Universal Principles
The style of climbing varies with the features on the rock. Some universal principles are to:
- Look and feel around for foot and hand holds.
- Focus on your feet as much as your hands.
- Keep your weight over your feet.
- Don't use your arm muscles unnecessarily. They tire out quickly.
- Rest on good footholds in a straight-arm position.
Types of climbing
Face
Face climbing is most similar to gym climbing. Usually the climber is using holds and jugs on the rock face to move up the wall. Good balance and strength can often be key to successful face climbing.
Slab
Slab climbing is similar to face climbing but on a lower angle. There are often less features available, but because of the lower angle, friction can keep you on the wall even though there is no edge to stand on. This is called smearing with your feet.
Stand up and keep your weight over your feet "nose over toes". Keep your hips squared over your feet as you shift your weight from one foot to the other. It helps to shift your weight deliberately, because the more pressure you put on a foot, the better it will stick to the rock. Trust your feet. Once you unweight the foot, it will start to slip off.
Crack
Crack climbing involves jamming your hands and feet into the crack in order to ascend.
Hand Jams
A classic hand jam is done in a hand-sized crack by inserting your hand into the crack thumb up, then squeezing your palm (bringing your thumb down) and pushing your fingers against the opposite side to make your hand thicker. Thumb down jams also work, but thumb up jams are easier to move up on.
A classic foot jam involves inserting your foot into the crack vertically with your knee out wide 90 degrees to the side, then bringing your knee in to the middle, camming your foot into the crack. Then step up.
To release, move your knee slightly out to the side again to un-cam your foot, then pull your foot out.
Finger jams
Finger jams are less secure than a good hand jam. They are required when the crack is smaller than your hand. put your fingers into the crack with your elbow out wide, then bring your elbow down and to the center to cam your fingers into the crack.
Fist jams
Insert your hand into a wide crack, then make a fist to make your fist stick in the crack. Palm up or down both work depending on the crack (though palm up is easier to move up with). These can also be less secure than hand jams.
Off-width
Off-width climbing refers to a crack which is larger than fist-sized but smaller than chimney sized. There are a variety of techniques for your upper body, such as the chicken wing, arm bars, stacking fist jams, basically anything that works for you. For your feet, cam your feet into the track however you can, such as heel toe, camming against the outside edge. Get your feet wedged and then move your upper body up, and repeat.
Chimney
A chimney is a large crack that you can fit your entire body into. Brace your back against one side of the chimney and feet against the other. Then you can slowly inch up the wall. Use any holds or irregularities in the rock to your advantage.
Overhung
A key to overhung climbing is to use your feet and tense your body to drive your weight into your feet. Move through overhung sections efficiently, so that you can make it to a less overhung section to rest.
Undercling
In an undercling, you pull up/out on a downwards facing hold to drive your feet into the wall.
Lieback
A lieback is a strenuous technique used to climb corner or flake systems where one holds oneself against the opposite side of the corner using your hands in the crack, driving your feet high against the wall.
Traverse
A traverse is when a route moves sideways across the wall rather than up. A toprope climber should beware of climbing too far to the side of their anchor to prevent pendulums in the case of a fall.