As you’re eying the next clip only a few feet away, your swollen forearms throb at the thought of one more move. You take a deep breath, dig your toe in a little deeper, drive your body up, and grab the next hold with a feeling of pure elation—only to experience a moment of stillness and the rush of air as the wall rapidly fades into the distance.

Welcome to steep sport climbing. When the wall kicks back past vertical, the pump clock starts ticking and it’s all about getting to the chains before that alarm goes off. Steeps and overhangs require determination, focus, technique, and creative thinking. Below, we’ve dissected the most important steep climbing tips to keep in mind.

The best steep climbing tips

Rest is more important than strength on steep climbs

One of the best steep climbing tips out there is to learn how to rest. Good roof climbers have strength and endurance, but what they’re best at is managing and fighting off pump. They know how to reach a rest and then use it to recover strength and restart the pump clock. Practice resting as much as you practice climbing.

Try a 1-2-3 movement pattern

Think about moving through roofs in a 1-2-3 pattern:

1. Grab the holds with arms straight (don’t over-grip) and upper body centered underneath.
2. Reposition your feet so they’re in the optimal spot to drive you to the next hold.
3. Move with confidence to the next hold. Repeat over and over until you’re clipping the chains.

Utilize clipping stances

The key here is to avoid clipping from a stance that will leave you even more pumped. This might involve climbing into a certain position, clipping, then downclimbing to a good rest so you can regain energy for the upcoming sequence. Alternatively, you might need to include a few extra moves in a sequence to clip from a larger hold. Avoid clipping off a smaller hold that would get you more pumped.

Get Fit for Steep Sport Routes in Four Weeks

Your core is your best asset

As you climb, think about engaging your abs and pushing your hips into the wall (a mental mantra helps: stay tight, stay tight, stay tight) to keep your butt from sagging, which will put more weight on your arms. Keeping your hips close to the wall means more toeing-in power. It also creates more driving force from the large muscle groups in the legs.

Weird is good on the steeps

Drop-knees, heel hooks, toe hooks, heel-toe cams, kneebars, and bicycles are your best friends. These creative moves take weight off your arms. Find and use them as often as possible. See our Climbing Dictionary for explanations of each.

Move your feet, not your arms

Keep your arms as straight and still as possible while your feet fluidly and precisely work to get your body in a position that makes the next move efficient. This means using the power from your legs, not your arms. Also, consider moving your feet around to get into a position that makes the handholds better (e.g., changing a sidepull into an undercling).

Watch steep route specialist Genevive Walker talk through her pro tips

Overcoming Overhangs with Sasha DiGiulian

We asked DiGiulian for some of her personal pointers for efficiently climbing overhanging sections and steep climbs.

Stay dynamic

I find my small stature can be better on steep climbs because my torso and limbs aren’t as long, which can require more strength to keep under control. Regardless, being dynamic is important, so train for power and big moves.

Embrace the whip

Taking whippers in caves is fun! You’re falling into air, with no threat of hitting ledges below or cheese-grating down a slab. Embrace it.

Push through with breathwork

When I’m pumped and need to force myself to keep going, I focus on breathing. A slow and even breath will lower your heart rate and distract you. I convince myself that I’m not tired and that the next good hold or next clip is the anchor. Push for that one extra move, and you’ll improve quickly because you’ll be constantly maximizing your engine.

When you’re hanging upside down …

Reading routes and staying calm can be difficult. Look at the climb beforehand and make a plan for each section. Find the good rests and climb from rest to rest. Get to a rest and look up at the next section. While resting, keep arms straight, shoulders relaxed, and heels down to toe in. Just breathe.

More steep climbing tips

Apply a lot of pressure to every foothold, especially bad ones. Use the tip of your shoe, with the hold under your powerful big toe. Heel hooks, toe hooks, and bicycling are crucial. For your hands, center your upper body directly beneath the hold. Upper body and legs should be in line with your hips; shift left and right by driving with your hips. Squeeze your abs and engage your core to stay tight.