Skills

There are better ways to develop body awareness than mumbling expletives in Downward Dog.

High-gravity days aren't sourceless malignancies; they have causes, which means they have solutions.

So your buddy tells you that he took a Factor 2 over the weekend, eh? That sounds bad. Or is it? What does that even mean? Read on for everything you need to know about falling, but were afraid to ask.

Like most climbers you probably train by developing your lats, pulling down rather than squeezing or pushing, but climbing often demands a variety of techniques including using "non holds" such as opposing slopers.

Check out David Flanagan's author page.

This six-week program will hone you to climb the classics, whether it's a mountain, wall or long free route.

Why optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio through weight loss is bad beta

Always thread the rope through the anchor, not around it.

A directional is a piece of gear, be it a bolt or a cam or a nut, that places your climbing rope in the most appropriate location for zigs and zags on a climb.

When the wall kicks back past vertical, the pump clock starts ticking. It’s all about getting to the chains before that alarm goes off.

Here we have two tales of not paying enough attention to climbing's most critical tasks: tying in and belaying.

One of the easiest ways to improve as a climber is to get comfortable falling. It just takes some incremental practice.

This simple rig can eliminate one of climbing's causes of fatalities.

We tapped eight professional pullers from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds to compile a list of the best training advice for all of us regular folks.

How to enjoy the process and send more quickly

A climbing gym isn't your home, so exactly what is cool and not cool to do there?

Getting pumped on a grade that within your limits? Then you lack Local Endurance. The good news is this simple training plan will address that weakness and have you hanging on virtually forever.

Climbing takes power, endurance and technique. Here's a simple step-by-step program that's concise, easy to follow and will have you climbing your best practically today.

From knots to selecting your first rock shoes, to training and safety, you'll find it here in our climbing 101 compilation.

Big-toe strength isn’t just handy for occasional slab climbing—we need it, and calf strength, for everything, from knee bars to molding or wrapping our feet around holds.

Here are our six keys to master-class slab climbing.

Should climbers grunt? Is it even helpful, or is it just plain rude to others at the crag and gym? Here's what studies show.

A triple package of climbing blunders, near misses and outright stupidity.

Feel like you're losing strength? It could be that you're low on this critical macronutrient.

Use these methods for better rappelling—and rap backups.

Climbers find it hard not to compare ourselves with others, whether in a gym, at the crag, or on Instagram. Learn how to can it. You'll climb better for it.

There are small, basic steps you can take toward epic avoidance, especially on long alpine routes. Here are seven tips.

Check out Paul Tusting's author page.

How To Prepare For Climbing Emergency Rescue Precautions Safety Tips

Whether you need to chill out or psych up, you can do it by learning the Zone of Optimal Functioning.

A lifelong climber lays out her advice for avoiding accidents.

Everyone has a grade ceiling. Here’s how to estimate—and reach—yours.

Your habits, or lack of, can influence your climbing grade potential. An honest evaluation can point to areas of improvement.

Bottom line, climbing is an athletic activity and you need to treat yourself like an athlete.

Might as well be soloing with this belayer completely out to lunch.

Nothing beats the feeling of piecing together a redpoint ascent. Here's a basic strategy for effectively working—and sending—your dream rig!

An effective program demands time off the wall. If you can make this time short but effective, you gain hours to get outdoors or rest.

I took Six Weeks To Stronger Fingers And ... It Worked. Check it out.

Keep one-hanging your project? Or feeling stuck? Here are eight easy tips for finally clipping the chains.

Ian Welsted, a Piolets d’Or recipient and alpinist based in the Canadian Rockies, shares the lessons he’s learned from a life in the mountains.

Nothing is more frustrating than falling because your foot slipped. Here's how to avoid it.

When swinging leads on a multi-pitch route, the belay transitions are often the biggest time suck. But they don't have to be.

During my seven-year return to the sport, I’ve used four basic concepts—constant flow, economy of movement, finding my center, and using my entire body—to refine and redefine the way I move.

Learn about the Recency Effect to remember beta, improve efficiency, and expand your abilities.

“Road-Trip-Itus” is a well-known condition caused by spending too much time in close proximity to the same person. Here's how to prevent it.

With public land managers clued in to the existence of us Pad People, it’s time to start bouldering smart and reducing impact.

This high-fat low-carbohydrate diet will deplete your energy and can lead to health issues.

A tossed rock and a lost belay would have killed this leader if not for a miraculous landing among the boulders.

Knowing the tricks and training techniques for toe hooking can be a game changer.

A few tips and tricks for your first day at the crag, from someone who learned all these lessons the hard way.

Everything's here, from fingerboarding to power, endurance and strength training. Includes expert advice on getting stronger fingers, shoulders, abs, you name it and if you want to train it up, this soup-to-nuts compendium has it.

Falling off of hold? You might not be gripping them at their full potential.

Few feelings trump that glorious moment when, with an outstretched hand clutching a bite of rope, you clip the chains of a climb you have put serious effort and thought into...

A doctor answers questions on climbers' elbow injuries, and gives advice on how to understand, address, and prevent them.

Or ... should your fingers be soft for the best stickage?

The why, when, and how to shaking off the pump.

A true story that could have ended any number of ways.

Pull-ups are a great way to stay fit at home, on the road, or in the gym. When the movement gets repetitive, try these variations.

Three things I wish I'd known when I started the sport. Had I known them, I would have enjoyed climbing earlier, and I would have climbed harder faster.

You know that building climbing strength requires specific training, but what you eat also helps determine whether you get stronger .... or weaker.

At 5'1," the author, a leading American climber, took time to study and work hard on the best ways to jump.

Trying to turn that Grade VI into a mere 12-hour climb? Or just looking to make a 6-pitcher a feasible after-work feat? Proper strategy and preparation are crucial.

Some of the "healthier" alternatives actually aren't any better for fueling your climbing than a grab bag of foods you have been avoiding.

Heel hooking is a critical skill that you must master to realize your ultimate potential on the rock. Pro climbing coach Neil Gresham's nine tips will get you there.

If you've got young ones, that doesn't mean your climbing days are behind you.

How do top climbers stay so relaxed, precise, and controlled in their movements, right up to the point where they fall? Here's where to start.

This sketchy dude took the leader off belay and left to chat up a couple of girls.

Get the safest method and helpful tips for giving the best toprope belay, whether you're using an ATC or a grigri.

Whether you’re seeking out pods and pin scars in Yosemite, tackling the blissful parallels of Indian Creek, or just trying not to blow your chances in your next bouldering comp, we’ve compiled tricks of the trade that will open up a whole new world of crack climbing.

Climbing your best and most efficiently isn't just about using your hands and feet.

Whether you are stuck at 5.9+ or .13d, these proven techniques will help you achieve that next level.

Directly linked to mental composure (hence technique) under duress, physical fitness, and your ability to recover, your heart rate is the engine driving your rock climbing. No surprise, then, that training with a heart-rate monitor (HRM) can be hugely beneficial.

Being up high in bad weather is both dangerous and... well... kind of inevitable. Here's what to do when it happens to you.

How do you train specifically for your route? There are tactics to employ both on and off route.

Check out Dr. Jared Vagy's author page.

Your body begins to decline sooner than you like, and by age 50 your dietary requirements are quite different than they were when you were younger. But you can beat back aging to some extent by following this advice.

The versatile clove hitch has a myriad uses. Here's yet another one.

The best climbers aren't always the strongest, they have the best technique. In this first installment of our new Quick Hits series, pro coach Neil Gresham teaches maximizing footholds.

Flash pump is real and terrible and can ruin your climbing day. And while the best way to get around flash pump is to avoid it (i.e. warm up), there are tricks to salvaging your post-flash-pump climbing day.

Internationally certified mountain guide Marc Chauvin gives a simple solution for addressing tangles and chaos during leader switches on multi-pitch climbs.