The right climbing technique – from the indoor climbing centre to the crags

Eine Frau klettert eine Felswand hinauf.
Eine Frau klettert eine Felswand hinauf.

Did you know that around half of all climbers start out not on natural rock but on an indoor climbing wall? Did you also know that rock climbing requires more advanced belaying techniques than indoor climbing, and that there are hazards which are rarely encountered indoors?

Not all climbing is the same, which is why Climbers Paradise has decided to produce a series of climbing technique videos to facilitate a safe transition from the indoor climbing centre to the crag.

In the videos, four-time world champion Angy Eiter and Climbers Paradise’s technical director, Mike Gabl, explain what matters most when climbing on natural rock.

The following topics are covered in the respective video segments:

  • proper warm-up
  • Climbing and gripping
  • Pulling phase
  • Movement sequence: controlled and static or fluid and dynamic
  • Toe or heel hooking
  • Introduction to belay devices
  • Falling/dynamic belaying
  • Objective hazards, which are rarely present in the indoor climbing centre
  • ‘Hardware’ at the Rock Climbing Area (rock quality, wall structure, bolt quality, etc.)
  • Belaying and fall behaviour on rock
  • New rope technique: ‘re-threading at the belay point’ (Swiss and French methods)