Sport Climbing Skills

There's a time and place for static moves. But what do of the world's strongest climbers have in common? They are very good at moving dynamically.

How do you climb in the cold and how do you stay warm belaying? Heather Weidner shares four strategies.

Uneven stances, hanging belays, anchors, roots and rocks your rope can snag on...belaying outside is full of hazards that aren't replicated in the gym. Here are some strategies to keep both the climber and belayer safe and secure.

If you can't use the hold, you can't do the move. If you can't do the move, you won't do the route. Nina Williams makes the case for why sport climbers must train power

While there are numerous ways to haul and lower, we’ve outlined simple and efficient methods that are versatile for a number of situations and easy to learn by beginners and longtime climbers alike.

From the print archive: "Having one leg created new balance points, and understanding them was crucial for progressing to the point where I am able to climb routes now that I wasn’t able to climb pre-accident."

It seems simple in theory—throw your heel around a hold or feature to use those powerful leg muscles to pull you into the wall—but it’s much more nuanced in practice. Here's how to perfect it.

Casual cragging is anything but—the law of gravity still applies. Use this four-part checklist to beat complacency and prevent accidents.

Dropped, forgotten, or mysteriously vanished gear can ruin a climbing day. Worst case, it can be life-threatening. But with a little know-how, you can recover from bone-headed mistakes and keep climbing—and also impress friends with your savvy.

Master the standard knot for tying in to the rope

Ask before you flail, communicate, and know when to call it quits: here's how to hangdog without wearing down your belayer.

The tougher you are mentally, the easier tough things will feel and the quicker you can recalibrate in the face of adversity.

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

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

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

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.

Send more routes first go with savvy planning and execution.

Use a long cordelette or sling to create a fast, safe, and self-equalizing quad anchor

Almost every climber has ambitions, but often we simply don’t know how to move forward or at what pace—and so, perhaps, we plateau. Fortunately, there are five simple ways to track your goals and encourage steady progress.

How Heather Weidner learned to embrace routes that challenged her weaknesses to become a stronger, more well-rounded climber.

An easily customizable training path to redpointing your hardest routes or boulders

Gyms have a lot of rules and some of them might irritate you, but speed lowering is never a good idea

Is it true that the most effective way to improve your climbing is to simply climb? Yes. At least up to a certain point.

Check out Rob Pizem's author page.

Check out The Editors's author page.

Check out The Editors's author page.

Check out Heather Weidner's author page.

Make the most of the strength you've gained climbing inside with these tips for transitioning to real rock.

Check out Heather Weidner's author page.

Check out Arno Ilgner's author page.

Develop a ritual to ground you in the moment

Get comfortable going airborne so you can let go and climb

Embrace the process to build a productive relationship with redpointing.

Pro climber Heather Weidner shares 5 ways to be safe and considerate at the crag

Improve multi-pitch communication by adjusting belay position

SCARY (AND TRUE) TALES FROM A CRAG NEAR YOU

Check out The Editors's author page.

Check out The Editors's author page.

Learn two common techniques for clipping on lead

Follow these guidelines to maximize rappel safety

Improve redpointing efficiency with these simple clipping tricks

Check out Julie Ellison's author page.

Check out Julie Ellison's author page.

Check out Julie Ellison's author page.