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blackmountainside
Feb 28, 2006, 8:20 PM
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I took a climbing lesson yesterday, and the teacher showed me how to move up the wall. He said that the foot you stand up with is the hand you reach with. For example, if you are holding onto the wall (4 points of contact), you would first raise (for example) your left foot up to the next foot hold so that the knee is bent. Then you would stand up, using the left leg, and reach for the next hand hold with the left hand. Thus, left foot, left hand.
When I tried this, it felt akward. It feels more natural to reach with the oppsoing hand, in this case, the right hand.
Which is correct or is it even important?
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styndall
Feb 28, 2006, 8:27 PM
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Generally speaking, the shape of the route will determine the sequence of moves. Trying to work out a generalized best sequence won't do you any good.
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bahandi
Feb 28, 2006, 8:27 PM
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your teacher may have said that to help you focus on using your legs to get you up the wall and not your arms pulling you up.
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ecjohnson
Feb 28, 2006, 8:29 PM
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It doesn't matter at all. Every different route will have a different sequence. That is not to say that you won't run into the same situation ever. Whatever is easier, is usually better. Look ahead a bit to so that you can potentially set up for a tricky sequence. Just get comfortable with moving on the rock/wall, and you will find what works best for you.
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katalyzt
Feb 28, 2006, 8:30 PM
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I'm a newb myself so I could be wrong but I'll take a stab at it.
Whichever one gets you up the wall is the one to use. Often when you're climbing a route/problem you will be able to see/feel what limb should be moving and holding on to which hold. As you start doing harder routes/problems you will start developing techniques to get up the wall and it will be more natural. But for now I don't think it's to important. Try it one way and then try every other way you can think of. There are no set rules to climbing, that's one of the best features of the sport :)
Either way, get your ass up that wall, fall, and climb on!
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musicman1586
Feb 28, 2006, 9:45 PM
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In reply to: your teacher may have said that to help you focus on using your legs to get you up the wall and not your arms pulling you up.
I agree this was probably the intent of the lesson. Alot of beginning climbers try to literally do pull-ups the whole way up, but when your first starting out you can get up alot of routes without even stressing your arms if you just move you legs. That was probably the point, because there's no way you can climb everything out there left-left, right-right.
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jt512
Feb 28, 2006, 10:01 PM
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In reply to: I took a climbing lesson yesterday, and the teacher showed me how to move up the wall. He said that the foot you stand up with is the hand you reach with. For example, if you are holding onto the wall (4 points of contact), you would first raise (for example) your left foot up to the next foot hold so that the knee is bent. Then you would stand up, using the left leg, and reach for the next hand hold with the left hand. Thus, left foot, left hand. When I tried this, it felt akward. It feels more natural to reach with the oppsoing hand, in this case, the right hand. Which is correct or is it even important?
Yes, it is important. There is no one best way that will work in every situation, but usually, when you want to move your (say) right hand, you want your right foot on the wall. It is usually most efficient to have the side of your body that the hand you're going to reach with turned into the wall. To accomplish this, you backstep with the foot you are stepping up with ("backstep" means to place the outside edge of your foot on the hold). Often the other foot flags to maintain balance over the foot you are stepping up with. It is almost impossible to adequately describe this sequence without pictures. Get the new book The Self-Coached Climber by Hague and Hunter. This move (and many others) are explained and illustrated in great detail in pictures and on the accompanying DVD.
Jay
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j_ung
Feb 28, 2006, 10:09 PM
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In context -- a first technique lesson -- your instructor is correct. However, so is everybody else who posted here. Here's what I mean...
We learn climbing techniques through skill aqcuisition, skill reinforcement and skill stress proofing. Until you've run through the whole process, there will always be times when what people are telling you is better will actually feel worse. Your instructor is trying to teach you to move with diagonal points of contact, which will help you maintain stabile balance -- often the easiest to maintain. There are other types of balance, too, but they often require a bit more effort to control. You're starting at the beginning, that's all.
As for the other stuff, such as "the route determines the movement," yes, that's exactly correct. But if you want to get your money's worth from the class, take it a step at a time. Follow along with your instructor, even if it seems he's moving a little slow at times.
Oh, and ask lots of questions. :)
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