Get Your Climb On

A variety of climbing situations will help you to train for a particular climb. Of course, the more experience you can get on slabs or walls similar to the one you have in mind, the better. You can also train yourself for a free-climbing adventure through bouldering, top-roping, spending time at the climbing gym, and practicing on a hang board.

Bouldering: Bouldering is the sport of rock climbing on boulders that are small enough that you don't need a rope or belay. It is the best way to train for roped climbing, and easy to do since you don't need much equipment and can do it anywhere there are large rocks. Boulders are great places to practice dynamic moves, which require both precision and explosive strength. Because of the unique opportunities to put together complicated and powerful sequences of moves, some climbers actually prefer bouldering to roped climbing. As you're training for a roped climb, bouldering will give you a huge jump up on all rock climbing skills, strengthening your fingers as well as your footwork.

 

Obviously, if you climb high enough that you could seriously hurt yourself if you fell off, you are no longer truly bouldering, but rock climbing without a rope. Don't do that. If you and a friend spot for each other as you're attempting difficult or awkward bouldering moves, you may also be able to prevent the scrapes, bruises, and broken ankles that more typically attend normal bouldering. If you’re serious about bouldering, you might consider buying a crash pad at a local outdoor store. This is a small moveable mat that can break your fall when you come off of an overhanging bouldering problem.

 

Most climbing gyms have a bouldering area with synthetic boulders on which climbers can practice their moves and engage in a little friendly competition. The big advantage of the gymnastics mats that usually cover the floor in this bouldering situation can help to compensate for the fluorescent lighting, etc. of the indoor environment.

 

Top-roping: While top-roping can be an end in and of itself, it is also a good way to train for longer climbs. The advantage of top-roping is that since you are anchored from above, you can't really fall (not past the amount of stretch there is in the rope, anyway). This makes practice safer and possibly less painful. It is important to know and understand the difference between top-roping and lead climbing, however; top-roping does not prepare you adequately for lead climbing. If the climb you want to train for is not a top-roped sport climb, either you or your climbing partner needs to be an experienced lead climber.

 

Climbing gyms: Like top-roping outdoors, putting in some time at the local climbing gym will greatly improve your strength and agility for the climb you want to train for. Some gyms even offer the opportunity to lead climb. The climbing gym is also a great place to gain further instruction if you need it. A day pass to a typical climbing gym might cost $12-15, or perhaps $5 more if you need to rent some equipment. The belay test may also be a separate charge. The more visits you buy at once, the last you pay per visit; a three-month membership could cost around $150, a six-month membership $280, and a twelve-month membership $500. Some gyms offer discounts for students and/or military, and some run specials with one-day-only serious discounts on year passes for. Most climbing gyms have websites, so check the gym near you for more information.

 

Since it takes about 48 hours for your muscles to recover from total exhaustion, you will build up strength the most quickly if you only climb to the point of total exhaustion every third day or so. Keep this in mind as you're planning your trips to the climbing gym or other training.

Hang boards: The hang board is the rocked-out grandson of the pull-up bar. It is a long board, usually about 2 1/2 feet long and a foot tall, that might hang above a door frame or on a wall. Most hang boards contain several different types of holds, on which you can hang or do pull-ups to improve the strength in your fingers, hands, and forearms. John Long does warn that many climbers injure themselves on hang boards, by straining tendons in their arms or shoulders. To make sure the hang board will speed you up rather than end up slowing you down, increase stress slowly.