Thank you again for the video, these are very helpful tips. I have been occasionally climbing for last two years, and since then my progress was not that much significant. I was climbing mostly in a gym in a slightly overhang terrain. I did not fully realize how much I can trust a smear, and also did not realize how much I should try to push with my feets. I knew it, but never really did that. This year I have been climbing with friends on some sandstone slabs and I really like it. There I realized that you really have to learn to trust your feet. So a reminder for me and for beginners like me, because there is never enough of this: really focus on efficiently using your feet, learn how to put most of your weight on them, play with your balance, try to shift your center of gravity above your feet you stand on. Learn with a experience that you can trust your feet even on a small sloopy holds or slabs. Try to focus on pushing with your feets, try to use the smallest amount of hand pull as possible. I think that slabs are great for this - just because there are only small or no good handholds. I found that easier routes, slabs and traverses comfortably enough bellow your limit are fine to train efficient footwork and balance. Let the feet to do the job of pushing and ascending! ;-)
Super under-rated channel. Really good quality content as opposed to the same rehashed "top 10 climbing tips" esque videos. Keep up the great work man!
This is what I struggled on in Yosemite this weekend! I need to practice this. Hips out is difficult to do when you've always been told to keep them in...Thank you for this!
It is interesting as from physics point of view, the area of the sole that comes in friction with the rock does not really matter, all that matters is how hard can you press your feet into the wall. And putting force into the rock is significantly easier when you do it with the whole upper part of the sole rather than just the toe.
That's not the point of getting bigger surface area, in fact, it's quite the opposite. Although friction does not depend on the surface area, the shear stress does. As soon as it is above the shoe material's threshold, small rubber particles will detach from your shoe, and you will slip.
another aspect to this is the direction of the force you are applying. As you lean into the wall, you are increasing the force component parallel to the rock, and decreasing the force component orthogonal to it. As you decrease the latter, you lose friction. That's why, together with reduced contact surface, you're more likely to slip off if you lean into the wall. This is all great in theory, but I still struggle a lot to trust my feel on runout slabs.
@@brutalctg7654 please see Wikipedia article en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction?wprov=sfla1, section "Laws of dry friction. Friction force itself does not depend on the area, only on load. However if the area is too small the same friction force will be spread among smaller area, hence the shear stress will be higher, and it might be too much for the material of the sole, and a tiny layer of rubber might peel off (you see that layer as a black mark on a rock) so slipping will happen.
Any suggestions on taking lead falls on slab? Ie. techniques to come off the rock above your protection to help you minimize the possibility of cheese grading down the face?
Roddy's reply: Hi Max, Run backwards!!! Unfortunately, falling on slab is a bumpy and sometimes injurious experience. Best to down-climb when unsure of the move, and try to find another way. If you do go for a ride, try to relax, stay loose, and stay upright. Best, Roddy
Here is Roddy's reply: The Katana is an aggressive, downturned shoe designed for overhanging terrain. Definitely not ideal for slab! Yes, generally soft shoes are nice for slab, though some climbers prefer a stiff shoe for edging. Depends how much the slab (and your own preferred technique) lends itself to smearing vs. edging. Certainly you'll have more success with a flat shoe rather than down-turned!
Thank you again for the video, these are very helpful tips.
I have been occasionally climbing for last two years, and since then my progress was not that much significant. I was climbing mostly in a gym in a slightly overhang terrain. I did not fully realize how much I can trust a smear, and also did not realize how much I should try to push with my feets. I knew it, but never really did that. This year I have been climbing with friends on some sandstone slabs and I really like it. There I realized that you really have to learn to trust your feet.
So a reminder for me and for beginners like me, because there is never enough of this:
really focus on efficiently using your feet, learn how to put most of your weight on them, play with your balance, try to shift your center of gravity above your feet you stand on. Learn with a experience that you can trust your feet even on a small sloopy holds or slabs.
Try to focus on pushing with your feets, try to use the smallest amount of hand pull as possible.
I think that slabs are great for this - just because there are only small or no good handholds.
I found that easier routes, slabs and traverses comfortably enough bellow your limit are fine to train efficient footwork and balance.
Let the feet to do the job of pushing and ascending! ;-)
Super under-rated channel. Really good quality content as opposed to the same rehashed "top 10 climbing tips" esque videos. Keep up the great work man!
Thank you!
This is what I struggled on in Yosemite this weekend! I need to practice this. Hips out is difficult to do when you've always been told to keep them in...Thank you for this!
It is interesting as from physics point of view, the area of the sole that comes in friction with the rock does not really matter, all that matters is how hard can you press your feet into the wall. And putting force into the rock is significantly easier when you do it with the whole upper part of the sole rather than just the toe.
That's not the point of getting bigger surface area, in fact, it's quite the opposite. Although friction does not depend on the surface area, the shear stress does. As soon as it is above the shoe material's threshold, small rubber particles will detach from your shoe, and you will slip.
another aspect to this is the direction of the force you are applying. As you lean into the wall, you are increasing the force component parallel to the rock, and decreasing the force component orthogonal to it. As you decrease the latter, you lose friction. That's why, together with reduced contact surface, you're more likely to slip off if you lean into the wall. This is all great in theory, but I still struggle a lot to trust my feel on runout slabs.
How does the area of the sole thats in contact with the rock not matter? I always thought that it does, genuine question by the way
@@brutalctg7654 please see Wikipedia article en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction?wprov=sfla1, section "Laws of dry friction. Friction force itself does not depend on the area, only on load. However if the area is too small the same friction force will be spread among smaller area, hence the shear stress will be higher, and it might be too much for the material of the sole, and a tiny layer of rubber might peel off (you see that layer as a black mark on a rock) so slipping will happen.
@@brutalctg7654 I hope I've answered your question)
"And I can stand on almost verticle rock that way' 3:00. Climbers often use the word 'vertical' to mean steep.
Good Tips and clearly explained 👌. Hips Over Heals and Nose Over Toes.
Excellent videos. Best I have seen so far.
Great Vid, so far the best I have seen for that topic. thanks a lot!
Thank you so much ! I’ve been trying to say this for ever and you said it so perfectly
Thanks for your comment Ricardo! Here's Roddy's reply:
Thanks! That's really nice to hear!
Great video, short and very visual!!
Thanks a lot, man. I finally got what "friction" means!
I needed this! Thank you!
Any suggestions on taking lead falls on slab? Ie. techniques to come off the rock above your protection to help you minimize the possibility of cheese grading down the face?
Roddy's reply:
Hi Max,
Run backwards!!!
Unfortunately, falling on slab is a bumpy and sometimes injurious experience. Best to down-climb when unsure of the move, and try to find another way. If you do go for a ride, try to relax, stay loose, and stay upright.
Best,
Roddy
how do you known the rubber is going to stick or not to th rock by looking the surface of the rock ?
Did you see our video on footwork? ua-cam.com/video/4ueguHyu_2U/v-deo.html
So soft shoes are the best? I am having a hard time to smear with my katana lace...
Here is Roddy's reply:
The Katana is an aggressive, downturned shoe designed for overhanging terrain. Definitely not ideal for slab! Yes, generally soft shoes are nice for slab, though some climbers prefer a stiff shoe for edging. Depends how much the slab (and your own preferred technique) lends itself to smearing vs. edging. Certainly you'll have more success with a flat shoe rather than down-turned!
@@videoracles thanks!
Michael Bluth teaches you slab climbing
Never tried before
I wish I had seen this video before you top roped me on 'California Girls' last Friday, LOL