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Words: Sander DiAngelis

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Disclaimer: Rock climbing is an inherently dangerous ac:vity; severe injury or

death can occur. The content in this eBook is not a subs:tute for learning
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7 Mistakes to Avoid as a
New Climber
The learning curve for rock climbing can be steep. It takes
guidance, it takes mentorship, and it takes climbinga lot
of climbing. While there is no subs:tute to simply puTng
in the hours, as follows are seven avoidable mistakes that
will accelerate your development.

Adam Kubalica
#1: Climbing with bent, strained arms

Muscling through moves with bent arms may provide slightly more power in
some circumstances, but bent and strained arms are the primary cause of
geTng pumped (forearms swelling from exhaus:on) for new climbers. Watch an example in our
video, Climbing Basics:
Maintaining Straight
Try this: focus on keeping your arms straight as you climb with your weight
Arms.
hanging down to apply natural pressure onto the handholds. Addi:onally,
when feeling :red, posi:on your body in an orienta:on that allows you to
straighten your arms and shake them out in an alterna:ng fashion.
#2: Saying, "But I don't have any upper body
strength!"

A common misconcep:on is that climbing requires extensive upper body

strength. If you believe that climbing is best reserved for bench-pressing
gym rats, take a moment to watch the elegance and grace of Lynn Hill, one
of climbing's greatest legends.

While stronger individuals may be able to quickly muscle their way through Related: Climbing Grades
beginner climbs, this style will cause early developmental plateaus; Comparison Chart and
RaIng System Overview
technique always wins. As an aside, consider this, a quote from Rock and Ice:

Dani Andrada, one of the best climbers in the world, was rumored to have
redpointed 50 5.13bs before he even considered geGng on a 5.13c.

While the grades 5.13b and 5.13c may not be on your current horizon, the
message is simple: focus on geTng be_er, not stronger.
#3: Only looking up

Many beginners are looking only for the next handhold. But, climbers who
fail to look at their feet will o`en overlook valuable res:ng posi:ons and
cause overexer:on on moves due to poor foot placements.

Try this: imagine you have a 5-7 foot halo surrounding your body as you
climb; be aware of which handholds lie ahead, but also maintain close
a_en:on to your feet and any op:ons at your sides.

#4: Beta spraying

What is beta? What is spray?

Beta is a term used to describe the necessary moves to complete a climb.

The term beta spray means telling a climber who is a_emp:ng a route
exactly which moves to do and how to do them. Its important to only give a
climber :ps if he or she is seeking advice. Many individuals approach
climbing as a puzzle and may prefer to t the pieces together on their own.
#5: UKlizing poor hip technique

When just geTng started, it is common to climb a rock

wall like its a ladder: bu_ out, hips square with the wall,
and feet forward. However, when climbing, its most
natural to keep your hips close to the wall. Further, you
generally want the hip of the arm you are reaching with
against the wall.

For example, grasping a reachy le` handhold will be most

easily accomplished by placing your le` hip against the
wall with your le` toes facing to the right and your right
foot far out to the right side. Using predominantly your
le` foot with your le` hip against the wall will provide
excellent stability while also providing further reach than
if your hips were square or reversed.

Michael Lim
#6: Overlooking the importance of
ethics

With the advent of gym climbing, it can be dicult for

new climbers to understand appropriate ethics when
climbing outdoors. Its important to remember that
climbing on natural rock is a privilege, and maintaining
access is a very important issue.

Further, damaging rock or the general environment in any

way is a major faux pas! Be responsible and preserve our
natural wonders so that climbing can con:nue to be
enjoyed for genera:ons to come.

More informa:on can be found through the Access Fund,

the foremost organiza:on for conserving and protec:ng
climbing des:na:ons in the United States.

Adam Kubalica
#7: Climbing unsafe

If new to the sport, climbing safe and developing proper habits early cannot
be overemphasized. Here are a few pointers:

Tie a knot in the end of the rope opposite the climber (the dead end) on
single pitch/top rope climbs; on mul:-pitches ensure that both the
climber and belayer are :ed into the rope. This prevents the end of the
rope from sliding through the belay device in the case of it not being
long enough on a given pitch.

Wear a helmet.

Perfect your belay technique; using a GriGri does not mean you can be
sipping coee with your brake hand!

Whenever possible, descend a climb by foot rather than rappelling. The

American Alpine Ins:tute explains: "There are more climber injuries and
fataliIes from mistakes rappelling than from any other place in all of
climbing."
#8: Bonus materials

AddiKonal Free eBooks

We have several free, downloadable eBooks. Download, share, enjoy.
Related: 25 Books Every
Climber Should Read
7 Mistakes to Ul6mate Guide to
Avoid as a New Climbing Knots,
Climber Bends, Hitches

6 Training Games
for All Levels of
Climbers
Videos
We add 1-2 new videos to our collec:on each week. You can explore them
here. For technical informa:on, Canadian Mountain Guide Mike Barter has a
brilliant YouTube channel, lled with a steady dose of humor.

Learn ArKcles
Beginner and expert :ps alike, there is a wealth of free knowledge buried
within the Learn sec:on of our website. Take :me to explore and dont be
shy in leaving commentswe read them all and will always respond.

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Thank you
We're small here. Only a couple of us running the show, but supported by
climbers like yourself. We appreciate you taking the :me to give this eBook
a read and to check out Moja Gear. Best of luck on your climbing endeavors
and have fun out there!

Upward,
Sander DiAngelis & Natalie Siddique | co-founders
15