Rope Climb

Peter Howarth · 10-10-2006, 02:27 PM

Getting close to top of the rope climb my foot grip just slides away no matter how tight I hang on.Could this be the shoe, technique, slippery rope or just my strength waning.My legs don't feel like they're ready to give up tho.
Thanks.

Eric Allen Kerr · 10-10-2006, 08:01 PM

Peter,

My 2 cents. I never learned the military style rope climp where you use your foot.

I just worked on my grip strength, dropped some weight, and worked on my pull-ups until I could climb the rope with my arms alone.

Now to slow myself a bit on the decent, I do use my foot (which makes for an interesting sight, since I never really learned how to properly use it for such a purpose). We learn as we go :-)

The higher level fitness standards tossed around here are with arms alone, so I figured I ought to try to keep my legs out of it for the most part.

Ergo, one of my goals is Rope Climb (no legs).

Jesse Woody · 10-10-2006, 08:57 PM

See, I had that as a primary goal also at the expense of learning proper rope-climb technique...then I got to run a Navy obstacle course and got shut down by 10 rope climbs in a row, because I was stupid enough to try and climb the first three in a row without feet. By the time I caught on, all the foot-assist in the world could do little to make my forearms work again...

Just something to think about ;)

Blair Robert Lowe · 10-10-2006, 10:26 PM

To answer your question, getting the most out of your feet and legs while climbing is finding the right spot and technique. One day, ya won't be climbing with your feet and ya won't care; unless you have a LONG distance to climb, as in saving your butt or something.

I hate using the legs, always gets a burn on the legs. I end up using when I'm too wiped to do anymore.
Originally I never learned how to climb with the feet. When I would climb poles, I would do sometin with the feet or use the forefoot to help.
When I first climbed ropes wasn't till college. I've never really learned how to climb with the feet efficiently so it's kinduva half assed, especially when I would have to show kids or others how to do it.

The basic way I learned how to climb was to watch the guys in the movie. When I was a kid, all we had was a chain to our treehouse we found in the backyard. Or climbing the dry clothes pole.

Awhile back on the climbing page, I saw that climbing two ropes at once...that looks pretty sick or climbing while inverted.

In anycase, I need to work on getting bigger strides to go faster, be stronger.

Norm Rager · 10-10-2006, 10:51 PM

A good progression to hands only is to use your hands/arms to pull, then feet to hold only. As far as feet slipping, I've used the over/under lock - where the rope is under the under the arch of my left foot, and over the top of the right near the ankle.

Keep your feet together, as close as the diameter of the rope will allow, and your holds/ascents/descents will be slip-free - as long as your arms can still hold you vertical.

You can get your feet in this position prior to to the ascent and use the holds - or open your feet to let the rope travel as you ascend, only using the hold when necessary. Then on the way down when you're gased, utilize your feet to control your descent.

Eric Allen Kerr · 10-11-2006, 06:57 AM

Good point about the obstacle course, Jesse.

:zaddpics2:

Okay, there has got to be a decent tutorial around somewhere, a rock climbing sight or the like.

Either that, or which one of you is going to volunteer to video the proper technique...Norm? :-)

Thanks,

Carrick Joseph Hines · 10-11-2006, 07:42 AM

I didn't start rope climbing until about 3 months after starting xfitting. When I did start rope climbing however, I didn't need to use my feet at all. Two months later and I can climb a 25 ft rope 2 times with a 20lb weighted vest (still without using my feet).

Eric Allen Kerr · 10-11-2006, 02:35 PM

Here is an article from Power Atheletes that Google hunted down for me.

I haven't got all the way through it, but it looks like it has some good instruction and progression to increase difficulty. No pics though :-(

http://www.powerathletesmag.com/arch...peclimbing.htm

Megan Greene · 10-11-2006, 03:25 PM

peter, your foot grip is fine the whole way until the very top? does the rope change at all near the top? i can't think of why you would be fine until the top; it doesn't take too much strength to maintain the foot grip.

take a look at the "basic stand" here:
http://www.mindspring.com/~dcovin/gl...asicstand.html
that's how you want the rope running. stand on the rope, pull up with your arms, bend your legs and re-stand on the rope, etc. if your technique is all right then i would blame it on a slippery rope. but if other people can do it, you probably aren't stepping with your top foot the way you should be.

Peter Howarth · 10-11-2006, 05:23 PM

Hey everyone.Thanks heaps for your thoughts and help here.Going to aim for progression to arms only climbing after reading thru this thread.
Megan.From the pic I have been holding my feet wrong,the trailing foot at the flexed ones side rather than on top as it should.Thanks for that.

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10-10-2006, 02:27 PM	#1
Peter Howarth Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Auckland City Auckland Posts: 68	Getting close to top of the rope climb my foot grip just slides away no matter how tight I hang on.Could this be the shoe, technique, slippery rope or just my strength waning.My legs don't feel like they're ready to give up tho. Thanks.

10-10-2006, 08:01 PM	#2
Eric Allen Kerr Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Saint Louis Missouri Posts: 170	Peter, My 2 cents. I never learned the military style rope climp where you use your foot. I just worked on my grip strength, dropped some weight, and worked on my pull-ups until I could climb the rope with my arms alone. Now to slow myself a bit on the decent, I do use my foot (which makes for an interesting sight, since I never really learned how to properly use it for such a purpose). We learn as we go :-) The higher level fitness standards tossed around here are with arms alone, so I figured I ought to try to keep my legs out of it for the most part. Ergo, one of my goals is Rope Climb (no legs).

10-10-2006, 08:57 PM	#3
Jesse Woody Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Orange Virginia Posts: 915	See, I had that as a primary goal also at the expense of learning proper rope-climb technique...then I got to run a Navy obstacle course and got shut down by 10 rope climbs in a row, because I was stupid enough to try and climb the first three in a row without feet. By the time I caught on, all the foot-assist in the world could do little to make my forearms work again... Just something to think about ;)

10-10-2006, 10:26 PM	#4
Blair Robert Lowe Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sacramento CA Posts: 7,948	To answer your question, getting the most out of your feet and legs while climbing is finding the right spot and technique. One day, ya won't be climbing with your feet and ya won't care; unless you have a LONG distance to climb, as in saving your butt or something. I hate using the legs, always gets a burn on the legs. I end up using when I'm too wiped to do anymore. Originally I never learned how to climb with the feet. When I would climb poles, I would do sometin with the feet or use the forefoot to help. When I first climbed ropes wasn't till college. I've never really learned how to climb with the feet efficiently so it's kinduva half assed, especially when I would have to show kids or others how to do it. The basic way I learned how to climb was to watch the guys in the movie. When I was a kid, all we had was a chain to our treehouse we found in the backyard. Or climbing the dry clothes pole. Awhile back on the climbing page, I saw that climbing two ropes at once...that looks pretty sick or climbing while inverted. In anycase, I need to work on getting bigger strides to go faster, be stronger.

10-10-2006, 10:51 PM	#5
Norm Rager Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Grass Valley/Nevada City Ca Posts: 87	A good progression to hands only is to use your hands/arms to pull, then feet to hold only. As far as feet slipping, I've used the over/under lock - where the rope is under the under the arch of my left foot, and over the top of the right near the ankle. Keep your feet together, as close as the diameter of the rope will allow, and your holds/ascents/descents will be slip-free - as long as your arms can still hold you vertical. You can get your feet in this position prior to to the ascent and use the holds - or open your feet to let the rope travel as you ascend, only using the hold when necessary. Then on the way down when you're gased, utilize your feet to control your descent.

10-11-2006, 06:57 AM	#6
Eric Allen Kerr Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Saint Louis Missouri Posts: 170	Good point about the obstacle course, Jesse. :zaddpics2: Okay, there has got to be a decent tutorial around somewhere, a rock climbing sight or the like. Either that, or which one of you is going to volunteer to video the proper technique...Norm? :-) Thanks,

10-11-2006, 07:42 AM	#7
Carrick Joseph Hines Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Blacksburg VA Posts: 69	I didn't start rope climbing until about 3 months after starting xfitting. When I did start rope climbing however, I didn't need to use my feet at all. Two months later and I can climb a 25 ft rope 2 times with a 20lb weighted vest (still without using my feet).

10-11-2006, 02:35 PM	#8
Eric Allen Kerr Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Saint Louis Missouri Posts: 170	Here is an article from Power Atheletes that Google hunted down for me. I haven't got all the way through it, but it looks like it has some good instruction and progression to increase difficulty. No pics though :-( http://www.powerathletesmag.com/arch...peclimbing.htm

10-11-2006, 03:25 PM	#9
Megan Greene Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brooklyn NY Posts: 18	peter, your foot grip is fine the whole way until the very top? does the rope change at all near the top? i can't think of why you would be fine until the top; it doesn't take too much strength to maintain the foot grip. take a look at the "basic stand" here: http://www.mindspring.com/~dcovin/gl...asicstand.html that's how you want the rope running. stand on the rope, pull up with your arms, bend your legs and re-stand on the rope, etc. if your technique is all right then i would blame it on a slippery rope. but if other people can do it, you probably aren't stepping with your top foot the way you should be.

10-11-2006, 05:23 PM	#10
Peter Howarth Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Auckland City Auckland Posts: 68	Hey everyone.Thanks heaps for your thoughts and help here.Going to aim for progression to arms only climbing after reading thru this thread. Megan.From the pic I have been holding my feet wrong,the trailing foot at the flexed ones side rather than on top as it should.Thanks for that.