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About this Sample

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As follows is a small selection of pages from the brand new
81-page eBook, Rock Climbing Fundamentals.

If you're not 100% satisfied with your purchase, I'll offer

a full refund, no questions asked.

Thanks for taking a look!

Sander | author of eBook + co-founder @ Moja Gear

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Table of Contents

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1. A Brief History of Climbing
2. Styles of Climbing
3. An Overview of Climbing Gear
4. Introduction to Common Climbing Holds
5. Basic Technique for New Climbers
6. Belaying Fundamentals
7. Climbing Grades, Explained
8. General Tips and Advice for New Climbers
9. Your Responsibility as a Climber
10.A Simplified Climbing Glossary
11.Useful Bonus Materials

More topics at mojagear.com/content

4/81 Michael Lim

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In the 1950s, John Gill led the development of bouldering,

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a style of rock climbing on boulders (usually less than

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20ft (6m) tall), where the climber uses a pad to protect
falls. Meanwhile, Warren Harding led a 1958 ascent of The
Nose (2,900ft/880m) of El Capitan, spending 45 days on the
wall to reach the summit (the record now stands at 2 hours Click the
underlined words
and 23 minutes, held by Hans Florine and Alex Honnold). to learn more
about each topic.

The Golden Era: Yosemite

The 1960s were a period of further
development in Yosemite with the predominant
use of aid climbing tactics, in which
climbers pulled on gear to assist their
ascent. This evolved into trad and clean
Piton
climbing ethics in the 1970s, which compelled
climbers to shift away from the use of
pitons, known to cause permanent damage to
the rock. These were replaced by hexcentrics
(invented by Tom Frost and Yvon Chouinard)
and later, the spring-loaded camming device
(simply called a cam, invented by Ray
Hexcentric
Jardine)—both being removable forms of
protection that leave no trace on the rock.
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Yosemite photo

Yosemite continues to be one of the world's

premier climbing destinations, attracting climbers
from all corners of the globe.
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Sport Climbing Gains Traction

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Sport climbing—today’s most popular form of roped climbing—
was a highly controversial practice during its early
inception in the 1980s. Much of the backlash was due to the Lynn Hill's free
impact of drilling bolts into rock, a stark contrast to ascent of The
Nose.
clean climbing. During this time, sport climbing pioneers
such as Alan Watts scoured the walls of Oregon’s Smith Rock
State Park to find lines that could be established using
bolts drilled into crack-less rock faces.

The controversial practices of sport climbing spread A "free ascent"

means using only
quickly throughout the United States, seeing an explosion your hands and
feet to ascend,
of growth in the 1990s. Meanwhile, challenging pursuits in while gear offers
the trad climbing realm continued—notably Lynn Hill’s 1993 protection in the
case of a fall.
free ascent of El Capitan’s The Nose in Yosemite … a feat This is contrary
previously deemed impossible by many climbers. to aid climbing
where a climber
may pull on
pieces of gear to
help him or her
through
challenging
sections of rock.
Before Lynn Hill,
The Nose had only
been aid climbed.

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When sport climbing on lead,
the climber clips the rope to
quickdraws as he or she
ascends.
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Michael Lim
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Single vs. Multi-Pitch Climbing

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For both sport and trad climbing, routes are
either one or multiple pitches.

A single-pitch route (pictured) is one that

can be completed with a single length of the
rope. Most ropes are about 60m, so single-
pitch routes are often 30m or less, allowing
for enough rope to lower back to the ground.

Multi-pitch routes necessitate that climbers

climb one rope length to an anchor. From the
anchor, they set up on belay again for
another pitch, repeating the process until
they reach the top. Some of Yosemite's walls
are 30+ pitches, whereas destinations like
Ten Sleep, Wyoming are renowned for their
single-pitch sport climbs.

20/81 Michael Lim

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Shoes

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Climbing shoes utilize sticky rubber and a tight-fitting
form to enhance your sensitivity and friction on the rock.
There’s a spectrum that climbing shoes come in, generally
ranging from greater comfort to greater performance. High-
performing aggressive shoes tend to be stiffer and less
comfortable, while the most comfortable shoes may yield
less precision and/or power. Generally, you want your shoes
to provide a very snug fit (when not wearing socks),
slightly curling your toes.

Shoes vary in their stiffness. A

stiffer toe box yields itself to
better performance on thin
edges, whereas a softer toe box
is often better for friction-
based footholds that don't have
rigid edges. Essentially, the Katherine Bush
softer toe box better conforms
to the rock, enabling more surface area of rubber to come
into contact. This technique is called smearing. Stiff toe
boxes, on the other hand, provide excellent precision and
power but don't conform to the rock quite as well.

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high

La Sportiva TC Pro La Sportiva Miura La Sportiva Testarossa

Price

5.10 Anasazi LV / VCS La Sportiva Katana Tenaya Oasi

La Sportiva Tarantula 5.10 Moccasym

low

all-around aggressive
Performance
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Basic Technique for New

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Climbers
A mindset to maintain during your early climbing days is to
focus on getting better, not stronger. While strength (and
strength-to-weight ratio) is an important factor in
climbing, solid technique will build a foundation for your
climbing that will take you far beyond what can be achieved
by just getting strong. Utilizing proper technique first
will make you more efficient and controlled; a better
climber and in the end, a stronger climber.

As follows are 3 basic techniques to master; doing so will

drastically improve your performance.

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Belaying Fundamentals

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We advise to get trained in belaying from a mentor or in a
class. However, the essentials of belaying are quite simple
and it's paramount that you perfect this form.

Top Rope Belaying with the PBUS Method

Our recommended top rope belaying
technique for both GRIGRIs and ATCs is the
PBUS method, which is a four-step process
of pull, brake, under, slide.

Pull: The pull is a simultaneous action of

pulling with both your guide and brake
hands in harmony. If using your right hand
as the brake, the pulling motion will
consist of gently pulling down with the
left hand and outward with the right (seen
in photo). These motions are to be done
Petzl
simultaneously so that extra slack doesn't
enter the system.
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Mix Up Your Climbing Sessions

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As a new climber, it’s important to get
exposed to a lot of different movements and
styles of climbing. If you perform best on
powerful climbs, consider spending extra
time on delicate, technical ones while you
develop your climbing skill base. It’s also
useful to mix up the structure of your
climbing sessions: climbing hard and pushing
your limits some days, while climbing easy
and going for mileage on others. Other ways
to mix up your climbing are by getting
experience on both ropes and bouldering, or
by incorporating various climbing games that
keep climbing sessions fun and communal.
Which brings us to the most important
recommendation …

62/81 Michael Lim

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A Simplified Climbing

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Glossary
The terms outlined below are some key must-knows for
communication, outside of what we have already discussed:

Beta: the specific moves (technique and sequence) necessary

for a climb. Example: I’m having trouble getting past the
crux; could you help me out with the beta?
Crag: a generic term for an outdoor technical rock climbing
area. Example: Will I see you at the crag this weekend?
Crux: the most difficult section of a climb. Example: I
always fall at the crux!
Dyno: a dynamic climbing move in which the climber leaps
for a hold, completely releasing him/herself from the rock
face. Example: Since he was short, he had no choice but to
do a dyno for the next hold.

[continued on following pages]

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Want to See More?

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If you've enjoyed this sample, find more awesome content in
the full-length version.

Rock Climbing Fundamentals is now available.

If you're not 100% satisfied with your purchase, enjoy a

full refund, no questions asked.
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