CitiSpot: Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a sport, in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route. Rock climbing competitionshave objectives of completing the route in the quickest possible time or the farthest along an ever increasingly harder route. Rock climbing is similar to scrambling (another activity involving the scaling of hills and similar formations), but climbing is generally differentiated because of the use of hands to support the climber's weight as well as to provide balance.

Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility, and balance along with his mental control. It can be a dangerous sport and knowledge of proper climbing techniques and usage of specialized climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes. Because of the wide range and variety of rock formations around the world, rock climbing has been separated into several different styles and sub-disciplines that are described below. While not an Olympic event, rock climbing is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a sport.

See Rock Climbing Terminology

A climbing technique is any type or combination of body posture, movement, or hold used in climbing. In this article, several different climbing techniques are listed, and briefly described.

Arm bar, elbow bar

Jamming an arm into a crack and locking it into place.

Bridging, or stemming

Climbing a corner with the legs spread wide apart, one against each face, with the feet relying on friction or very small holds.

Campusing

Campusing describes climbing using only the arms. The word itself is derived from the power training done on a set of campus boards.

Chest jam

Jamming the torso into a wide crack, for resting.

Chimneying

Climbing between opposing rock faces, with the back and hands against one face, and the feet against the other face, or alternating between both.

Crimp, or crimping

Grabbing on to a hold with the fingertips alone.

Dyno

The term is an abbreviation of dynamic maneuver. Using the momentum of a movement or jump to reach a hold beyond your reach. Ideally, gravity brings the movement to a stop at the "deadpoint," i.e., when the hands reach the hold. When using this technique, the climber often leaves all contact with the wall.

Egyptian, or drop knee, or lolotte

Method for reducing tension in arms when holding a side grip. One knee ends up in a lower position with the body twisted towards the other leg. It can give a longer reach as the body and shoulders twist towards a hold.

Egyptian bridging

The same position as bridging, but with one leg in front and one behind the body.

Extremity jams

Jamming involves taking advantage of a body part in a crack for the friction it produces to support a share of body weight.

Hand jams

Whole hand

Thumb-up hand jam: Jamming the hand in a small crack with the thumb in an upward position, enabling greater reach between holds.
Thumb-down hand jam: As with the thumb-up hand jam, but with the thumb placed downwards, a less maneuverable but more secure hold.
Fist jam: Jamming the hand into a crack with a clenched fist position, the expanded muscles securing the hand.

Partial hand

Finger Lock: Inserting fingers from tips to third knuckle and performing a twisting technique to lock the fingers into the crack. There are different ways to lock the fingers depending on crack and finger size.
Thumb-up or thumb-down finger jam: as with the thumb hand jams above, but using the fingers instead of the hand as a whole.
Ring jam: used when the crack narrows in the middle but flares out again by placing one finger round the narrow part and the thumb below, thus creating a "ring" hold.
Thumb lock: for smaller cracks, use by locking the thumb into a crack.
Pinkie jam: jamming the pinkie (little) finger into the crack.

Jams using feet

Foot jam

This technique is also known as the heel-to-toe jam. It involves jamming the foot into a larger crack by twisting the foot into place, the contact with the crack being on the heel and toes.

Toe jam in a crack

When the foot is too large, the toe jam is used by locking the toes into a crack and lowering the heel.

Flagging

Where one foot is not placed on a foot hold and the leg is held in a position to maintain balance, rather than to support weight. This is often useful to prevent barn-dooring. The flagging foot may be pressed against the wall or may simply hang in space depending on what will best maintain balance.

There are three basic flagging positions

normal flag - where the flagging foot stays on the same side (e.g. flagging with the right foot out to the right side of the body)
reverse inside flag - where the flagging foot is crossed in front of the foot that is on a foot hold
reverse outside flag - where the flagging foot is crossed behind the foot that is on a foot hold

Gaston

Pulling sideways and outwards, akin to opening a pair of sliding doors. The term comes from a story about the climber Gaston Rébuffat, who apparently climbed several difficult cracks in Europe using this hand position. Normally cracks are climbed by jamming hands or fingers—or any part of the body that fits—in the crack to hold oneself.

Heel hook

Using the back of the heel to apply pressure to a hold, for balance or leverage; this technique requires pulling with the heel of a foot by flexing the hamstring. This technique is notable since in most forms of climbing one uses the toes to push.

Holding a grip: tendu or arqué

Tendu is the French word that means open hand. In this grip the fingers are close to the position when the hand is open. The relative angle between the phalanges is gradual. The load applied is coming from tension in the forearm muscles.
Arqué is the French word used to describe crimping. In this position typically the first set of knuckles are hyper-extended and the second set have a sharp angle — about 90 degrees. In this position, muscular effort is combined with soft tissue tensions in order to apply the load. This position, when used often, has been known to overstress the tendons in the fingers and lead to injuries.

Laybacking

Climbing a vertical edge by side-pulling the edge with both hands and relying on friction or very small holds for the feet.

Mantling, or mantleshelfing

Boosting upwards using only the arms and ending with arms fully extended downwards. The motion is akin to getting out of a swimming pool without using the ladder.

No-hands rest

Method for resting without using the hands, such as standing on footholds, or using a knee bar (jamming a knee into a large crack).

Smearing

Relying solely upon the friction of a flat surface, usually with the feet, to keep from falling. This is possible primarily due to the sticky rubber soles ubiquitously used in modern climbing shoes.

Toe hook

A toe hook is securing the upper side of the toes on a hold. It helps pull the body inwards—towards the wall. The toe hook is often used on overhanging rock where it helps to keep the body from swinging away from the wall. This technique may also be known as "bat hook".