Movement Blog

Have you ever hopped on the wall, only to get confused a few moves in? Climbing can often feel intuitive, but sometimes a tricky sequence can throw you off and burn precious forearm power. That’s where route reading comes in. By taking some time to plan before you pull on, you can climb smarter, save energy, and give yourself a better shot at sending. In climbing competitions, you’ve probably seen athletes miming moves from the ground or even rehearsing an entire route in their heads. Route reading helps you (and the pros!) separate the mental processing from the physical effort. By studying a climb before you get off the mat, You’ll create muscle memory for key techniques, anticipate the crux (the hardest part of the climb), and feel more confident when it’s time to commit. Ready to give route reading a try? Here are a few tips to conserve forearm power, maximize each attempt, and give yourself a better chance at flowing through your beta.

In the spirit of the upcoming spooky season, let's talk about something that all climbers face at some point on the walls — fear. Fear is a normal reaction to risk and your body's way of protecting you from harm. The problem occurs when fear bubbles up despite being prepared in a situation that is relatively low-risk. How do we convince our self-protecting brains that a controlled lead fall at the gym is not equivalent to free soloing El Cap? Keep reading for our best tips on how to approach the most anxiety-inducing situations in climbing.

Looking to level up your movement on the wall? Climbing isn’t just about strength—it’s about using technique to climb smarter, not harder. In our Part 1: Climbing Techniques and How to Use Them blog, we shared 5 fundamental skills every climber should know. Now, we’re diving deeper with 7 more essential techniques: Drop Knees, Toe Hooks, Stemming & Pressing, Laybacks, Knee Bars, Rock Overs, and Dynamic Movement. Learn what they are, when to use them, and how to practice each one to become a more efficient climber.

The crisp promise of peak friction temps is here…or at least on its way, depending on when and where you’re reading this. With it comes the familiar question, whispered from the mouths of seasoned climbers and those still fresh to this awesome community:

As climbers, gear is a vital part of the sport we love. It comes to the gym, iconic crags, climbing trips, and some pieces have been with us potentially for years. Despite all the great memories, identifying when it’s time to replace gear is an important safety measure that should not be overlooked. Some signs may be obvious when gear is at the end of its life, others may be more subtle.

So you’ve been climbing for a little while now—you’ve got your harness figured out, you know what a crimp is, and you’ve maybe even surprised yourself and sent that project you’ve been working on. The days of fumbling through a figure-eight are behind you (shoutout to that Intro to Ropes class!), and you’re starting to feel more at home on the wall. You’ve found your rhythm, taken the intro classes, and now you’re wondering: what’s next?

You’ve probably seen a bunch of run clubs popping up, and you probably have some climber friends who can’t go a single day without hitting the pavement. Then again, you might know someone who refuses to do any form of cardio that isn’t just the approach to a route or boulder. So, how much does cardio actually help us in climbing?

I remember looking 30 feet down at my friends, my fingers and arms were sore from over gripping, there were no colorful plastic rocks, and all that I could think was – Oh this is hard.

Thinking about trying climbing but low-key intimidated? Climbing tends to have this hardcore, extreme sport vibe—like it’s only for super-fit, daredevil types. But honestly? That couldn’t be further from the truth. People walk into our gyms every day from all kinds of backgrounds, fitness levels, and experience, —some with zero clue what they’re doing (and that’s totally okay). So, let’s bust through 5 common myths that might be holding you back!