Scrambling Basics that Every Hiker Should Know [Tips & Techniques]
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- Опубліковано 8 кві 2021
- If you're not confident in hiking steep terrain, it can really limit your options for exploring. Check out these basic scrambling tips and techniques!
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All the important points are covered here. Thank you Chase! Scrambling is my playground, good workout love it!
Also it is important to know when to turn back. Off trail in the mountains its hard to gauge how steep things will get, and going up is easier and safer than trying to climb back down. Unless you are 100% sure you can continue on after a section of scrambling do NOT climb anything you would not be comfortable coming back down. False peaks can get you into a shitty situation!
Weather , distance/ endurance , your skills , and many other things are of concern .
That going down the steep slope backwards thing is good advice. My father and I volunteer giving weekend tours in an old caboose, and there's a cupola up top. Meaning, a straight vertical climb into cush seats that look over the train. Keep an eye out for things.
Every weekend we tell young and old alike to "go down backwards like a ladder" and we've thankfully never had anything more than a booboo in 25 years.
Slowly going down backwards is often your safest bet. You might look like and anxious cat waddling back down a tree, but at least you're significantly less likely to fall.
Good tips - thanks! I live by "don't go up what you can't come down", even though it's prevented me from getting to a couple of summits over the years.
also worth mentioning is learn how to rappel, helps with this but more importantly bailing down terrain that would otherwise be too loose and dangerous in the event of bad weather
I got into a pretty sticky situation not so long ago where I didn’t expect the amount and the challenge scrambling can bring. I got to a point where going down was no longer possible and going up seemed equally scary and dangerous. I started to panic which made the stones and any movement seem even more challenging and dreadful. It was a great learning experience, it definitely thought me to respect the mountains. The experience now also prevents me from getting to a similar situation as I am simply avoiding or returning back anytime there’s scrambling involved until I gain confidence and a good technique!
Something similar happened to me and my girlfriend!
There's this "trail" that leads over 7 "teeth", which are rocks, and there's some scrambling bordering on rock climbing involved. Nothing extra, but neither of us had any experience of rock climbing or knew any techniques.
We got in front of one of the rocks, couldn't immediately see the marked climbing path, and my girlfriend improvised it (she was really keen on climbing, and was having a lot of fun), while I did some more scouting from the bottom and found the marked path. When we met on the other side of the rock, she was all burnt out, and refused to climb the next rock (luckily, you could just hike around each one). We never really got into detail about what happened while she was climbing, but I could see it was sketchy and it made her super uncomfortable. I went to climb the next one alone, and it was a sort of a "chimney" situation where I got stuck in one place for 5+ minutes because I wasn't flexible enough, and my big boots were getting in the way. Luckily I managed to get up, and was pretty tired by the time I did.
I'm not touching any of that again before I get some rock climbing classes and experience. Scary stuff.
It was loads of fun before the sketchy situations though!
super relatable!
I had a brain surgery a year ago and I'm still taking tons of antiseazuers, I went recently on hike in the rockies, and I was exactly in what you described, I feel you, I didn't realize that the medication messed with my balance and I'm still recovering from surgery. I panicked, I couldn't get my eyes to focus and iwas having double vision, even the little crumbling of rocks beneath me was giving me vertigo, luckily my partner stayed calm and helped me get over that section. Be safe
@@dawnkeyyKalnik Croatia?
@@goranstankovic6054 yup
Thank you. Even at 76 I keep running into these situations when doing photography. The last one was climbing the canyon wall at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.
Very nicely done. I would add that the no-hands drill is also great going up hill. Too many people crawl up slopes when they could just stand up and walk up. Many of the slopes in this video included. Not only is crawling inefficient, but you greatly reduce the friction between your feet and the ground because you are taking weight off your feet, and you are generating a greater sliding force (that is to say more of your force is along the rock rather than directly into the rock). In fact I use the no-hands drill with climbers on top rope both when teaching rock climbing and when teaching ice climbing - it really is great for teaching people to use their feet, to better understand and improve balance and body positioning.
Don’t assume you know the mobility/balance/confidence of a person on trail. Some prosthetics aren’t noticeable, and that crawling person might be where they can be.
@@truepeacenik Sure there are always outliers. But still too many able bodied people do this. Some of them are even my friends and hiking partners... And I have taught many of them life gets easier if you just stand up. Some get it. Some are afraid to try and that is fine - I do not push. I make a suggestion, if people like it fine. If they don't fine. This whole channel is about physical and mental training to move better in the mountains. Chase correctly pointed out that the no-hands drill is a great training tool. He mentioned in the context of downhill travel, I'm only pointing out it can be helpful uphill as well.
I aspire to be this good, great video
Much better than tje narcessistic videos ive wstched from the US .
Thanks for the tips! Was very helpful on my last hike up (and down!) some steep terrain.
Brilliant advice. Proper rookie here but learning. Thank you!
This was super helpful! Thanks for making it.
Very good video. I just finished Emory Peak, Big Bend, Texas, USA. I wish I had seen this video before I did it. Serious scrambling at the very top but it all worked out well. Thanks.
I was where you did the Thumbnail photo. There were goats on the way up. It was an awesome day
Excellent video. Thanks for making and sharing.
Very helpful video, thank you Chase!
Yea I was in the badlands in South Dakota once and I climbed up a precarious peak only to realize I couldn’t get down. In the end I had to make a leap of faith to a crumbly rock ledge but I made it so. Gotta be more careful.
Amen on the loose shoes. Was 3/4 of the way up a steep crux when my right boot fell off. Decided to downclimb, and found out the hard way it was tougher than the upclimb. Nearly went for a good tumble all because of poorly tied shoes.
Found this very useful. Thank you!!
Make sure long hair is pulled back and secured so it doesn’t distract you or get in the way when scrambling.
Hahaha nice tip. Even more important when rock climbing!
@@ChaseMountains When scrambling earlier this year, my knee pinned one of my braids. Very awkward and dangerous when your on a rock face with nothing anchoring you. Luckily I was able to safely disentangle myself. Now I tuck my braids away before climbing.
very true. I was climbing a ~30 foot steep and exposed 4th class slab once when the wind started whipping my hair in my eyes and it was gut wrenching not being able to see my holds as well as I could. Will never make that mistake again...
@@ChaseMountains And moreover, when doing a repel! Of course if you set your repel device out on a sling it helps reduce the odds of hair, shirt, etc getting jammed!
I always have a hat… or toque ..the sun will bake your head above tree line!!!
Awesome video, great training tips.
Yes yes Chase, loved that mukka thank you very much an a happy weekend you an all bro 😀 😊 xxx
Thanks for this!
I now want to practice this stuff first before
So can both build my confidence and know my limits
Love this video
This is very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you Chase!!
Excellent! I love scrambling and bouldering. Worth saying in winter it is more challenging and you may (will) need equipment and some instruction. But taking it carefully, big fun. Some areas have chains or static ropes to help. Also if one is camping, going up a thing that was fine with a day pack is...a little bit entertaining. Love it, love it.
I love doing it in the winter. I had a blast at Wasootch Ridge trail a few weeks ago
@@bittmanbobby it is really fun! I'd kind of forgotten how much I miss it: work and extreme old age is cramping my style of late.
@@KirstenBayes totally understandable. Do what you can 😊
Love Montserrat! Great tips :)
I'm almost always desperate so! Love grabbing trees, even when don't need to. But most of my scrambling is steep forest slopes where don't have a choice.
A useful technique I learned is sitting on your heels when edging down a little too steep slope of smooth rock. Slows you right and here (near Rio) quite a lot of these
Hope to learn some scrambling skills myself soon.
Really helpful. Thank you.
Wow! Thank you.
Really great video. I have done some scrambling and find coming down backwards helps loads. Wish I didn't feel so freaked out going down when there is loose rock under foot 😢
I’m from Barcelona, living in Switzerland. I used to spend summers in Colera as a child. Boy I miss these landscapes! I really enjoyed the last part of your transpyrenee
Awsome stuff. So jealous. Not much rock in Alabama.
Nice video. I also like to used a sideways descent. It’s half forward and half backwards. I find it offers better visibility and I can easily switch to backwards down climbing if I need to. I do find trail runners not so good for edging or forward slab descents. I like approach shoes or boots for more technical terrain. I often use trail runners to approach/exit and approach shoes or boots for the actual scrambling. But that’s generally for bigger scrambling objectives.
Another tip not mentioned: when there is crumbling rock and / or vegetation that must be used then we think about "holding the mountain together". That means rather than yanking on rocks as if jugs, we climb as if holding or pressing into the mountain. This greatly improves the rock-fall situation and still improves our security and movement. Thnk about mantling - you are pressing into the mountain.
I always bring a bucket of wet cement for those occasions.
Thank you.
Good stuff
Good timing man!! I just got home for some Flinders Peak scrambling to test my new approach shoes! Looking forward to hearing what i did wrong LoL :'D
Oh flinders has some sweet scrambling! Bet mountain close to Brissie I reckon!
@@ChaseMountains Yeah me and my mates go there often, we go up sections where no one else goes. Mainly the North and East side caves. Great views, and great fun!
Thanks for this. I have flexibility issues so I don't like scrambles! But I have realized that if I take it really slow, I'm fine and capable of more than I think I am. I will be rewatching this video and look forward to the routine. Not gonna let my fears hold me back!
Thank you from a beginner scrambler.
Watching this video after falling down my scramble a couple of hours ago. I think I fell pretty gracefully 😅
Very good video. It was jam packed with good information and demonstrations. I was wondering though about you shoes. They appeared to be extra grippy and designed for that kind of terrain. At my advanced age, I don’t seek out those kinds of challenges. But, if I encountered unexpectedly, would you recommend that I attempt to scramble over it wearing my Danner 650 hikers, or seek another route?
Thanks buddy ! You bring ton of value, Your progs videos newsletter, Thanks. Anywayyy ..... It is steeper than you think yeah mate :DDDDDDDDDDDDD
Scrambling is the fun part of hiking 😁
I couldn't agree more, in a way for me it's easier because it's so fun, I'm not focused on the effort level, when compared to trudging through the jungle
Since i dont have any local mountains here in rural Australia this is going to be very useful to scramble up sand dunes to find dingos!
Hey teacher leave them dingos alone 🤣🤣
@@Chriswilliams-lx9mx what do you mean teacher?
@@olivermiles4225 hey teacher leave them kids alone he mighty pink Floyd,ignore me I’m just excited it’s the wk-end 🍷🍷👍🏼
@@Chriswilliams-lx9mx no worries bruda have a great weekend
Good stuff. Any tips on how to arrest a class 3 slip/fall? 👍👍
Scrambling is all about exposure & falling trauma. It's generally easier & more natural to climb up with more precision & control which can lead to situations where down climbing the same route is very difficult or impossible without some climbing equipment. The local SAR team can attest to this problem & have installed fixed chains on popular hikes which make a huge difference on both the up & down portions of the scramble.
1:51 Getting some sweaty palms watching you step on and subsequently break off that foot hold.
Love! I like to asses the angle really well before beginning a climb..........
i used to do this for my burly pup while he was learning about mountains.
River rock scrambling, even on 2 limbs is fun, too. Love your videos..........
When i find particularly difficult passages and i know i will have some difficulty descending i always do a mental map of grabs and food support so when i descend i exactly know what to do...and i also do descend the rock before continuing so i have it mine...other time i just put rock on the passage so i know is that one. Last suggestion...if the rock are to solve with adherence then a soft sole is better...you have better feelings and mobility..for vertical climb when you need to work with only part of the sole the is better a rigid one
Yet again dear chap your experience and advice shines. Despite my experience extreme hiking I've learnt much from you and it has improved my techniques.
Hiking is now even better ...cheers
Chase I respect and enjoy your channel. As a former trained mountain guide leader and wilderness first responder I want you to add onto your scrambling series. What you have is fine. However you are showing people Class 2 and class Three risk levels. Both of these levels can result in minor medium and serious injuries requiring medical treatment and can be life endangering especially without proper climbing shoes at least approach shoes evacuation. Most importantly they should never be attempted by the solo hiker and far from assistance and medical treatment.
A minor sprained ankle can result in a stranded hiker incapable of getting back to safety and treatment. It takes three one to stay with one to get help. Also a safety beacon is an essential item.
These levels of hiking need practice with skilled climbers they require some safety rope and frankly should be avoided by people who have not taken courses in responsible climbing skills.
This is not a criticism of your work and your channel I just know thru many years of guiding people the risks the skills and the consequences. Although the probability of serious accidents may be small eventually they occur. The smallest injury can become deadly thst far away from help and without a skilled wilderness responder and a way to evacuate and or get immediate help.
I would have emphasized that beginners and the experienced, alike, should almost ALWAYS descend facing the rock on such steep grades, as video shows (come down the way u went up and u should've been able to memorize where key foot holds are that u now need to blindly feel for). And I have no prob criticizing him for suggesting one should ever practice scrambling with one's hands in their pockets if they want to look like a "flexing boss" or whatever(!) OK, He told people not to do it, but then why even show toxic masculinity B.S. that's gonna get someone f'ed up?
I love frisbeeing rocks off mountains.
Ps When im at work in high country on private property with no stock/fences etc below we commonly roll large rocks and stuff, stops them falling when there is livestock in the area.
Thanks Chase, nice tips and tricks! I wonder if you had someone holding the camera for you. Those were a lot of different angels, which made it pleasant to watch :-).
No it was just me and the goats out there and they weren't too helpful 😂
Very instructional video! Thank you so much and greatly appreciated. However, I do have to point out the big horned mountain goat was not too impressed. In fact it walked out of the class with its buddy :)
@ 7:50 ROCK!!
100% on climbing being about leg strength. I can't open jars but I can do a pretty decent job going up mountains 😂
Hi,thanks for the great video,what kind of shoes you wearing in this video
Excellent video. It makes such a difference when someone who knows what they are doing ‘teaches’ stuff.
So well put together dude really loved this. Looks like an absolute gorgeous area to hone in ones skill set. Descending whilst scrambling is always was more tricky isn’t it. Haha lone the hands in pockets flex 🤌
Cheers brother!
Cool shoes. Which model is that?
I prefer a track with not too much scrambling because it's always tricky on the way down... three points of contact is a great tip though
I wish you had some advice on how to scramble faster. I'm at the intermediate level now, and not really worried about this level of technique. What I'm worried about is that I'm always slowing my friends down on scramble sections of long runs
Hey Chase I see you got the esc tempest from Vivo what's your opinion on them?
I have been looking at these for a while and I am wondering how well they grip I really love my LaSportiva megagrip soles but the shoes are just really not "barefoot" and vivo promises a lot of grip on these.
thank for your great content :)
The grips pretty good. I didn't love these shoes at first it they are slowly growing on me. These are really a amphibious multisport or canyoning shoe tho, not really a hiking shoe so keep that in mind.
Cool thank you. haha I've seen that they are meant for swim runs but it should mean they dry quickly right? I guess stubborn "I want barefoot shoes" me will have to give these a try then :)
Just found your channel; I had no idea there were different styles of scrambling up. Your channel is super well rounded, love the fitness approach to being an outdoorsman. 🙌🏻 Gorgeous scenery, soak it all in my dude.
hi awesome tips shoes brand?
What a flex
💪
@Chase Mountains, what shoes are those? Are they made for technical terrain?
Which vivobarefoot shoes are you wearing? Have you tried the vivobarefoot trail SG?
@ChaseMountains what is the brand of shoe you’re wearing
A lot of these are climbing techniques too! Very nice.
One thing that took me by surprise while scrambling was carrying a crash pad. Those things can be huge and cumbersome.
Any tips for mt wilson traverse co?
If the trail don't got scrambling or bouldering I don't want it. This is so helpful, thanks Chase! Could you please review those Vivos for us?
Aonach Eagach…. Scotland… So many have died not using correct scrambling procedures and also exposure of sheer drops can literally be a killer for some. Really think about competence and weather conditions folks, before you commit.
@4:45 use of the crab walk cannot be overstated
I’m so glad you think so. It’s a great move.
Was this filmed in the Pinnacle National Park, ca if it is this is a magical place.
No this was filmed in Montserrat Spain. But I googled Pinnacle NP and wow, looks very similar!
I realized my mistake when I saw the ibex! You have the ibex and here at the Pinnacles we have the Calif. condor the largest bird in N. American. The geology is the same volcanism and looks like the same dry environment. The Pinnacles are a premier climbing area a lot of 5s. Do you have any ticks there?
@@Lindleyferchel Montserrat is not volcanic. Its origin are the sediments from an ancient sea in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. You can find a lot of fossile shells in those rocks. The sea dried, the sediments were exposed to erosion and what remains are those beautiful towers (Montserrat means "serrated mount" in Catalan)
what type of shoes ar you using?
I grew up scrambling in Northern Ireland.
I'm an overweight 62yr old who really enjoyed watching this video in it's entirely, wishing I did scrambling in my younger days.
The location and rock type looks like Montserrat in Catalonia, Spain
It is indeed Montserrat Catalunya. Pretty much all of my videos are filmed in El Bruc.
What shoes are those? Do you recommend climbing shoes or regular hiking boots for tougher scrambles?
I'd like to know too
Approach shoes are best for this. They have more grippy rubber than hiking or running shoes
Great info man! Be sure to wear a helmet ⛑ last thing you want is a rock on your noggin!
Man that’s some choss! Hard to trust those holds!
Mind the weather, and never unnecessarily wet your soles in puddles or streams. Some situations can better be overcome in a dynamic than in a static fashion. Like in parkour running. But that takes a lot of experience.
I found your boot can bend in the front while my Salomon boots not and that puts me in low confidence zone when I am scrambling. Is that bad?
it must be so lovely scrambling in rosemary bushes!
There's also wild mushrooms and asparagus here that's really nice :)
@@ChaseMountains that's life!! :)
enjoy being out, Chase!
Nice video Chase. Those boots are very soft, are they Barefoot? The soles look like octopus tentacles! ;)
Yes, I m always affraid he s gonna step into something sharp and get a hole into the sole ( dont know about him but I would deffinelly do it 😬)
It hurts my toes physically to watch such exercises in trailrunners. Rocks fall, that's what they do, sometimes on your toes, and sometimes you just hit them yourself. And if rain hits (like every afternoon), i would drown in mud ankle deep. Also standing with toes on ledges and assisted climbing with ladders and ferratas is so much easier when you can hook feature with a heel of a boot. Guess trekking in spain is like that, just like climbing in a gym, without need to carry 1 kilo of food per day or protecting yourself from elements, gonna try it one day at Picos de Europe if covid ends.
Sometimes they carry those climbing shoes In their backpack, they are not heavy and use them only for climbing sessions
I like your shoes. I know they might be proffesional climbing shoes but if anyone less experienced sees me wearing this would say look at that fool, wearing sneakers on the mountain 😆
Chiricahua!
Anyone know what kind of shoes he's wearing? Gotta get some of those...
They're from Vivo barefoot!
Off piste question - what shoes are you wearing?
These are the Vivo barefoot tempest. But not the greatest scrambling shoe. It's kind of a OCR type shoe
@@ChaseMountains Thanks! They look pretty nice. Nice toe box and such. I wish the other vivo trail shoes would have a more aggressive lug like this
Its steeper than you think ... lol ... that's true for me for sure.
anyway saw you took my upload of yours down I am busy in search of a person and did not place the link but I would have. however you were right to remove it since I intended to use the video to show some bad mistakes. you would not have like it
I like to do mountaineering on steep snow/ice, but when it comes to scrambling on rocks, I feel so helpless without the help of my crampons and ice axe. Thanks for the video.
Can anyone link the footwear he has on? Or at least the brand and type?
Vivo Barefoot. This model is decommissioned but you can get the primus which is similar. “Chase10” should get you 10% off I think
What kind of shoes are you wearing?
These are the Vivo barefoot tempest I think!
@@ChaseMountains what kind of hiking shorts is that with the splits on the side they looked black and green?
What are you wearing on your feet? Your soles look very soft and pliable. Not like my usual hikers..Better choice for scrambling I imagine?