- Target Audience
- Climbing Technique Instructors
- Prerequisites
- The instructor should be an experienced climber.
As an instructor you should have progressed through the levels and experienced all the issues that the participants are about to esperience and what they will be facing further on.
You should have a keen interest of Climbing Technique, good footwork and good habits regarding your movements in general.
You should be structured and deliberate in your approach to Climbing Technique and progess in general on a personal level, regarding your own climbing.
- Personal Abilities
- You should be pacient and have the ability to observe and analyse, identify the challenges the participants are having when climbing and when absorbing the lessons.
The content to teach at this level and suggestions on how to do it are outlined below.
Introduction - 5 min
Get the participants talking as soon as possible, start with an introduction round where each participant introduces themselves.
Ask for these points to help you adapt to them as soon as possible:
- Name
- Climbing experience and discipline
- Performance level
- Expectations for the cource
You should introduce yourself last and explain your expectation to deliver on their expectations and exceed them.
Strength and endurance - 5 min
Explain the difference between these concepts and Climbing Technique by pointing out how training and persistence is required to progress on these aspects
and that strength and endurance are also key elements in progress and performance.
Tip: Ask the participants if they ever have had the thougth of "if I was just a litle bit stronger, I would be able to do this".
Tip: Ask the participants how much stronger they will be when leaving the gym after the course.
The definition of Climbing Technique - 20 min
Give the participants a definition of what Climbing Technique is so that they can start to contemplate how to gain understanding and abilities on these aspects.
Suggested definition and perspective:
Climbing Technique consists of knowledge and that knowledge is devided into two parts:
- Factual knowledge
- A methodology to use the factual knowledge in a way that creates progress
Factual knowledge
This is a collection, a toolbox of small pieces of knowledge.
Example: if you do not know what mantling is, it is unlikely that you will solve a problem by mantling.
The mere knowledge of mantling expands your options to choose from when facing a challenge.
Typical elements of factual knowledge:
- Climbing moves: get to know all the moves, all possible combination to grip, foot placements, body positions etc.
- Weather conditions: How does temperature affect your climbing? How about humidity, wind, lighting?
- Types of Rock: How is it to climb on limestone, sandstone, gritstone, granite? and how does this affect your climbing?
- Different holds: How is the hold "large innies" no.3 from So iLL to grip, is there an edge or buldge that is good to grip? Does it fit in your palm when gripped sideways?
- Diffrent styles: Dynamic movement vs static movement. 3-point contact vs more pragmatic progression. Continous flow vs start/stop movement etc
- Different slopes: How is it to climb slab vs overhang etc
All these facts are usefull knowledge that help you progress faster, spend fewer attempts to succeed. Focusing your climbing on absorbing as much as possible of these facts will help you progress faster and build your toolbox.
Methodology
Ask the partisipants for Albert Einsteins definition of Insanity. (Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.)
Deconstruct this by asking how they can apply change to their climb when they are on the ground after a failed attempt.
Do you remember what you did? Do you remember each move, each body position, the exact situation where you failed?
How do you expect to apply change to a situation, to your actions if you do not know what they were in the first place?
Conclude that in order to change the result, you first need to know what you did.
How can you know what you did?
Climbing on instinct alone will most likely put you in the same situation over and over.
If you had a plan that you were executing, then you could make alterations to that plan to improve the result.
To get a successful result you need to make the correct changes to the plan, applying a random change may not be insanity, but it is not very effective.
How could you know what to change? You need to analyse what to do differently.
The goal of the analysis is to understand the error and to conclude on how to prevent the error from repeating, you first need to understand what went wrong.
In order to identify the error you need input, you need observations.
Did you loose your grip? did your foot slip? in what direction did it slip? how did you apply preassure on the foot when it slipped? what was your body possition and weight distribution at the time of failure?
Structuring all this, putting it in the correct order forms a process that ensures progress:
- Observe - Where are the holds, their direction, distance etc.
- Analyse - How should each hold be gripped, where should the body be possitioned in order to grip that way etc.
- Plan - How to move between each possition, transfer weight, balance.
- Execute - Excecute the plan.
For each itteration, refine the observation and analysis in order to improve the plan where it fails or is hard to execute.
Tip - To make Climbing Technique more clear, ask the participants:
- What is the difference between the point of starting the climb and topping it 10 attempts later?
What has changed in that period of time? Did the rock change? Did the holds get bigger? Did you get stronger?
(It is knowledge, and knowledge alone...)
- What if you had that knowledge in advance?
- What if there was a way to gain that knowledge in 5 attempts rather than 10?
Moves - 10 min
Quickly run through a list of the most common moves and termes used in climbing. Explain those that the participants are not familiar with.
Also explain that it is not essential to know them all for the execution of these lessons and that if you should happen to use a term they are not familiar with during the lessons,
they should call you out on it and have you explain what you are talking about.
Methodology - Practical lessons - 90 min
Execute lessons on an easy boulder problem, select a problem whith no complicated moves or body possitions.
Observe:
Have the participants observe the each individual hold, move around to see different angles and observations of each surface.
Analyze:
Instruct the participants to analyse each and every hold by asking:
- How would the hold like to be gripped?
- Which hand should I use to gip that hold?
- Where should my body be positioned in order to grip the hold like that?
- With my body in that possition, where should my feet be placed?
Tip: Go through a problem by asking all these questions of grip, body position and foot placement out loud and have the participants supply the answer.
Plan:
Given an understanding of each hold, how to grip and knowing each body position, it is time to put it together as a plan.
In your mind, link every body position by movement, moving from each position to the next, gripping each hold as intended in the intended position.
Tip: A good way to verify the validity of your plan is to start at the end and checking it backwards, tracing each position, move and grip back to the start.
If the plan does not link up in reverse it is a good chance it will not be executable in the first place.
Execute:
Have each participant execute their plan when they feel that they are ready to test their plan.
Tip: Explain to the participants that even though the process itself is simple, it is actually very hard to follow this procedure.
They will most certainly fail and fail a lot, they should not be arfaid to fail to stick to the procedure, this is what they are here to learn.
Tip: For each climb, ask the climber if they followed their plan. Keep doing this throughout in order to raise their awareness of the process and their habits.
Point out that alterations to your plan in order to improve the result only works if you actually follow your plan while climbing!
Point out that alterations should only be the result of observations and analysis and that this is something to be done on the ground in a calm situation where you can dedicate your focus and attention on this alone.
While climbing you need to focus on each individual move, doing analysis and reevaluating your decisions while climbing will disrupt your performance.
Allow for at least 4 repetitions on each problem, giving the participants a chance to improve their plan several times.
Progress to new problems with more challenges in grips and body possitions while still staying way below their performance level, keep in mind that the only purpose is to train on the methodology.
Identifiers of failiure to stick to the plan while executing:
- Repositioning grip:
If you are unhappy with your grip, that is an observation to be analysed later.
Absorbing and analyzing new knowledge is only useful in context of changing your plan.
Do not distrupt the execution of your plan.
- Repositioning body position:
If you are unhappy with your body possition, that is an observation to be analysed later.
Absorbing and analyzing new knowledge is only useful in context of changing your plan.
Do not distrupt the execution of your plan.
- Pausing:
Executing a plan does not require a pause to conseder anything underway.
- Looking for holds:
A plan will already dictate where to look, what to do, there is no need for alternative visual input.
- Sloppy footwork:
A good execution happens at a pace that allows for each move to be performed well.
The main purpose of execution is to focus on each moe as you do it, not to distract your self wit the next moe until it is time to execute that move.
Challenge the participants to identify ways to obtain knowledge, learn faster, knowledge about the holds, body positions etc.
Ways to "cheat" your way to more knowledge, spend less time and fewer attempts to gain tas much knowledge as possible:
- Observe the other participants climb
- Analyze each others challenges
- Ask other climber about the holds, their challenges
- Discuss the holds, positions and your plan with the other participants
- Film yourself climbing to obtain observations from a different perspective
By piggybacking on the other participants you can gain 6 times more observations, 6 times more experience, 6 times more analysing power etc.
Tip: Observe the participants closely while they execute their plans.
If you see participants struggeling with more basic CLimbing Technique like sloppy footwork, take time to visit those topics to bring everyone up to level.
Tip: Challenge participants to identify differences in choise of grip, possition eetc, differences in climbing styles. Challengs their analysis of these difference, pros and cons of different choises.
Tip: Challenge the participants imagination and perspectives, probe them for alternatives in grip and position.
Challenge the participants imagination by address a problem way above ther performance level, have them observe, analyze and form a plan, then discuss that plan.
Tip: If interrupted by other climbers, remind the participants that there is no such ting as waiting and instruct them to observe and analyse the other climbers,
This will serve as a lesson in addition to pointing out to the other climbers that they are in fact disrupting a course.
Tip: Point out that this process is very academic and may seem tedious, it does however guarantee progress.
Once you make a habit of it you will pay less attention to the process itself, it will happen automatically on instinct and it will only take a few seconds.
At the same time your brain will work in overdrive, analysing every aspect of climbing all the time and you will find yourself linking two moves while taking a shower in the mountain cabin of your gandmother.
Friction - 40 min
Tip: Ask the participants if they would like to learn a trick that would prevent them from slipping off a foothold ever again.
Give them time to appreciate the value of your proposition and reassure them that the trick actually exists.
What is friction?
"the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another."
But what is the mathematical formula for the friction force?
F = μ * N
- F
- The friction force
- μ
- The coefficient of friction
- N
- The normal force
Questions:
- What is the coefficient of friction?
A constant describing how two materials interact when their surfaces touch.
(steel on ice has a low coefficient, rubber on rock has a high coefficient)
- What is the normal force?
This is the component of the forces between the two materials that is perpendicular to the surface area.
- What can you do to influence the friction force?
The coefficient is affected by temperature, low temerature increases the coefficient.
Humidity, and liquid in general (rain) will reduce the coefficient.
Other materials (like dust, dirt, sand... and chalk) will affect the coefficient.
Except for making sure that the surfaces are clean (brushing it), removing excess chalk from your fingers, there is not much you can do to increase the coefficient of friction.
The Normal Force is however totally in your control, you are the one exerting forces on the surfaces through your grip and your feet.
- Where is surface area in this equation?
It is not!
Surface area of the contact surface is simply not a factor, it does not affect how much friction force is generated!
Most climbers, even professionals and instructors will tell you about the importance of putting as much rubber as possible on the rock.
This is not true, they do simply not understand the science of friction.
What are the implications of friction being independent of surface area?
This essential knowledge and should revolutionize how you use footholds and your choise of foot placement.
You should allways identify the surface area of a hold/feature that enables you to generate as much normal force as possible, regardless of how small that area is.
On a huge hold / feature, the perfect contact area could be miniscule, a litle dimple perfectly aligned to your body possition allowing you to direct all your preassure as the normal force on that exact spot.
Given that situation, any preassure that you exert outside the desired dimple will not have a perfect normal force, it may even be so porly aligned that you will slipp when loading it.
Why did you slip?
It does not matter what slipped, hand or foot or in what direction it slipped...
It does not matter if the surface was wet or dry, hot or cold...
It does not matter if the surface was sloped or curved, sharp or coarse...
It does not matter if the surface was slab or overhanging...
The answer is allways: You did not apply sufficient normal force!
Except from choosing the optimal spot on each hold to apply preassure regaqrdless of its size and being mindfull to align your preassure to the normal force,
is ther anything else you can do to increase the normal force?
Remember that all holds and features have surfaces in many directions and that any surface can be used to generate friction by applying a normal force to it.
Pinching is a good example of using opposing surfaces and applying compressing forces on both sides, creating two surfaces with a high friction force.
Ways to add friction forces in grip and body possitions:
- Allways consider applying your thumb in every grip.
You may not be able to direct all the preassure aligned with the normal force, but even a small contribution may be the factor that seperates success from failure.
Also remember that the thumb is by far the strongest finger you have, it will add more force than your other fingers can.
- Allways look for opposing surfaces
If surfaces are facing each other, challenge your imagination to identify an opposition move that kan press against the surfaces (like stemming etc).
Otherwise try finding a way to incorperate a compression move, like pinching, cycling, squizing, toe hook.
Keep in mind that the surface area is irrelevant, you should allways be able to identyfy a small surface area of one hold that alignes with a small surface area of another hold so that they in combination can be used to create (more) normal force.
Summary - 10 min
Summarize by listing key lessons / take-aways:
- Methodology: Observe, Analyze, Plan and Execute
- The improtance of sticking to your plan
- Friction and The Normal Force
Althogh very academic, this approach will ensure progress at any level, with any problem.
With this new knowledge, a whole new world of possibilities and alternative perspectives should be opening up in how you observe and analyse.
The combinations are seemingly infinite when you consider and choose moves and ways to grip, combine grips, and the depths of analysis only limited by your imagination.
How to create a good learning environment?
A key part in creating a good learning process is to break down the personal barriers of embarrassment, awkwardness, performance and pride.
Tips:
- Allways do exersises on problems way below the performance grade of the participants,
there will be a lot of repetitions and no one should fall short because of strength or endurance limitations.
- Repeat the same exersise / problem many times, focusing on observation, discussion and improvement for each repetition.
- Be pragmatic about what is "the right way" and allow for participants to make their own choises.
- Ask the participants how they feel about their moves and choises, rather than poionting out faults.
- Ask the participants to identify eachothers issues, rather than poionting them out. This will promote observation and discussion amongst the participants.
- No course will ever go as planned so don't force the plan, observe and adapt to the participants and their skill sets.
- When the performance level deviates a lot between participants,
focus on core facts and commonalities in the lessons while still offering basic innsight as well as more advanced perspectives.
More experienced participants do not need the same focus while observing less experienced participants do the exercises, use this time to give more personalized attention and input on more advenced perspectives.
- Find or create a secluded place to hold the course in order to be able to have undisturbed conversations and keep the participants focus away from general gym clients.
- If interrupted by other climbers, remind the participants that there is no such ting as waiting and instruct them to observe and analyse the other climbers,
This will serve as a lesson in addition to pointing out to the other climbers that they are in fact disrupting a course.
- Capacity: You should limit participants to 6 per course, more participants will challenge your ability to give suffiscient attention to each participant and will limit the number of repetisions and lessons you are able to execute.
PS! If you are reading this as a participant or as a climber in search of knowledge, you may think that this information is suffiscient and you no longer need to participate on a course.
Keep in mind that a skill is more than knowledge, you need to add experience to turn knowledge into skill.
The instructor is there to jump start your experience and give you the tools to turn all this knowledge into skils through your own experience.
