Title Card for Blog Post

The 2024 Paris Olympics are rapidly approaching, igniting a wave of anticipation and excitement among climbing enthusiasts. The opening ceremony, a grand spectacle, is set to captivate the world in just under two months, on July 26th. Climbing, a sport that has been steadily gaining popularity, is returning for its second time after a thrilling debut in the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympic Games. However, with this new stage comes some highly anticipated changes to the competition format and the opportunity for more athletes to take the stage, adding to the thrill and excitement of the event.

A Brief Recap of the Tokyo Olympics

In 2021, the Olympic Committee gave Sport Climbing two gold medals, meaning there could be one event for males and one for females where three athletes would podium. Typically, International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) competitions have three events athletes can medal in: Lead, boulder, and Speed. To remedy the situation, climbers had to qualify and compete in all three disciplines (lead, boulder, and speed) at the Tokyo Olympics. For those aware of the nuances in climbing, many athletes specialize in either boulder and lead or speed, as the training is very different for the latter. As exciting as it was to witness the inauguration of climbing at the Olympics, the format proved challenging for athletes who had to adopt new training plans to compete at a high level in all three disciplines.

Looking Ahead to Paris 2024

Fast forward to the approaching summer Olympics in Paris. The Olympic Committee, recognizing the immense talent and dedication of Sport Climbing athletes, has given the sport 12 medals, or four gold medal events, enabling a format change reflective of the IFSC competitions. This time, athletes have been able to compete to qualify for a spot in the Boulder & Lead or the Speed competition in Paris. This change not only creates a more familiar competition experience for the athletes but also opens up the opportunity for more climbers to represent their country on the biggest sports stage, a testament to their hard work and skill.

For those with more questions about the nitty-gritty details, we’ve answered some of the most common questions regarding climbing in the Olympics.

Climbing in the Olympics: What to Expect in 2024 Q&A

  • How many climbers will be in Paris?

Sixty-eight climbers will have the opportunity to compete in Paris. Twenty athletes per gender will compete in the Combined Boulder and lead discipline. The remaining 28 spots, divided into 14 men and 14 women, will go to speed climbers.

  • How many countries will be represented in climbing in Paris?

Each National Olympic Committee, representing a diverse range of countries, can have a maximum of two men and two women qualify for each event (Boulder & Lead, Speed). The official number of countries represented in Sport Climbing will be live at the end of June 2024. The final quotas are awaiting assignment after the conclusion of the Olympic Qualifier Series Part II: Budapest. This global representation in the event not only showcases the universality of climbing but also fosters a sense of connection and engagement among climbing fans worldwide.

  • What will the competitions look like?

Check out this short and simple video the official Olympic Committee published explaining how the climbing competitions will work in Paris and how they will determine a winner.

  • What are the dates for watching Climbing?

The Sport Climbing portion of the Olympic Games will take place over six days, starting Monday, August 5th, and ending Saturday, August 10th.

Times are listed as UTC+2:00

  • Monday, 5 August – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Men’s Semi-final Boulder, Women’s Speed Seeding and Elimination Rounds

  • Tuesday, 6 August – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Women’s Boulder Semi-final,
Men’s Speed Seeding and Elimination Rounds

  • Wednesday, 7 August – 10:00 AM to 1:15 PM

Men’s Semi-Final Lead, Women’s Speed Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals

  • Thursday, 8 August – 10:00 AM to 1:15 PM

Women’s Semi-final Lead, Men’s Speed Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals

  • Friday, 9 August – 10:15 AM to 1:20 PM

Men’s Boulder Final, Men’s Lead Final

  • Saturday, 10 August – 10:15 AM to 1:20 PM

Women’s Boulder Final, Women’s Lead Final

  • Who is representing the US in Paris?

US Speed Climbers Emma Hunt, Piper Kelly, and Samuel Watson have qualified. In Boulder, lead athletes Natalia Grossman, Jesse Grupper, and Colin Duffy have qualified. These athletes qualified in 2023 at either the FSC World Championship Bern 2023 or the Pan American Games 2023.

  • How many athletes can still qualify for the US and globally?
    [as of June 23, all spots have been claimed with the final spots going to Brooke Raboutou and Zach Hammer]

One quota spot remains for US females in the Boulder and Lead discipline. The four females competing for that spot are Brooke Raboutou (2020 Olympic Climber), Anastasia “Annie” Sanders, Kyra Condie (2020 Olympic Climber), and Kylie Cullen.

One quota spot remains for US males in the Speed competition. Three men, John Brosler, Zach Hammer, and Noah Bratschi, are competing in the Olympic Qualifier Series set to wrap up on June 23rd for the final spot.

Overall, 16 out of 40 athletes, eight from each gender, have qualified for Boulder and Lead. Seven men and seven women, out of 14 for each gender, have qualified for Speed.

Get ready because the 2024 Paris Olympics will be here before you know it, and 68 climbers, 40 in boulder and lead and 28 in Speed, will take the floor at the Le Bourget Climbing Venue just outside Paris, France, and fight for gold. The Le Bourget Climbing Venue is a state-of-the-art facility designed specifically for sport climbing, making it the perfect stage for the world’s best climbers to showcase their skills. With Speed separated from boulder and lead, you’ll witness the fastest climbers from around the globe go head to head. Boulder and lead athletes will vie to solve problems faster and climb higher than their competitors, aiming to score up to 200 points across both disciplines. Check out the IFSC Climbing Instagram for pictures of the venue, and read the pinned posts for more information on the Olympic qualification process, speed format guide, and boulder & lead format guide. The countdown is on, and it’s time to get excited to cheer on the climbers as they display incredible strength and athleticism!

From March 5th to 8th, 2024, a group of the top female and male American climbers gathered at the brand new Sportrock Climbing Centers Rio in Gaithersburg, MD, to vie for their spots on the U.S. National Team. The competition was divided into three disciplines: bouldering, sport climbing, and speed climbing. Bouldering involves climbing short, difficult routes without the use of ropes. Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock for protection. Speed climbing is a race to the top of a 15-meter wall. Let’s dive into what went down daily in Gaithersburg and then recap the results.

 

Weekend Breakdown

With the results out of the way, what did the competitors face over the weekend leading up to the final roster selection? Depending on the discipline(s) they competed in and their success, they could have climbed anywhere between one and four days.

 

Tuesday, March 5th: Speed and Lead

On Tuesday morning, Speed Trials began with a Benchmark round. Following the benchmark round, 16 women and 22 men competed in the qualification round in the early afternoon. In the evening, eight women and 16 men competed in the finals.

 

Tuesday also marked the start of the lead qualification round, which was split into speed qualifications and finals. Thirty-two men and twenty-four women competed in the qualification rounds, each having to climb two set routes.

 

Wednesday, March 6th: Lead Semis and Finals

Wednesday was all about lead. In the morning, 25 women and 25 men faced down their one route as the competition format shifted to onsight (with isolation). In the evening, the top 8 men and women advancing from semis competed in lead finals.

 

Thursday, March 7th: Boulder Qualifications

Thursday was a late start day, with no climbing in the morning. Every round of the boulder competition was an onsight format with isolation. Thirty-one women and 35 men checked in to isolation and competed in the first round.

 

Friday, March 8th: Boulder Semis and Finals

On the morning of the last day of competition, twenty men and twenty women advanced to the semi-finals. The field then narrowed to six men and six women for the finals.

 

2024 Team Trials Results

male climber climbing in an indoor climbing gym

While many new National Team Members saw themselves at the top of the podium at the end of the weekend, finishing first was not the deciding factor for the newest USA Team members. USA Climbing keeps track of elite competitor rankings via a points system. This system awards points based on the competitor’s performance in various pre-determined competitions, including the Team Trials. The more points a competitor earns, the higher their ranking. At the end of this weekend, two new females and males joined the boulder, lead, and speed 2024 rosters based on their points standing. The other 2024 National Team Rosters climbers have pre-qualified through different events, such as the U.S. National Championships, ranking among the world’s elite, or qualifying for the Olympics.

 

Boulder

Walking away from the weekend are two happy men and women who added their names to the 2024 Boulder National Team. Melina Costanza and Helen Gillett (trials bouldering champion) will join Kyra Condie, Natalia Grossman, Brooke Raboutou, and Annie Sanders on the World Cup Circuit this year. The World Cup Circuit is a series of international climbing competitions, where the best climbers from around the world compete for the top spot. On the men’s side, Dillon Countryman and Hugo Hoyer (men’s trials bouldering champion) will join Colin Duffy and Jesse Grupper. These four men will represent the USA in the World Cup Circuit, showcasing their skills and competing against the world’s best climbers.

 

Lead

For the women, Annie Sanders took the gold and earned a spot along with Melina Costanza on the 2024 Lead National Team. Annie’s performance was nothing short of spectacular, as she flawlessly navigated the challenging route, showcasing her strength and agility. The rest of the women’s Lead National Team roster is as follows: Kyra Condie, Kylie Cullen, Natalia Grossman, and Brooke Raboutou. These women, each with their unique climbing style and strengths, are sure to make a formidable team. Declan Osgood and Hugo Hoyer went first and second in the lead portion of the team trials, earning their spots on the 2024 Lead National team alongside Jesse Grupper and Colin Duffy. Their performances were a testament to their skill and dedication, as they tackled the difficult route with precision and speed.

 

Speed

Sophia Curcio and Kaitlyn Bone, the first and second-place finishers in the women’s speed trials, will join Emma Hunt and Piper Kelly on the 2024 Speed National Team. Noah Bratschi, the men’s Speed winner at the Team trials, and Zachary Hammer, the fourth-place finisher, will join John Brosler and Sam Watson to round out the men on the 2024 Speed National Team Roster.

 

And that’s a wrap on the thrilling and adrenaline-pumping 2024 USA National Team Trials! It was an electrifying weekend for the athletes and the newly opened host gym, Sportrock Rio, and a riveting watch for all spectators and climbing fans via the live stream on Outside Watch. (Head to Outside Watch to check out the archived live streams from the event!) Get ready to be on the edge of your seat as the newest team members and seasoned veterans tackle the global competition in the upcoming World Cup Series and in Paris at the 2024 Olympics!

 

Does Rock Climbing Help to Build Muscle?

 

Rock climbing is an activity that helps build muscle because it requires strength, focus, and persistence. From the outside, rock climbing looks like you need strong fingers and forearms to perform well. While it’s true that these will help you climb, they aren’t the only muscles you should pay attention to when trying to improve your climbing.

 

Many modern rock climbers recognize the need for cross-training. While climbing is an excellent way to build muscle, it’s crucial to understand how it can lead to muscle imbalances. Discover how climbing can strengthen your muscles and why it’s equally important to target different muscles off the wall to maintain a balanced physique.

 

Does Rock Climbing Help to Build Muscle?

black and white photo of a man climbing a wall

Yes, rock climbing helps to build muscle. You’re pulling and pushing your bodyweight up a wall countless times, so it better builds muscle!

 

Muscles that are frequently used while climbing and help to develop them are:

 

Forearms and Grip Strength: Rock climbing includes grabbing various holds that require finger, grip, and forearm strength.

 

Upper Body: The largest muscle groups that are built while climbing include the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and back. Pulling and pushing yourself up a climbing wall engages each of these muscles.

 

Core: From staying close to the wall to holding difficult body positions, the core is engaged to help move your body more efficiently. That includes the abdominals, obliques, and lower back.

 

Lower Body: While not used as much, your quadriceps and glutes are significant for helping push yourself up the wall.

 

By engaging in regular climbing sessions, you’ll not only enhance your muscle strength in these groups but also have a blast while doing so! Whether you’re conquering an overhang route that challenges your core to keep your feet on the wall or executing powerful shoulder movements on a dead-vertical wall, climbing will help sculpt these muscles while you’re enjoying yourself!

 

Can I use Climbing as my Only Form of Muscle-Building Exercise?

 

It is not recommended to use climbing as your only source of muscle building. Climbing doesn’t build muscle evenly throughout your body, and climbers tend to favor routes that suit their strengths, which only develops these muscles. However, climbing is still a great way to build strength and endurance, and when combined with other exercises, it can provide a well-rounded muscle-building workout.

 

Take a climber who only looks for delicate slab climbs; while they may have great calf and finger strength, they may lack shoulder and back muscles needed for more powerful climbing.

 

Even if you are the type of climber who seeks out all styles of climbs, you’ll only develop muscles that are directly related to performing climbing moves. While many muscles are used when climbing, they aren’t all used equally and can create an imbalance.

 

What Muscles Are NOT Used When Climbing?

 

The muscles not used as much when climbing are the legs, chest, and triceps. You still use these when climbing, but less than the first group because you perform pulling movements.

 

The problem with using climbing alone as a muscle-building exercise is that it’s easy to develop an imbalance in your muscles. Muscle imbalances occur when certain muscles are stronger or more developed than others. This can lead to poor posture or cause increased stress on joints and tendons. For instance, if your back muscles are significantly stronger than your chest muscles, you may find it difficult to maintain an upright posture, which can affect your climbing technique and efficiency. Cross-training can help prevent these imbalances by ensuring that all your muscle groups are equally strong and developed.

 

How Do I Deal with Muscle Imbalances?

 

You must strengthen your antagonist muscles to ensure you don’t develop any muscle imbalances, or if you already have and want to fix them. Your antagonist muscles are the opposite of your pulling muscles. When pulling, as you do when climbing, you primarily use the forearms, biceps, shoulders, and back. The opposite, or antagonist, is your pushing muscles: chest, triceps, and legs. Strengthening these muscles will help maintain a balance in your muscle development.

 

Rest assured, there’s a solution to muscle imbalances. Strengthening your push muscles will not only help correct any existing imbalances but also enhance your power in any movement. Even if you’re feeling sore from a climbing session, you can still work on your push muscles the day after, as these muscle groups won’t be as fatigued.

 

Take Away

 

Rock climbing is an excellent activity for building muscle and having fun. But remember that climbing doesn’t build muscle everywhere in the body and, over time, can cause muscle imbalances that can result in poor posture or pain. To ensure you don’t overdevelop some muscles over others, strengthen the antagonist muscles you use for climbing.

The Dos and Don'ts of Finding a Climbing Partner

Finding a climbing partner is like discovering a hidden gem in a vast landscape. It’s a thrilling journey with many variables to consider. You’ll likely ask yourself a few questions: Do our schedules align? Are we looking for the same thing from climbing? Do they seem like a nice person? And most importantly, are they safe? The excitement of finding that perfect climbing partner is unparalleled.

A climbing partner can either enhance or jeopardize your climbing experience. The wrong partners can flake on you, only want to climb their projects, have no consideration for yours, or, unfortunately, not use the safest tactics. Safety should always be a top priority in climbing partnerships, and choosing your partner wisely is crucial.

The climbing community is a vibrant and tightly-knit group of individuals bonded by a shared passion for the unique sport of climbing. With the influx of new climbers, it can be daunting to decide when to take the leap and climb with someone new. However, remember, you’re not alone in this journey. The community is here to guide and support you. Follow along for the dos and don’ts of finding a climbing partner, and feel the reassuring sense of security that comes from being part of a larger group.

 

Ask questions!

DO ask how long somebody has been climbing and what their experience level is.

You want to get a feel for somebody’s climbing knowledge before you hop on a route with them at the belay. Ask your new potential partner questions to determine if they’re an excellent fit to climb with.

Some potential questions you can ask:

How long have you been climbing?

Where did you learn how to climb/belay?

What kind of belay device do you use?

How often do you inspect your gear?

 

If any of their answers don’t sit well with you, there is nothing wrong with not wanting to climb with them. If a 5.12 lead climber is looking for a partner, they won’t ask somebody who just took a belay course to catch them on their project. Pick your partner wisely.

DON’T assume that everybody in the gym knows what they’re doing. Climbing has become extremely popular; many newcomers want to identify with the climbing community. Every climber is part of the climbing community, of course. Still, many people like to portray themselves as experienced climbers even though they have only been bouldering for a few months.

It takes countless hours of practice to understand safe climbing and belaying techniques and how to identify them quickly from the ground. Pairing up with someone after learning their name can lead to avoidable accidents. Take your time choosing somebody to trust your life with!

How to find a climbing partner

man climbing a rock.

  1. Approach method

The quick and dirty way to find a climbing partner is to approach somebody at the gym and ask if they’d like to climb together! A tip is to observe this climber belaying before you ask, or you could get into a hairy situation. You can learn a lot about a person by watching them belay. If you’re unsure about their experience, ask them about their climbing history and safety practices.

Remember, you can ask the above questions before allowing them to give you a catch. Go with your gut. If you feel something is wrong when asking them about their experience, there is nothing wrong with changing your mind.

 

  1. Partner forms

Many climbing gyms have an option to fill out a partner form. Typically, they’ll have a bulletin board posted in a common area where you can seek out potential climbing partners. That is a great way to search for partners without scouring the facility.

A good partner form will include the climber’s name, age, experience level, availability, and even their climbing goals. Don’t see a viable partner on the board at your gym? Fill out a form yourself and stick it up there; maybe somebody else is looking but hasn’t filled out a form yet.

 

  1. Online

Finding partners online is great because you can reach a wider audience. Most people are online today, so you have a higher chance of finding somebody to climb with than if you sat in the gym all day.

Also, if you plan to travel to a new climbing area where you don’t know anybody, finding an online partner is your go-to option. Plenty of forums and groups exist to help you find partners.

Use Mountain Project’s Partner Finder! This platform allows you to search for climbing partners based on specific criteria. You can narrow your search by age, location, the grade you climb, and what style of climbing. It’s a great tool to find like-minded climbers in your area.

You can also use Facebook to search for climbing groups nearby! Plenty of gym and outdoor groups are filled with climbers searching for partners.

Reddit is also a great resource! Just post where you’re looking for a partner, and you’ll find people from all over the world.

How Rock Climbing Can Improve Your Footwork For Other Sports Blog Header

Here’s a secret: the key to efficient climbing is good footwork, not muscular biceps or massive lats. Anyone looking in on the rock climbing world from the outside wouldn’t pick up the slight difference in foot placement that lets one climber send a boulder and another climber crashing to the pads. But every sport has fundamentals, and footwork is one for rock climbing. Look up information on drills for rock climbing, and half of them will focus on footwork. It is also a critical skill in many other sports, such as avoiding defenders in soccer, executing choreography in dance, and quick direction changes in tennis or badminton. If you inquire into the athletic histories of most climbers in a modern-day climbing gym, you’ll find that many come from athletic backgrounds. Many of them are likely actively engaged in a second or third sport. Ask around in a climbing gym, and whether it’s a soccer league, running, boxing, dancing, or gymnastics, there’s likely a rock climber who also participates in the other sport.  

rock climber using difficult footwork techniqueWhy discuss the importance of footwork in climbing and mention climbers’ multi-sport nature? Because as a multi-sport athlete, time is of the essence. Amidst all your commitments, being able to improve your footwork for multiple sports simultaneously is a game-changer. If you’re a busy person and a multi-sport athlete, then knowing that rock climbing can improve your footwork for your other sports is fantastic news! Keep reading for a breakdown of how this is possible.

Rock Climbing Can Improve Your Footwork for Other Sports

Hand-Foot Connection and Coordination

Most sports require some degree of hand-foot coordination. Even in a sport like running, seemingly all legs, efficient running form incorporates holding and swinging your arms in specific ways. To ascend a climb efficiently, you must learn to push/pull with your feet and toes while pulling upward with your arms. More often, competition-style boulders go so far as to demand you land your feet on a particular hold or in a specific position (i.e., catching a toe hook) while aiming for a hold with your hands. The more comfortable you become with simultaneously engaging your hands and feet while climbing, the more adept you’ll be at combining movements and mastering your coordination in other areas. 

Explosivenessteenagers playing basketball

Rock climbers can perform powerful jump moves, commonly known as dynos. One key to a successful dyno is placing your feet where you can generate explosive power. Think of the long jump in track and field or a jump shot in basketball. Each movement requires you to land your feet in a specific stance before springing out/up, just like you will do when committing to a dyno.

Single-Leg Power

Outside dynos (see the section on explosiveness), climbers rarely move both feet simultaneously. Instead, you must stand up on one foot, which requires single-leg power and a secure foot placement. As the foot holds grow smaller on more challenging climbs, honing in placement and shifting enough weight onto your foot will make or break your send. That’s why pistol and Cossack squats are popular exercises to incorporate into strength training plans for climbers. If you play a sport involving running or sprinting, the single-leg power you develop climbing will transfer over, enhancing your ability to generate and transfer force quickly. 

Balance

Because rock climbs most often operate in a one-hand, one-foot movement pattern, the non-active limbs help you balance your center of gravity. The flag and back flag are two climbing-specific moves that require understanding how to actively engage one leg and foot for stability while maneuvering the foot and leg. The most straightforward example of this skill translating outside of rock climbing would be in dance or gymnastics. Think ballerinas spinning continuously on one foot or gymnastics pivoting on the balance beam. Another example is striking a ball in soccer or pivoting around defenders in football or basketball. 

You can love rock climbing and other sports, leveraging one to benefit the other. Skilled footwork is a common denominator among athletes from all backgrounds, feeding into the athlete’s ability to balance, generate power, and move explosively or with effortless coordination. Although it may not be apparent initially, rock climbing provides a training ground for those footwork-based abilities, allowing you to fulfill your love for both sports with less training time. If you’ve experienced any transferable skills from rock climbing to other sports, please share the details below (footwork-related or not)! 

Slab Climbing Secrets Blog Header

If rock climbing is a dance on the wall, slab climbing is the Grand Ballet, requiring excellent technique, determination, and bravery.

What defines slab climbing compared to other styles? A slab is a section of wall that is less steep than vertical. Because of the less aggressive wall angle, slab climbs often feature smaller or flatter hands and feet. Learning to pirouette your way up a slab climb is a challenging feat. Still, there are some secrets that professional slab experts like Anna Hazelnutt use to conquer these technical challenges. 

Since keeping secrets isn’t very nice, this article will unveil the tricks of the trade. Slab climbing, with its fun, exciting, and creatively and physically engaging nature, is a challenge that every climber can take on, regardless of their level. The key to any good secret lies in simplicity and practicality. The four slab climbing secrets covered here are broken down with easy-to-follow cues to help you execute on the wall. The secrets start with smearing and maximizing rubber contact. 

Slab Climbing Tips and Tricks

Maximizing Rubber Contact with the wall when smearing.

Climbing shoes have rubber soles to increase friction between you and the wall. Often, slab boulders or slab sections on routes require you to smear (using only the wall or a volume for your feet instead of a hold) against the wall. At first, standing on the wall with no footholds is intimidating. It may seem impossible. But thanks to the rubber soles and physics concept of friction, it’s possible and more useful than meets the eye. 

The two keys to remember are to maximize the contact of your sole with the wall and keep tension in your feet! A mental cue for surface area maximization is heels down, butt out.” Contrary to other types of climbing where having your hips close to the wall is helpful, you’ll want to push your butt away from the wall so it’s easier to put pressure into the wall with your feet (if you’re into weight training, think of the mechanics of a seated leg press). Dropping your heels increases the contact of the ball of your foot with the all and helps you keep tension. Taking baby steps up the wall is critical to maintaining that tension through your feet. If you try to take a too-big step, your other foot will likely slip.

Next on the list of secret tips is edging and counterbalancing your weight. 

Edging

slab climber outdoors climbingA technique where you place the instep of your foot on a hold so that your toe points perpendicular to the wall and your hip opens. Getting into this position is essential for shifting all your weight over and onto that foot. Many times, slab climbs have inadequate handholds. This forces you to rely heavily on your ability to keep most or all of your weight on your feet. To use a foot edging on hold, you drive your knee past your toes and aim to stand up over your foot. The most evident example of this movement would be a high step. If you’ve successfully shifted your weight into the foot, you should be able to go no-hands

Counterbalancing

Another trick to dancing up climbs with few handholds. You can use your arms and legs to balance your center of gravity. If you’ve ever watched gymnasts on the balance beam, you’ve seen this in action. In a scenario where there is only one hand and foothold accessible, you can flag (extend) the leg, not standing on hold to keep you from tipping too far in anyone’s direction as you shift on the planted foot to progress through the next section of the climb. 

The final secret addresses the advantages of flexibility and strength. 

Flexibility and Strength

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, slab climbing relies more on your legs than your arms. Strengthening the hip flexors and quads is essential for high stepping and edging your way through holds. Flexibility in the hamstrings makes opening your hips and controlling leg movements easier. If you lack the range of motion, you may find yourself swinging your leg out/up to the next foothold, generating unwanted momentum that threatens to throw you off the climb. Greater strength and flexibility lend to control and accuracy in movements, which are essential in a style of climbing that favors the tortoise over the hare. Flexible calves also help drop your heels (see ‘Maximizing Rubber Contact with the Wall When Smearing’). 

There it is, the slab climbing secrets laid bare. Now, you can confidently tackle technical challenges like a pro. Elevate the dance of scaling slanted boulders by keeping your butt out and heels down, edging on footholds, and counterbalancing your weight like a gymnast on a balance beam. Improve the strength and flexibility of your leg and hip muscles for more controlled movements, embracing the tortoise’s role in the race to the send. Through it all, have fun and be brave. Slab climbing is fun, and a challenge awaits you if you dare to try it!

5 Key Bouldering Techniques Every Beginner Should Know Blog Header

There are several vital bouldering techniques every beginner can benefit from. Climbing is not just a physical activity, it’s a thrilling journey of joy and self-discovery! It doesn’t matter how often or how hard you climb; it’s about relishing the movement and triumphing over physical and mental challenges. 

Whether you’ve been climbing for a while or are excited to start, check out these five critical bouldering techniques every beginner should know. Once put into practice, you’ll climb more efficiently and may even break into that next grade!

5 Key Bouldering Techniques

 

  1. Use Your Legs!

bouldering in malden climbing gym

As a beginner climber, you may think everybody muscles their way up the wall using their arms. While your grip strength is essential when climbing, it’s not the only factor that helps you get up a boulder problem. A climber who continually campuses (uses only their arms) up a boulder problem will burn out far quicker than if they used their feet.

Consider climbing this way: your hands keep you on the wall, and your legs, the powerhouses of your body, propel you higher. You’ll save tremendous energy and feel the thrill of your own strength when you use them effectively. 

 

  1. Flagging

Let’s talk about flagging, a nifty technique that can help you balance your weight on the wall. To flag, simply stick out your free foot and press it into the wall. There are several types of flags, each useful in different situations. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you!

Outside Flag: Imagine climbing with two hands on the wall and only a right foothold. Since the left leg isn’t doing anything here, you’ll want to stab it into the wall to keep yourself close and counterbalance your weight as you reach for the next hold.

Inside Flag: This is used when your only foothold is below your body. You’ll step your free foot between your other leg and the wall and press it into the wall when reaching for the next hold.

Doing this instead of swapping feet will make you move more efficiently and quickly—plus, you’ll save some of your energy.

Back Flag: This is common on overhung routes when you only have holds on one side of your body and need to move in the opposite direction. Say your right hand and right foot are on, and you must move left.

Placing your left foot around your right, pushing it into the wall, and leaning to the left creates a balance that helps you stay close to the wall to reach the next handhold.

 

  1. Foot Swapping

Sometimes, a boulder problem requires you to swap your feet. You step on a hold with your left foot only to find that you must use your right foot to make the next move. An inside flag might not do the job, so you should be well-versed in practicing this new technique.

To foot swap, hover your free foot over or right next to the foot that’s on the wall. Quickly hop off the foothold and replace it with your other foot when ready. Begin with holding large holds and stepping on a big foothold. The more you practice, the smaller the footholds you can swap on!

 

  1. Drop Knee

Now, let’s discuss the drop knee, a technique that can keep your body close to the wall. The further your body sags away from the wall, the more strength it takes to stay on the holds. So, if you need to reach for the next hold but feel you may swing off or need a quick rest to chalk up, try a drop knee. It’s especially useful on overhung routes.

You’ll have one foot higher on the wall than the other to drop knee. Twist the leg of the higher foot toward the wall until your knee is facing downward. That will help you stay close to the wall and reach your next hold.

 

  1. Practice!

man bouldering with good footwork techniqueThe last critical bouldering technique beginners should know is that climbing is a journey of continuous improvement. You won’t wake up one day and immediately be able to climb V9, but with each practice, you’re one step closer to your goal. Climbing takes persistence and dedication, but the rewards are worth it.

 

Practice each of these techniques! As you progress through them, take your practice to more overhung walls and keep trying. Before you know it, you won’t need to think about what technique to use—you’ll automatically do it!