This is the second in a three part mini series on the fundementals of technique, that covers the three B’s of climbing – Boot, Balance and Body Position. In the first of the series we looked at aspects of the Boot and footwork, if you like the foundations of goof technique. In this post we look at Balance and how to develop it. In the final piece we will look at utilising body position. By the end you will hopefully have a basic framework to improve you technique by unlearning bad technique and reinforcing the good!
So what is balance to a climber. In this context I am talking about a stable position, if for example you are sat down at the moment, stand up but don’t use your hands to push yourself up. The chances are you will rock your body forwards and find a position where you are stood on two feet. Now move your weight to one foot, again the chance are you shift your weight by a few inches so that it is above that one foot.
A good yardstick to judge where you have shifted your weight to is your belly button. Imprtantly though your balance is run through your inner ear, feedback from your big toe, and visual clues from the surrounding area. Whilst it impossible to turn off the inner ears sense and feedback from the big toe, however we can turn of the visual feedback.
So this time stand up on two feet, and now close your eyes. Be careful, and try and stand up on one foot. You can help yourself by taking your shoes off and trying to use that big toe for feedback. This is an exercise that you can do at virtually anytime, to help develop your balance.
One of the big errors climbers can make indoor and out, both on lead and seconding, is not completing a move and stopping when their weight has come off the lower foot, but not fully traversed to the upper foot. The result is that you are left having to pull a lot harder than if you completed the move. This cvan be especially prevalent when placing gear on a route, as the climber see’s a gear placement but not the more restful position of moving half a move further on and getting there weight above there foot.
Exercise 1 – Rest – move – Rest – move
As a build up to this you first need to get an idea about restful positions or even positions that offer a slight respite on steeper terrain. This is best done round the bottom of a crag or on a bouldering wall. The trick is to realise that there are times when we are moving up, and times when we are stood still, and when we are stood still we need to try and make a nice stable and balance position.
So everytime you second try making a move and then developing a rest. You might need to make a few moves to reach the next rest, however you also need to start identifying this rest from the ground. Typically they are good edges, ledges, grooves and slabs.
Exercise Two – Blind seconding
Another way to develop your balance in a more contextual way is to try seconding with your eyes closed. Here you will have to rely on the belayer to direct you, but you also need to be able to ‘feel’ for rest rather than see them. I recommend closing your eyes rather than using a blindfold, as you can easily open your eyes if you are about to fall. Importantly the belayer needs to keep the rope snug.
Exercise Three – One and No Handed Climbing
This exercise requires you to climb one or no handed. You’ll be surprised how hard you can climb with one hand. I once spent half a day with a young Leo Houlding trying to climb Peotry Pink a classic E5 slab on Slate with one hand. Leo eventually lead the route with only his right hand! I actually found 95% of the route easier to climb one handed as I had to be more in balance and trust my feet more. This exercise can be done when seconding or bouldering, as is a great way to develop good technique, as success very much depends on it.
Key Point
- Use seconding up routes to work on technique, rather than following without a purpose.
- Try balance exercises
- Eliminating eye sight enhances ‘senses of balance’
- Concentrate on finding rests
- One and No Handed Climbing makes you be more balances and develops trust in feet.
More Information and exercises for improving your technique can be found in the amazing new book “How to Climb Harder”, a climbers self coaching manual that re-defined the How to genre by making it as interactive for the reader as possible. The book is available from Pesda Press, alternatively ask for it in your local climbing store as it is available through Cordee the major distributor of outdoor books in the UK.