Body Positioning

Climbing isn't all about upper body strength. Along with proper footwork and hand techniques, balance and counterbalance are vital. In order to climb well you must focus on maintaining your equalibrium when your hands, feet, and torso are in very unusual positions. Since women are often shorter than men, I'll explain the "knee drop" technique, which enables a shorter person to twist the body and shoulder in order to grab a hold that is several inches out of reach. In the picture to the left, notice that I am putting all my weight on my right knee, which is bent at a sharp angle and is in front of me, pointing towards the wall. I am going to reach for a hold that is about 5 feet above my head (unfortunately the target hold in not visible in the picture!).

In order to reach the hold, I first need to twist my weightbearig leg to one side. In this case, I am going to reach with my right hand, so I am twisting my RIGHT leg towards the left. I am turning so that my right side is adjacent to the wall. Notice I don't try to pull up YET.

After I twisted my right knee to the left, in a single motion I drop my knee to the ground while pushing off of my right foot. As I am doing this, I reach for the green hold with my right hand. I also keep my body twisted so that my right side stays adjacent to the wall, and I roll my shoulder as I reach. This technique will enable you to reach up to holds that are pretty far away, and come in handy on a steep surface.