The climbing compendium provides detailed but brief information and tips on rock climbing. This includes equipment, skills, knots and useful explanations of climbing terminology.
Understanding and selecting the optimum equipment is a key part to success in traditional multi-pitch climbing. Understanding the different types of climbing gear available, and their respective strengths and weaknesses can make a huge difference to both the safety and chance of success on a route. Too much gear can add multiple kilograms, making even the easiest of routes a real challenge. Alternatively, a lack of gear can considerably compromise the safety of the climbers. The worst combination is too much of the wrong type of gear meaning the climber is overloaded and also exposed and under protected. For example, taking too many big cams on a delicate slab. Climbing Gear Overview ›
Rock Types
Cwm Idwal in Wales showing Quartz banding in the Rhyolite
There are three main ways rock is categorised. Ignious, sedimentary and metamorphic. These refer to the process that led to the current state of the rock. Different types of rock can require quite different approaches to protection and climbing. Understanding these differences can help climbers find the most enjoyable climbs as well as choose the most appropriate protection. Understanding the creation of rock formations also offers explanations for some of the incredible structures and patterns that result from it. For example the Quartz banding in the igneous Rhyolite at Cwm Idwal in Wales, as seen in the picture. Rock Types & Climbing ›
Climbing Grades
Easy graded climbing in the anti-atlas with big exposure
Climbing grades in theory, follow quite logical rules. However, in practice they are incredibly subjective and inconsistent, even within a single climbing grade system. Different climbing grade systems use very different criteria. Understanding the differences in the systems can be essential to understanding how the challenges of a climb may or may not match the strengths and weaknesses of the climber. For example, the British system, which is used in Morocco for the above Very Difficult climb, factors in how easy or hard it is to protect a route, as well as the difficulty of the moves. Understanding the development of different systems helps explain why British Very Difficult climbs are quite easy. History also explains why a European UIAA grade IV (i.e. 4) is much the same as a Norwegian grade 4. Understanding Rock Climbing Grades ›
Training Tools
Our Free Rock Ring Training App
There are lots of great training tools and programs out there. We built a digital version of the Metolious Rock Ring Training Guide, to make it easy to follow along. We also added some basic progress tracking. We built it for personal use, but wanted to share it for anyone else who may find it useful. We added an easier and harder variant to the existing Rock Ring plan. Anyone is welcome to use it but do so at your own risk and don't treat the tool as instruction. It's easy to injure yourself badly when training so take care. Free Rock Ring Training Tool ›
