When I first started speed climbing, I was intimidated by how high the wall seemed. It wasn’t like rock climbing, where there’s a lot of room for error; if you miss a hold or misjudge your jump, you’re going to fall right off.
After months of practice and research into best practices for speed climbing, though (and with the help of my coach), I’ve learned that there are some common mistakes people make when it comes to this type of training.
Here are some of them:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Climbing accidents can be prevented through proper preparation and vigilance. |
| Common mistakes in climbing can lead to serious accidents or injuries, so it’s important to learn how to avoid them. |
| Beginners in climbing often make mistakes that can be avoided with proper training and education. |
| Climbing requires both physical and mental preparation, including proper technique, gear, and communication. |
| If an accident or injury occurs while climbing, it’s important to stop climbing immediately and seek medical attention. |
Putting Too Much Weight On Your Toes
One of the most common mistakes made in speed climbing is putting too much weight on your toes. This can cause you to lose balance and fall.
To avoid this, keep your heels off the wall as you are pulling up with one arm and pushing off with the other. This will help keep your feet against the wall for better traction and balance throughout your climb.
When using both arms to pull yourself up, use your heels for leverage instead of putting them on the wall (you might even consider holding one leg straight behind you). With this method, keep all four points of contact two hands and two feet against the wall at all times!
Mastering the art of speed climbing requires more than just physical strength. That’s why we recommend checking out this expert guide on improving your speed climbing game to learn valuable tips and techniques for climbing faster and more efficiently.
Not Using The Entire Wall
Speed climbing is all about using the wall to your advantage. You can use it to pull yourself up, push yourself up, or balance.
The trick is to know how far you can go with each movement. For example, when pulling yourself up on a hold that’s only a few inches above you, try not to rely on friction for support as much as possible instead look for other holds and use them as leverage points.
When climbing hangers move away from each other (i.e., they aren’t parallel) or one goes straight down while the other goes straight up, consider how you can use these features effectively by adjusting your body position accordingly so that both hands are equal distance apart from each other along their respective directions of motion (i.e., they’re both at 90 degrees).
This will help reduce wear and tear on certain muscles during moves where they’d otherwise be working overtime due to asymmetrical positioning!
Table: Common Mistakes When Climbing Walls
| Mistakes | Causes | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Not using the entire wall | Lack of awareness or limited climbing experience | Take the time to assess your climb and explore all available handholds and footholds. Using a more comprehensive climbing wall solution, such as the “Oculus Wall” by Entre-Prises, can help climbers identify more areas to climb on. |
| Over-gripping or under-gripping holds | Poor technique or limited finger and grip strength | Practice proper technique and hand positioning, including avoiding high-gripping with open thumbs that can cause strains. Climbing grip trainers, such as the “Metolius Simulator 3D” Training Board, can help improve grip strength. |
| Pushing off from the wall | Lack of technique or fear | Focus on using your feet and leg muscles to maintain contact with the wall and move upward. Participating in a climbing skills clinic, such as the “Climbing Skills Weekend” offered by the American Alpine Institute, can help fine-tune your technique. |
| Improperly spotting | Lack of training or communication | Develop proper spotting techniques and always clearly communicate with your spotter or climbing partner. Using a belay device like the “Petzl Grigri” can provide added protection while climbing. |
| Ignoring safety checks | Complacency or haste | Make a habit of conducting thorough safety checks before starting your climb, including checking your equipment and harness, and properly tying in. Using a safety device, such as the “Black Diamond ATC-XP” belay device, can provide peace of mind while climbing. |
Locking Off Too Low
Locking off too low can cause you to lose momentum, balance, and even the ability to reach the next hold.
First of all, locking off too low will cause you to lose momentum. This means that it will be difficult for you to grab the next hold because your momentum has been lost.
Secondly, locking off while moving upward can cause you to lose balance which could lead to falling off or missing a handhold or foot placement.
Finally, if you lock off too low when climbing upwards it can make it impossible for you reach certain handholds and foot placements; therefore making climbing more difficult than necessary.
Proper technique is key to climbing quickly and safely. That’s why experts recommend checking out these tips for mastering the speed climbing route to learn the tricks of the trade and take your climbing skills to the next level.
Using The Wrong Muscles To Climb
When you’re climbing, it’s easy to get into a rhythm where your arms and shoulders are doing most of the work.
This is especially true if you’re climbing in a gym or at an indoor climbing wall with sticky holds that make it possible to climb without your feet touching the ground.
If this sounds like you, consider adding some exercises into your routine that force you to use other muscles. You can do this by trying out these:
- Australian pullups (aka “ladder drills”)
- Weighted core exercises such as planks and side planks
- Bodyweight squats or lunges
Slipping Off Holds At The Anchor
If you are new to the sport of speed climbing, there are many things that can go wrong. One of the most common mistakes is slipping off holds at your anchor.
This happens when a climber does not warm up properly or stretch their fingers and hands sufficiently before attempting to climb.
It’s easy for this mistake to happen if you have never done it before or are inexperienced with climbing in general.
If this is the case, it’s a good idea to start out slow and work your way up from easier routes until you’re ready for harder ones.
This will ensure that all of your muscles are warmed up properly so they don’t tense up while climbing which could lead to slippage on holds at any point during a climb – whether it’s near its beginning or end!
Want to beat the competition and climb faster than ever? Check out these speed climbing strategies to gain an edge and make the most of every climb.
Looking Down Instead Of Up
When you climb, it is essential to look up. Looking down makes your neck muscles strain, which is a serious risk factor for neck pain.
It also gives you vertigo and a headache, but if that were not enough reason to avoid staring at the ground, looking down will also make you fall off the wall!
It can be hard to look upward without getting dizzy or having your neck ache though; however, there are ways to lessen these effects:
- Make sure that your chin is level with the rest of your face (you don’t have to hold it high) so that gravity isn’t pulling on it while you’re climbing.
- Don’t raise or lower your head quickly or jerkily—this causes headaches too! The best way again is just move slowly and smoothly up or down while keeping steady eye contact with where you’re going next on the wall/ledge/barrier.
Table: Mistakes to Avoid When Climbing: Looking Down Instead of Up
| Mistake | Causes | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Looking down when climbing | Fear of heights or lack of focus | Train your focus by keeping your eyes focused on holds and footholds ahead of you, rather than looking down. Consider using virtual reality training tools, such as “The Climb” by Crytek, to help build confidence in a safe and controlled environment. |
| Footwork errors | Poor technique or lack of experience | Focus on proper foot placement and stepping, keeping your hips close to the wall. Training shoes, such as the “Five Ten Anasazi Pro” Climbing Shoes, can provide added grip and support. Consider taking a beginner’s climbing class, such as the “Intro to Climbing” course offered by REI, to improve your technique. |
| Fear of falling | Lack of confidence or trauma | Build your confidence by taking small and calculated risks while climbing. Using a bouldering pad, such as the Metolius Session, for low-to-the-ground climbing can be a great way to build confidence in a safe way. Consider working with a professional climbing coach, such as the team at Momentum Indoor Climbing, to help overcome your fears. |
| Lack of upper body strength | Physical limitations | Focus on building climbing-specific upper-body strength through exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, and hangboarding with a tool like the “Tension Climbing Flash Board” to improve strength. Consider working with a personal trainer or climbing coach to develop a customized strength training program. |
| Inadequate gear | Improper equipment or sizing | Ensure you have the right gear for your body and climbing style, including properly fitting shoes and harnesses, and the right equipment such as such as the “Black Diamond ATC” belay device to keep you safe. Consult with a professional gear seller such as Mountain Gear to ensure you have the right equipment for your needs. |
Over-Gripping The Holds
The most common mistake made by speed climbers is over-gripping the holds. This causes unnecessary tension that slows down your climb, as well as fatigue and strain in the hands and fingers.
To avoid this mistake:
Don’t grip too hard — it’s okay to let go of holds if you need to re-grip them later on in the route!
Don’t try to hold onto any one hold for too long — this can lead to fatigue and exhaustion during a climb, especially if you are trying not to waste any time between moves (see tip below).
Try switching off between different hand positions throughout each route so that you don’t have any trouble transitioning between grips or resting at one place for too long. Go slowly with confidence—you will get there eventually!
Ready to take your speed climbing to the next level? Then don’t miss this guide to breaking the speed climbing record with expert training tips that will help you build endurance, strength, and agility on the wall.
Letting Your Arms Go Straight
The next mistake is letting your arms go straight. When climbing, you should have a 90 degree angle between your elbow and forearm.
This will allow for the strongest pull, allowing you to get to the top of the wall faster and with less effort.
Another thing to remember when climbing is that it takes more strength in your legs than it does in your arms to climb a wall!
Your legs are what create power for you when it comes time for pulling yourself up the last few feet of a route or boulder problem, so don’t forget about using them!
You also need to remember not to lock out your elbows once they reach their full extension at the top of each move; this puts unnecessary stress on them which can slow down speed climbing greatly because every move counts toward completing an ascent quickly and without injury!
Climbing Like You’re Bouldering Instead Of Speed Climbing
Speed climbing is a whole different beast than bouldering. The goal of speed climbing is to be light and quick, while the goal of bouldering is to be powerful and heavy. Speed climbing like you’re bouldering will only make things harder on yourself.
If you’re not used to speed climbing yet, here are some tips on how your body should move:
Use your legs. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking they should pull themselves up entirely with their arms and shoulders, but speed climbing requires a lot more leg strength than most people realize especially when it comes to pulling yourself up over larger distances or moving quickly through an area that has lots of holds (like when making big leaps between holds). Use those quads!
Use your hips too! This goes hand-in-hand with using your legs effectively—it’s important to engage all of your core muscles when doing anything physical (and especially so if it involves holding onto something), so don’t forget about engaging those hip flexors as well!
Don’t let go until you’ve made contact with another hold/climbing surface beneath you! If there isn’t anything beneath you for at least 2 meters (6 feet) below where you’re currently standing, try not letting go until then; otherwise, gravity will claim its victory over momentum and send both climber and rope plummeting downward
Whether you’re a seasoned climber or just starting out, you can benefit from our ultimate speed climbing guide for beginners! From learning proper technique to choosing the right gear, this guide covers all you need to know to become a fast and efficient climber.
Jumping For The Holds Or Not Reaching High Enough
There are two common mistakes that people make on speed climbs. The first is jumping for the holds or not reaching high enough to get a good hold.
If you jump, it will take longer to get back up to the next hold, which means you’ll spend more time without being able to grip anything and will be slower overall.
The second mistake people make is letting their arms hang down when they reach for a hold instead of reaching high enough so that their fingers can still contact the holds even if their arms are fully extended.
This can result in missing out on some super cool moves where your body is stretched out as far as possible – instead opting for less flashy but more efficient movements!
Another way people mess up speed climbing is by trying too hard with their feet: either by reaching too far with them (which slows your ascent) or by not gaining enough momentum from stepping off the wall with them at all (which also slows your ascension).
Holding Your Breath As You Climb
As you climb, you should be breathing normally. If you hold your breath, it will affect your climbing and make the process more difficult.
When jumping, don’t hold your breath. It may seem like a good idea to hold your breath while jumping because it gives you more power and strength, but that’s not true. If anything, holding your breath will only make things worse when trying to jump high distances with speed climbing as it can cause dizziness or fainting due to low blood pressure.
When climbing/climbing hard routes: Don’t hold your breathe! Just because it is a hard route doesn’t mean that we have to try harder than normal; instead we must relax our body and mind so they won’t get tired easily during this process of climbing fast up walls or boulders (or whatever type of surface).
Finger Pain From Gripping Hard Holds For Long Periods
Use a chalk bag. This is the easiest way to keep your hands from getting too sweaty.
Use the right chalk. If you want to avoid adding sandpaper to your fingers, choose a chalk that’s made specifically for climbing and not just a cheap version of block or loose-formula chalk (like Trimview). This will help reduce the amount of friction between your hand and holds.
Use it sparingly! If you’re bouldering in an area with frequent traffic, it’s tempting to keep applying more and more as you work through problems—but this can lead to too much slipperiness on holds, making them harder to grip over time (and harder on your hands).
Instead, try resting between climbs so that oils have time to build up again before giving yourself another go at scaling that boulder face!
Conclusion
Speed climbing is a great way to get better at climbing and it’s also a fun way to challenge yourself.
It might seem challenging at first but with practice and patience you’ll soon be able to climb faster than ever before!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources you may find helpful:
8 Common Climbing Accidents and How to Avoid Them: Learn about some of the most common accidents that can happen while climbing, and get tips on how to prevent them from occurring.
50 Common Climbing Mistakes: Check out this list of frequently made climbing mistakes and learn how to avoid them to stay safe and enjoy a successful climb.
7 Common Mistakes in Rock Climbing for Beginners: If you’re just starting out with climbing, be sure to read this article on the most common mistakes beginners make, so you can avoid them and climb like a pro.
FAQs
Q: How important is proper technique in climbing? \
A: Proper technique is crucial for safe and efficient climbing. It can help prevent injuries, conserve energy, and make your climbs more successful.
Q: What are some key pieces of gear for climbing? \
A: Some essential gear for climbing includes ropes, harnesses, carabiners, quickdraws, climbing shoes, and chalk.
Q: What are some common mistakes beginners make when learning to climb? \
A: Beginners often make mistakes like over-gripping, using improper footwork, neglecting safety checks, and not communicating effectively with their climbing partner.
Q: How do I know if a climb is too difficult for my skill level? \
A: It’s important to be honest with yourself about your abilities and limitations. If a climb feels too difficult or risky, it’s better to choose a different route or get additional training before attempting it.
Q: What should I do if I get injured while climbing? \
A: If you sustain an injury while climbing, it’s important to stop climbing immediately and seek medical attention if necessary. If you’re climbing with a partner, communicate your situation to them and work together to safely descend from the climb.
Welcome to my blog! I’m Hellen James, and I’m incredibly passionate about rock climbing, bouldering, ice climbing, and mountaineering. Join me as I embark on thrilling adventures, conquer vertical challenges, and share my experiences and insights with fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
