Even though rock climbing as an adventure sport has become quite popular in India, people are still unaware about the kind of techniques involved. There’s a major misconception surrounding this activity as many people think that its just simply climbing a rocky terrain with the help of a rope. But, a special technique is involved and climbers train for months before attempting to climb. By following a few simple steps, one can easily master this art.
The right gripping technique is essential to ensure that one doesn’t hurt oneself. When one is climbing, there will be specific terrains where the holds will have a less surface area and the hands have to be strained to actually get a good grip. This straining puts extra effort on the ligaments which can later lead on to serious sprains. Sometimes climbers end up putting too much effort on just a few fingers rather than the whole hand which can also lead to injuries.
Mistakes in gripping
There are various incorrect techniques that a few climbers follow which leads to extra strain on their bodies. When climbers roll their hands around the rock, they end up putting an uneven pressure around the contact area and then the fingers are stretched. Too much pressure on the fingers lead to injuries. Other mistake climbers make while climbing is when they roll their thumbs on top of their fingers and move up while pushing down their fingers with their thumb and body weight. This technique might help them climb faster and give them the extra grip that they need, but this a dangerous technique. Only that one particular finger gets pressurised and the whole weight of the body falls on it. The finger cannot handle this much of weight and gets severely injured in the long run.
Gripping techniques
The best gripping technique is to maintain a 90 degree angle while holding on to rocks. Initially there will take time to practice it but after a while one can easily get used to it. One should always make sure that the best technique is to make the most of the surface area of the rock that they are climbing. If a lot of pressure is applied on just a small part then lifting the body gets easier. The only time a problem occurs is when there is an uneven weight distribution which leads to injuries.
At the end of the day, one should remember while indulging in this activity is that always spread your fingers to make sure there is no uneven distribution. If too much pressure falls on a part of your body, it could be the finger, thumb or the tendons; it drastically leads to injuries which can be easily avoided in the first place. The best way to ensure a safe experience is to spread the fingers and equally distribute the body weight amongst them. By spreading he fingers, climbing up the rock will become much easier and safer at the same time. One can even join an adventure camp for better training.
SHIV INME
