum for their movements and effectively swing themselves sideways or upwards to their intended target. Which style you choose will depend on what makes you comfortable.

Whichever style you choose, you will need to develop the relevant muscles. Exercise at home or at a gym, via weights or exercise machines, will help to strengthen and tone muscles responsible for controlled movement.

Rock climbing can be a thrilling sport. Learning the proper technique will help you to enjoy it.