Rock climbing techniques are essential into having a great outdoor or indoor climbing experience. With indoor climbing walls you have the best opportunity to learn these techniques prior to approaching the outdoor rocks because these techniques are the ones to keep you safe when climbing and descending various types of rocks.

This article will introduce you to the usual techniques while making sure that you practice them with the proper guidance of a skilled climber:

• You must know the way ropes are tied and knotted and this is done in three different methods:
  • Single rope system – is the most commonly used method with climbing routes that are straight.
  • Double rope system – is more flexible as compared to the single rope system.
  • Twin rope system – is used for routes that are very complex while involving the use of two ropes in a single rope system.
• You must know how to get tied in, which is a process of attaching your own rope to the climbing harness creating as such a belay loop containing your devices for belaying and gears.
• Belaying is another rock climbing technique designed to ensure that a rope is controlled in such a manner that a climber won’t fall too far. At this point the entire responsibility falls on the shoulders of belayer because he must control the friction for the speed and the rope as well.

  This climber will usually be anchored to a ledge or suspended from anchors that are placed in the rocks. If you have the right skills and control the climbing techniques at your best, then you can have a self-belaying yourself without depending on another climber.

• Another type of rock climbing technique is represented by those climbs that involve a leader and a follower. The tasks of a leader will be to set protection for the follower while this one removes the protection as they move along with the climbing.
• Abseiling also known as rappelling comes as the technique to control the descent down a rock through the use of a rope. This one needs to be fixed since the climbers will confront at this point with more dangerous and steep slopes or cliffs. This technique needs to be done in a very accurate manner since there are many factors (such as equipment failures or weakened ropes) to endanger the life of climbers.
• Lowering is the last part of a rock climbing activity and entails the skills and responsibilities of a belayer to make sure that all climbers in the team are lowered in a safe manner. This rock climbing technique is mostly used for short walls ensuring as such a faster descent.