Now you’re tied into the end of the rope. Your partner has you on belay. You’re ready to climb. You use the basic climbing commands.
You look at your partner. He says, “On belay.” He’s ready for you to climb, with the rope threaded through his belay device.
You check your knot and reply, “Ready to climb.”
He orders, “Climb on.” You start climbing.
Gym walls are usually vertical to overhanging. Since you’re just starting out, it’s best to stay on the vertical walls. Ask one of the gym instructors what are their best routes for beginners. They’re usually the ones with lots of big handholds and footholds. Indoor climbing walls are designed to accommodate manmade holds of innumerable shapes and sizes, which are attached to the wall with long bolts.
You free climb upward, using your hands and feet to make upward progress. The holds, marked with tape of the same color, offer good purchase for your hands and fingers. Try different ways to grip different handholds. Some holds will be crimps with just your fingertips crunching down on the top of the small hold. Others are jugs that your can comfortably wrap your whole hand around; holds that you can pinch; or pockets which you can cram a few fingers into. No matter what the holds though, your forearms are burning and your upper arms are getting pumped.
The problem is that you’re trying to power up the wall with your arms, and you’ve inadvertently discovered one of the keys to successful climbing, either indoors or outside—use your feet effectively. Legs are not only stronger than arms, but they’re also better for bearing your body weight than your arms. Moving from your feet and legs helps keep the weight off your arms. You’re able to move with economy and balance rather than with sheer strength since with vertical posture your weight stays over your feet and you maintain a natural balance. Remember too that you will use your climbing shoe-clad foot with many specialized techniques, including edging, smearing, heel-hooking, back-stepping, and stemming, that will help you reach the top of the wall.
Okay, you’ve grabbed the big finishing handhold and reached the top of the wall. The rope, which trails straight down 30 feet to your belayer, is looped through a locking steel carabiner or is wrapped around an iron bar. Your arms are burning. You want to come down. But before you slump onto the rope, let your belayer know that you’re ready to come down. You don’t want to lean back on the rope until you’re absolutely sure that you’re being held by your belayer.
You shout down, “I’m at the top! I’m ready to lower.”
Your belayer pulls the rope tight in his belay device. He can feel you on the end of the rope up there, like a fisherman feels a fish on a hook. “Okay, lowering.” He begins letting the rope slowly slide through the belay device, keeping his brake hand on the rope. Be sure not to lower your partner too fast. It’s easy to lose control and drop him to the ground, spraining or twisting an ankle. .
You’re down on the ground. “Wow, that was fun. I wanna go again!”
Now it’s your turn to belay and your partner’s turn to climb.
