how do you rock climb

very carefully

One foot at a time.

There r many things to learn when first starting climbing, & most of them u have to learn yourself. Climbing is a huge world, bigger than u would expect, with so many different aspects & confusing terms.

However, some tips would be: watch ur feet! The worst thing amateurs do is to kick the wall while trying to put their feet on a hold. Keep ur feet high & use them to push yourself up (or along) the wall rather than pulling on ur arms. Many muscle-bound men have been awed by the feminine grace of a skilled climber dancing up the walls. Strength is a part of climbing when u get into steeply overhanging routes, but until then u should be relying on a good technique & footwork.

Footwork:

Good footwork is one of a climbers most important assets. Except on overhanging rock, u will climb basically on ur feet, ur arms acting only as a support mechanism to maintain balance as u step up from one foot hold to the next. It is magical how well sticky rubber soles adhere, but even so, a beginner may need some time before she learns to trust her feet. With practise u will find that even the tiniest footholds can provide good support.

There r many, almost infinite, types of footholds, but aside from the pure friction of simply pasting the foot flush with the wall there r two types of ways to use footholds: smearing & edging.

In the gym, smearing is likely to be the same as friction; pasting ur soles flush with the wall. This is handy in the absence of footholds & should not be underestimated. This will work well on the under hanging walls & the easy slabs.

Edging is, obviously, using the edge of ur shoe to gain support. This can be done using ur toe or the edge of ur foot near the big toe or little toe. Do not use the arch part of ur shoe for standing on as it does not provide the feeling & strength of the ball.

Heel hooking is a further way to gain an advantage. This is where u use ur heel as a 'third hand', raising it above ur waist in a hooking motion

Once ur foot is on a hold, do not move it till u take it off, as in don’t change the angle it is on in relation to the wall, as this will ruin both the friction & the rubber properties of the shoes.



A common problem with beginners is they rush their moves. They hug the rock, their feet r kicked towards, but not onto, the holds, and, as they do not trust their feet, they r quaking in their shoes with their feet skedadling all over the wall.

Handholds r obviously also important, but r only used for balanced except on overhanging routes & dynamic moves, or dynos, which r mostly for show.
Finger strength & core tension r needed, but they will come with time. Just make sure u r having fun.

“The best climber in the world is the one having they most fun”

You can get a lesson from a guide, take a course from the local community college, get a book (John Long - How to Rock Climb) or start going to the local indoor climbing gym - l did all of these.

You will meet others that will teach u techniques & show u places to climb. You can get a route book for local outdoor climbs if u enjoy outdoor climbing.

Obviously, finger / grip strength & foot work in special sticky rubber climbing shoes make climbing difficult routes possible.

Most people want to know how u get up a large mountain - if that is ur question here goes: the leader starts climbing with a rope attached to his harness. As he climbs, he sets ''cams'' or ''nuts'' for protection in the cracks & clips the rope to them - if he falls he will fall past his last piece of protection & the rope catches him. When he uses all the rope, he sets an ''anchor'' which is several pieces of protection. He connects himself to it & starts pulling the rope up as the second climber then climbs up to the leader, removing all the protection on the way up. This is one pitch - then the whole thing starts over again until they reach the top - never damaging the rock & never hammering anything into a crack.

Good Luck

very carefully, make sure u are absolutly sure about every hand hold and foot hold, and l suggest u get training from a local climbing expert or just climbing trrainer. good luck :)_

l always have 3 points of contact. l know my limits. Safety is always first. Must be Underground
Happy caving Carroll

With good friends, good dogs and a great camera!