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Footwork is the foundation of climbing. The legs and feet are
the major source of upward movement. A piece of wise advice given
by experienced climbers to a stuck climber - "If you are
stuck, move your feet!".
There are two types of foot holds - edges and smears. When you
use your feet on an edge, it is called (surprise, surprise)
edging. When you use your feet on a smear, it is called (another
surprise) smearing! Edging is the most common of the two. There
are three ways to use an edge:
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| Inside edging. |
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| Outside edging. |
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| Front pointing. |
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Smearing is different - it relys on friction to provide the
support for the climber. This is where the sticky rubber in climbing shoes comes
in. The sticky rubber gives the shoes extra friction that they
need to support the climber.
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| Smearing. |
Look for opportunities to use the less-used, but
just-as-useful toe hook and heel hook. They can provide the balance you need to stay on a climb.
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| Toe hooking. |
Switching feet on holds can be tricky sometimes. There are
three steps - move the new foot next to the hold so you are
ready. Quickly slide the old foot off of the hold. Finally, place
the new foot onto the hold.
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| Ready to switch... |
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| Done! |
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