Adventure in the land of Thunder Dragon

How many of you know of Bhutan? Recently, this small Himalayan country was in a lot of news due to the Indian Army’s standoff with their Chinese counterparts on Doklam (a strategic plateau in Bhutan). The fact is Bhutan is India’s most friendly neighbor and it is surprising we know so less about this country. Early this year while I was doing some research for my yearly “Big” Himalayan Trek, I came across some relatively unknown treks in Bhutan – a land very less known to Indians. Among them "The Jumolhari Trek" got my attention mainly because of the type of landscape , weather condition , availability of my fellow trekkers and the time period I had in mind ( May-June ). Even though there are a few travel agencies conducting adventure and cultural tours in Bhutan, but the information available is relatively less and this is one of the reasons I want to share my experience via this post so that more and more people get an opportunity to visit this beautifully preserved country.

 Day 1: Entry to Bhutan

Even though Bhutan has an international airport (Paro International Airport) we opted to fly till Bagdogra Airport (West Bengal) and from there travel by road to Paro, the starting point of our trek.
Please note here that one can fly directly into Bhutan from new Delhi and Kolkata. It takes approximately takes 5-6 hours by road to reach Jaigaon, a small border town on Indian side. The other side of Jaigoan and separated by an open gate is Phuntsholing – a small yet busy border town of Bhutan. It is also the gateway to this amazing Himalayan country. Indian tourists do not need to stamp their passport, but there were several formalities at the immigration office including getting travel and trekking permits from the Government officials. If I remember well, it took over an hour to get all the papers in place at Phuntsholing. Once done we set out again on our journey to Paro which is another 6 hours by road. Unlike many of the roads in Indian Himalayas, the roads in Bhutan are well maintained and we spent most of our time looking out of the windows and admiring the natural beauty of this little known country. We reached Paro in the evening and directly checked in a hotel already booked by our travel agent. We were dead tired and after a quite dinner went to bed excited about the next day.

Streets of Paro (Bhutan)

Paro International Airport

Day 2: Exploring in and around Paro

After a good night sleep I woke up early. To my surprise , my trek guide was waiting for me at the hotel reception. After a heavy English breakfast , we set out for a tour around Paro. Our first stop was the local Paro market where we saw the locals buying and selling fruits , vegetables and spices. The Bhutanese people really love chillies, as I could find a small market dedicated for chillies – different types of them. Chillies form a major part of the local cuisines. I found the locals very friendly and always smiling.But then I recalled reading somewhere that Bhutan tops the chart for the “Hapiness Index”. In short, Bhutanese people are the happiest people on earth.

Next stop was The Rinpung Dzong, which was built by the founding father of Bhutan, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1646. Today, this fortress houses the Administrative seat of the district of Paro and the district Monk Body with about 200 monks. The central tower (Utse) of the fortress is one of the most beautiful in Bhutan with its superb woodwork. We spent the whole morning exploring the various corners of Ringpung Dzong.

In the afternoon, we visited Kyichu Lhakhang, built by the Tibetan king, Sontsen Gampo in the 7th century. It is one of the oldest and most sacred shrines of Bhutan.It was amazing how the Bhutanese people have preserved their cultural heritage and are so proud of it. We also tried some local cuisines at one of the popular restaurant in Paro.

Archery being the national game of Bhutan, locals practice it on holidays

Paro Saturday Market

Darts being sold at Paro Market

Let us try some local cuisine ( It was very spicy) 

Day 3: Hike to Taktsang (also known as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery)

I personally feel and many would agree, Taktsang (also known as the Tiger’s Nest Monastery) is the most popular tourist attraction of Bhutan. I was informed by our trek guide that hiking up to Taktsang would be a good warm up for our upcoming Jumolhari Trek. Taktsang is a 300 years old Buddhist Monastery built near Paro at a height of 3120 m.It is believed that Padmasambhava an 8th-century Indian Buddhist master flew to this location in Bhutan from Tibet on the back of a tigress. This monastery is dedicated to the famous Padmasambhava. The hike was quite exhausting, especially because of the rapid altitude gain. Throughout the hike we were presented with some breath taking view of the Paro Valley and we returned back to our hotel by late afternoon.

The famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery

On the way to Tiger’s Nest Monastery

Day 4: Enough of site seeing, the real deal starts now!

We started early morning by a van to Drugyel Dzong ( the starting point of our trek).Here we were introduced to our trekking party of guide, cook and a few horsemen. After a brief meeting about the route , weather condition and ration we set out for our trek. Our destination – Shana , where we set up our first camp. I remember the trail being very scenic between paddy terraces. We could see a few villagers working in their paddy fields. Soon we reach an army post and the terrain suddenly changes. The trail follows the Pachu River upstream surrounded with thick Pine forest. Since it was the beginning of monsoon, everything was wet and muddy. One of the guides told that flow of the river is far too much for this time of the year indicating heavy rain. We were not very surprised as we had already checked the weather forecast for the next few days during our stay in Paro and frankly speaking it did not look very good. After 6 hours of hike we reached Shana (16 KM from Drugyel Dzong), a beautiful camping spot to rest for the night. That night it poured heavily as we spent most of the evening in our tents playing cards and sipping hot soup.

The trek starts from Drugyel Dzong

River Pachu flowing through dense green forest (on the way to Shana) 

Dense Forest on the way to Shana

Day 5: It’s again a bright day for a hike! But then…

I woke up to a bright day in contrast to the day before. Amazing how weather changes in the Himalayas. After a power packed breakfast we set out for our next camp, Soi Thanhthangka , at a distance of 19KMs.

I felt that this trek just gets more and more physically challenging every day. But nothing can dampen our spirits. Soon we were ascending through pine, oak and spruce forests. Due to the heavy rain the whole forest was wet and green. I came to know from the guide that Bhutan is the only carbon Negative country in the world with more than 70% forest cover overall. Isn’t that simply an amazing fact to be proud of in this age where countries are struggling to keep up with the havoc caused by pollution and deforestation? On our side, to give company was the Pachu River which seemed like flowing with some kind of vengeance. We were gaining altitude very rapidly and the first signs of that was evident when one of our members started complaining of severe headache. Luckily, the rain Gods were merciful and we had only light drizzle until we reached a bridge across the Pachu River, a perfect place to break for a hot lunch here. But just when we started feeling great, the rain was back and this time with fury. I have never seen such a heavy rainfall so far even though I was born and brought up in the hills in North Eastern part of India.

We took a decision to continue hiking along the river as it was no use waiting for the rain to calm down. We had to go ahead, we had to climb up as we were in the middle of both the camps. I remember it was a struggle to keep anything dry. Once again we crossed the river and reached our next campsite Soi Thanhthangka at a height of 3749 m (12,300ft) above sea level. While we were happy that we reached the camp site, we heard some confusion among the horsemen. One of the horses had accidently eaten some poisonous plants on the way, near the camp site, and is sick. It was very painful to see the horse men trying hard to save the young horse. It passed out late in the evening leaving us all with a heavy heart. That night no one spoke much, it was a reminder that Mother Nature is not always gracious. We offered our prayers for the departed soul that night.

On the way to Soi - Green is the word

A Local horseman carry his child on horse back

One of the many bridges we crossed across the Pachu River

A trekker's hut and our camp site at Soi

We had a separate tent for fire place and guess what , its made of Yak wool which is supposedly water proof 

A welcome rest on the way to Soi

Day 6: Soi To Jangothang

Next day we woke up early to find that we were almost sleeping in a pool of water accumulated due to whole night down pour. Our trek guide was making some temporary drainage to drain the rain water from the tent area. I too joined him while one of the horsemen handed me a cup of hot tea. Luckily the Sun was out and all of us were again cheerful and looking forward to our next destination – Jangothang. After having breakfast we started up climbing gently. River Pachu was again by our side but this time we were slowly moving away from it. I always find it amazing to see the vegetation changing gradually as we move higher and higher. Huge trees get replaced by bushes and shrubs as we climb higher. The whole landscape changes so to say, this time it’s a different view all together. We saw glimpses of nearby snow covered peaks. After almost 2 hours of hiking we reached an Army Camp of the Royal Bhutan Army. Our trek guide had already acquired permits for us to trek in that area   , while we took a short break just outside the army camp, he went to show the permit to some guards at the check posts. We later came to know that since it’s a border area (with China), both Indian Army and Royal Bhutan Army patrols this area frequently.

After another 2 hours of hike we reached Jangothang camp which is situated at a height of 4050 m above sea level. This camp site is on a huge valley and we could see herds of yaks in patches across the valley and the nearby mountains. There were a few yak herders’ camps as well and we were served hot lunch in one of them. This place was simply mystical with an old fort like structure in shambles nearby. Further away, though the visibility was not so good, we could see the gigantic Mt.Jumolhari (7320 meters) and Mt.Jichu Drake (6900 meters). They looked splendid even from far away.

As soon as we settled down in our camp (we did not pitch tent and planned to stay in one of the hearders’ camps), it started pouring again. In the evening while we were sipping hot tea, the trek guide informed us that it will be dangerous to climb any further. The next segment of our journey includes crossing over the Yale la pass (4950 meters), and due to heavy rain there are landslides all over. He mentioned that it would be highly dangerous to climb the pass and there are changes of falling off the cliff due to wet and loose soil. The team was confused and divided in views – while some of us adventure junkies wanted to continue but most of the team members were of the opinion that we should halt for a day at Jangothang. By late night it was decided that we stay one more day at Jangothang and take a call the next day on whether  continue or not. And it kept on pouring the whole night.

Trekker's Hut and camp site at Jangothang

Our camp site at Jangothang

Old fortress at Jangothang

Mesmerizing view of Mt.Jumolhari (7320 meters) from Jangothang

Day 7: Visit the Tshophu Lake

Today was a rest day for us so we had two options: either hike around the valley and return to the camp by late afternoon or we simply relax at the camp site. I choose the former and set out towards Lake Tshophu. The hike to Tshophu was a relatively short (2 hours) but strenuous one as we climbed up higher and higher and at a rapid pace. Soon we could view our camp site at Jagothang from top. The whole landscape has changed. There were hardly any vegetation and it was covered with patches of snow. There were signs of landslides and rock falls everywhere as we carefully reached the Lake Tshophu. On the way we also took shelter from the rain in a yak herder’s tent. This the first time I saw these gigantic yaks from so close.

Once we reached the lake we were speechless- the beauty of this hidden lake cannot be explained in words. I have posted some pictures below for everyone to get an idea of what I am talking about but believe me my pictures did not do real justice in capturing the real beauty of this lake (one of the reason being the fact that it was raining and taking out camera was not recommended  J  )

After taking half the round of the lake (for 2 hours or so) we decided to head back to Jagothang. I really wanted to stay near the lake and was in no mood to return. Such was the intoxicating beauty of the place. However, after another 2 hours hike we returned back to our camp. The weather had turned bad again and it was pouring heavily. That evening I was disappointed when it was decided by majority that we are returning back to Paro the same route as it is simply not wise to continue up through the Yale la pass. I have learnt from the past treks that, treks are no individual sport, it’s the team that matters at the end of the day and even though I was not very amused by this decision, I decided to stick with the team’s decision and return to Soi the next day.

Gigantic Mt.Jumolhari (7320 meters) on the way to Thopsu Lake

On the way to Thopsu lake

The serene Thopsu lake 

Some Yaks on the way to Thopsu Lake

Day 8: Major Tom and his stories

Weather was just getting worse as the rain did not stop like the other days and we started off for Soi in heavy shower. The struggle was to keep anything dry. Since we knew the route well by now and it was downhill we reached the camp site at Soi by afternoon. Luckily of the local heard men had made a fire and all of us gathered around the fire place to warm ourselves. Suddenly a whole platoon of Indian Army Para Troopers also arrived and started pitching their tents. One of them, Major Tom came up to us and requested if he could join us at the fire place. We welcomed him with some tea and he started telling about his experience of Bhutan. He said that it was a wise decision by our team to return back. Even his team lost a couple of horses due to several landslides en route the Yale La Pass . This heavy down pour had forced him and his men to abort their patrol mission and return to their base. That evening was more about listening to interesting stories from Major Tom.

Trying to keep warm

Look what popped out from the hills - A Marmot

Day 9: Walking downhill is no piece of cake

Next morning when we woke up, to our surprise, Major Tom and his platoon had already left. Our guide informed us that we will directly climb down to Drugyel Dzong by bypassing Shana. He said he knew an alternate route which is 22 km downhill. We started around 9 am from Soi to Shanna. We did not expect much that day, but soon we realized that climbing downhill is no piece of cake especially if everything is wet and slippery. As expected, our good friend, rain was back again. By this time, I should say we got quite used to heavy downpour. The same river we crossed a few days back had turned totally wild. At some places we could see the river over flowing. We could see some of the make shift bridges were washed away by the gushing river. We were totally exhausted when we reached Drugyel Dzong around 5 pm. We realized that our trek had come to an end. We bid good bye to our guide and horse men without whom we would not have got this wonderful opportunity to hike through these mountains. Truly, Bhutan is an amazing country with some breath taking places. To me personally, Bhutan is like a wonder land yet to be explored. Looking forward to more such treks in Bhutan…….

 

The Team 

Some travel Tips on Bhutan:

1. Carry your passport (not mandatory for Indian travelers but recommended)as ID.
2. Druk Air and Bhutan Airlines have regular flights from New Delhi, Kolkata and Bagdogra.
3. You can also reach Bhutan by road in our own vehicle (via Jaigaon/Phuentsholing border)
4. Indian currency can be used in Bhutan.
5. Bhutan is the only country where sale of cigarettes and tobacco is illegal. Tourists are allowed to bring in their own stock by paying 100% custom duty at border check post. However, do not smoke in public as it may hurt local sentiments..

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Rock Climbing Technique, Performance and Climbing Tips

13 valuable rock climbing tips for developing technique and improving climbing performance. The following tips are seen as the most essential techniques with biggest payoff in rock climbing performance:

Performance Climbing Tip #1 Warm Up and Stretch. Stretching improves circulation and flexibility which translates to improved climbing technique. Prior to climbing, take a half hour to get your muscles and joints limbered, and your heart rate elevated a little. This simple step of stretching and warming up makes the difference between several grades of difficulty, and will help prevent injury. Climbers using good climbing technique will work many muscle groups, and position their limbs in extreme positions which are not used during daily life. Stretching and warming up helps the joints, ligaments, muscles move and last a little longer.

Performance Climbing Tip #2 Preview and Read the Route. This is a skill to develop just like any physical technical climbing move. Advanced climbers are skilled at reading climbing routes, this is one of the most important of the mental skills for improving climbing technique. Before you climb, visualize the sequences through the entire route--or as much as you can see from the ground. Anticipate weight, balance, reach, and each move through the route. Here is the key: find the crux and decide the position you need to be in to complete it. Work backwards down the route. Make mental notes where your left and right hands and feet are positioned. When you climb, start the sequence going into the crux so your hands and feet and body is positioned correctly when you reach the crux. This takes some practice. After you complete the route, look at it again and re-analyze it. Develop a habit of previewing routes before climbing. The more you do it the better you will become.

Performance Climbing Tip #3 Strength of Grip. The key to the right grip is simple: Relax. Over-gripping will wear out your forearms and when that happens, you are done. The grip is not often thought of as an attribute of good rock climbing technique, and few climbers give a second thought. However it’s well known that the grip is first muscle group to go. See forearm exercise for tips on improving your grip. It affects all types of climbers doing bouldering, top rope, lead, sport, competition, etc… The tendency, especially at critical crux points, is to unconsciously squeeze the hold a little tighter. The greater the tension, the more the smoothness and fluidity in your climbing movement will suffer which in turn degrades your climbing performance. Your back and shoulders must remain loose and relaxed. Get into the habit of mentally checking your grip in tough situations. This will help you slow down, re-check the basics, and calm yourself so you can think through the solution to the problem ahead. All that is really required with your grip is contact with the hold for balance or, in an overhanging situation, to hold your body in place with the least amount of energy. Remain conscious of your grip and the strength you use to hold yourself in place to make your movement more fluid and improve your endurance, balance and climbing performance.

Performance Climbing Tip #4 Improve Your Balance. The starting point for developing a good rock climbing technique begins with your sense of balance, and how you control your balance on the wall. Your feet may be close together, or spread-eagle, or in an even stance. Your center of balance is always centered on your body mass. Your center of gravity should be centered in a forward-backward as well as a left-right direction. A good sense of balance is the key to moving smoothly and making difficult climbing moves appear effortless. The center of mass is approximately the middle of your body, around your belly. By being conscious of your center of gravity when you make a climbing move, you can anticipate the direction of force on a hand or foot hold as you make a move, and after you have made the move. A simple exercise to help improve your center of gravity and climbing technique are to find a 60 degree or greater slab and traverse it a using only your feet. If necessary use your hands for balance, but do not grip the wall. Traverse back and forth. This simple exercise will help you develop a sense of balance and give you muscle memory for good rock climbing technique.

Performance Climbing Tip #5 Keep Your Body Close to the Wall. You should also keep your center of gravity balanced in a forward-backward direction. In other words, toward the wall or away from the wall. As a rule, keep your body close to the wall. Understandably, sometimes leaning back away from the wall is necessary to see the route. There is no set distance because of the variety of types of moves and hand holds in climbing. In most cases, the more accurate you need to be with your balance the closer to the wall your body and face should be.

A good indicator to be aware of is the direction your knees point. In general, in a good climbing technique the knees do not point directly in towards the wall, and your body posture is rarely erect. The more erect, and the more your knees point into the wall the further your center of gravity will be out away from the wall. Some climbers tend to climb a little more erect to take advantage of their height. Experiment with different stances and distances so you can adjust and adapt to the conditions.

Performance Climbing Tip #6 Static Climbing Technique. Static movement is making a move where body position is controlled by muscle movement, rather than by momentum. How you shift your body weight upwards, downwards, left or right as a general rule will help you gain control. Move your body when all four points, both feet and both hands, are planted. Good technique in climbing movement is of it in two parts:1) move limbs, 2) shift body weight; repeat this sequence. In static climbing this two step process is more pronounced, but it applies to dynamic climbing too. As you improve, you will be able to combine the steps into fluid motion. Avoid shifting weight and moving a limb at the same time. Use your arms for balance and your legs to hold your body weight. If your feet make a lot of noise when you climb this indicates you need to improve your static climbing technique. This may be the easiest and best climbing technique tip for there is: Move your hands keeping your body motionless. Listen to the sound your feet make when climbing. Make quiet smooth movements staying directly over your center of balance. Find your foothold visually don’t stab or slide with your feet until you find a hold, then make a deliberate and precise foot placement. Developing good foot placement is essential for improving your climbing technique and balance. Dynamic climbing uses the same principles of balance and movement, but incorporates the “dead point”.

Performance Climbing Tip #7 The Dead Point, Dynamic Climbing Technique. The dead point technique is useful in many climbing situations, helps you develop a smooth graceful characteristic. Use momentum to reach a move that is further than can be reached using a static movement. The movement should be smooth and fluid. In the repertoire of climbing moves, the easiest to learn is the dead point, yet it is one of the most useful for improving dynamic climbing ability. The dead point is done by sensing the top of a parabolic arch while you quickly move weight upward dynamically. The dead point is the point your body changes directions vertically. At the dead point, your hand should be at the top of the arch and at the hold. At this point your upward direction has stopped and you to get a grip on the hold before your weight begins to settle. The best way to learn the dead point is to set up a series of moves on the bouldering wall. They should not be out of reach…these are not dynos. Make the series of holds within reach but which also require extending your body position. Practice over and over, making your body motion stop just at the point where you grab the hold. For dynamic climbing develop your upper body muscles, such as shoulders, arms and forearms, see chin ups.

Performance Climbing Tip #8 Speed of Climbing. Some climbers are slow and deliberate and have a static technique. Some climbing fast using a dynamic climbing technique. Both types of climbing can be considered good rock climbing technique. In general, climbing moves that are dynamic and require a lot of upper body, grip and arm strength should be done quickly. Get through the moves quickly to save your upper body, and use the momentum to help place your body mass at the dead point. Moves which are primarily static, with balance centered on body mass, small hand and foot holds should be done slowly, deliberately and carefully using your legs to support your weight, and arms to hold you in place. Again, this is generally the case, but there are many variations to this basic technique. It is more important to adapt your style to make best use of your abilities.

Performance Climbing Tip #9 Develop Smooth Movement. The control and fluidness of how you move is one of the primary indicators of good well developed rock climbing technique. Develop smoothness to your climbing by simply making a conscious effort to control unneeded movement. Wiggling and resituating creates “opportunity” to fall, slip off the hold or lose balance. To correct this, simply become conscious of your movements and hold still. Think about the movement that is needed to advance, and do only that. Hold your body still, relaxed and deliberate. There are two types of climbing movement: Static and dynamic.

Performance Climbing Tip #10 Develop the Right Muscles. There is very little value in bulking up muscle groups that are not needed in climbing, or not needed for the type of climbing you do. For example, bouldering requires strength moves, but face climbing requires endurance. Sport climbing and indoor climbing combine strength and endurance. The muscles you need to develop varies widely on the type of rock climbing you do, will determine the muscles to emphasize during training. See rock climbing exercise for developing specific muscles for improving your rock climbing technique.

Performance Climbing Tip #11 Find Rest Spots. Regardless of the speed of climbing, climbers who look for and take rests will do better than those who do not. Learning to spot and take advantage of rest spots is a very important technique in rock climbing. Too many climbers think they can muscle up a wall. Most competition routes do not separate climbers based power or tricks. They are steady level of difficulty with a crux one degree grade higher than the route is rated. The reason climbers peel off high routes within their ability level is they do not managed their rest properly. The key to developing the climbing technique of resting is finding them in the preview or opportunities as they ascend the route. Pick rest spots from the ground. These may be an overhang you can get your knee under, or an edge to lean against. You can also use smaller and shift weight slowly rather than dynamically using the dead point. Learn to spot sequences which are not technically rest, but are less strenuous than a more direct approach. During the preview try to find a place to rest every 3 meters, or the height of a panel on an indoor climbing wall. The 3 meter or one panel guide is also rest technique for bouldering and traversing.

Performance Climbing Tip #12 Taking a Good Fall. No matter how good you are, you will fall. If you don’t you are not pushing yourself to your limit. Falling is part of climbing and it is a skill to learn just like any other aspect of good climbing technique. There is a basic fear of falling in humans, which is part of the underlying thrill of climbing. This fear may be debilitating to people new to climbing but as you get more experience with falling the more comfortable you will become. This is a mental control skill to develop. There are some basic techniques you can use to help you get over this fear and help you take a fall safely. Take a deliberate fall in a safe spot. Tell your belayer you are going to take a practice fall. Have him “take” and “lock off”, then push off in a controlled way, away from the wall, and let the rope come tight. Then say to yourself, “that wasn’t so bad”, get back on the wall. Now you have confidence to push yourself to try difficult moves even if it means falling. That is an important aspect of developing and improving your rock climbing technique: You need to be able to push yourself to your maximum ability…which means you will fall. Most falls should be a surprise. Yes, you will feel most of them coming, but the actual moment you pop off the wall should be a surprise. So, as you climb make sure you are ready for the fall at any time by following these techniques:

• Make sure the rope is clear of your gear and feet/arms at all times. Don’t let the rope loop on anything, ever.
• Be aware of what’s below you as you climb. A bolt, a big hold, an arête.
• Push out away from the wall at the moment you slip. Control how you fall keeping your feet down.
• Keep your feet out in front of you to catch the wall as the rope comes tight and you swing in.

Performance Climbing Tip #13 Watch and Learn. The best way to learn and improve rock climbing technique is observe the technique used by good climbers, and practice to develop these techniques yourself. Make mental notes as you observe climbers. Practice the moves you see while reinforcing the basic fundamentals of good rock climbing technique described here. Often a new climbing technique may feel awkward and more difficult. But take to heart the basics of good rock climbing technique, and practice them. Soon as you develop muscle memory for your new technique you will find you are pushing your abilities up to a new level.

Summary of Rock Climbing Technique, Performance and Climbing Tips

Understand the basic principals of good rock climbing technique. To improve your own climbing performance learn and practice good climbing technique. These 13 rock climbing tips will help you accelerate your climbing performance.

1. Always Warm Up and Stretch before you start climbing. Tight muscles and ligaments don’t perform as well.
2. Get in the habit of previewing and learning to read the route before you climb it. Developing this skill will help you get in the right position to make moves at the crux.
3. Use only the degree of strength on you grip as necessary to steady your balance. Your grip is often the first to go, save forearm strength as much as possible.
4. A finely developed sense of balance will help you make difficult static and dynamic moves.
5. By keeping your body close to the wall you keep your center of balance over your center of mass and relieve pressure on your grip.
6. Use your legs to hold your weight, not your arms. Your legs are much stronger and will carry you further.
7. Use arms for balance and shifting weight, not holding weight. When doing moves and sequences that require a great deal of upper body strength, move quickly through the sequence.
8. Developing the technique of dynamic movement is done by using momentum to peak at the dead point, which is the point at which you grip the hold.
9. Combining both static and dynamic elements of climbing technique will determine your speed of climbing. Climbers who have mastered this seem to move smoothly and effortlessly.
10. The right rock climbing techniques combined with building the right muscles give a climber a huge advantage.
11. Muscles will perform longer with short rests. Develop a skill at finding rest opportunities while climbing to greatly extend your endurance.
12. Push yourself and your ability with difficult routes. This means you will fall. Taking a fall correctly is one of the most important techniques to learn how to do safely, and will give you confidence to push yourself to your limit.
13. Finally, watch and learn from other good climbers. Practice good rock climbing technique every time you climb and your climbing performance will measurably improve.

Basics first

At its most basic, rock climbing involves climbing a route with one's own hands and feet and little more than a cushioned bouldering pad in the way of protection. This style of climbing is referred to as bouldering, since the relevant routes are usually found on boulders no more than 10 to 15 feet tall.
As routes get higher off the ground, the increased risk of life-threatening injuries necessitates additional safety measures. A variety of specialized climbing techniques and climbing equipment exists to provide that safety, and climbers will usually work in pairs and utilize a system of ropes and anchors designed to catch falls. Ropes and anchors can be configured differently to suit many styles of climbing, and roped climbing is thus divided into further sub-types that vary based on how their belay systems are set up. The different styles are described in more detail below, but, generally speaking, beginners will start with top roping and/or easy bouldering, and work their way up to lead climbing and beyond.

Top-roping:-

In top-roping, an anchor is set up at the summit of a route prior to the start of a climb. Rope is run through the anchor; one end attaches to the climber and the other to the belayer, who keeps the rope taut during the climb and prevents long falls. This type of climbing is widely regarded as the safest type of climbing, with the lowest chance of injury.

Lead climbing:-

Leader belays the second on Illusion Dweller in Joshua Tree National Park, USA
In lead climbing, one person, called the "leader", will climb from the ground up with rope directly attached to their harness (and not through a top anchor) while the other, called the "second", "belays" the leader by feeding out enough rope to allow upward progression without undue slack. As they progress, the leader clips the rope through intermediate points of protection such as active cams, or passive protection such as nuts. They also may clip into pre-drilled bolts; this limits the length of a potential fall.

Because the climbing rope is of a fixed length, the leader can only climb a certain distance. Thus longer routes are broken up into several "pitches"; this is called "multi-pitching". At the top of a pitch, the "leader" sets up an anchor, and then belays the "second" up to the anchor; as the "second" follows the route taken by the "leader" they remove the equipment placed along the way in order to use it again on the next "pitch." Once both are at the anchor, the "leader" begins climbing the next pitch and so on until they reach the top.
In either case, upon completion of a route, climbers can walk back down (if an alternate descent path exists) or rappel (abseil) down with the rope.

Grading systems:-

Climbing communities in many countries and regions have developed their own rating systems for routes. Ratings (or "grades") record and communicate consensus appraisals of difficulty. (Hence, there may be occasional disagreements arising from physiological or stylistic differences among climbers.) The ratings take into account multiple factors affecting a route, such as the slope of the ascent, the quantity and quality of available handholds, the distance between holds, ease of placing protection, and whether advanced technical maneuvers are required. Whilst height of a route is generally not considered a factor, a long series of sustained hard moves will often merit a higher grade than a single move of the same technical difficulty. The typical rating system for top-roping and lead climbing is from 5.2-5.15b. There can be debate on the difficulty rating. Typically the rating for the hardest move on the wall will be the rating for the whole climb, although sometimes climbs are rated for endurance factor. For example, a climb can have multiple 5.11 moves with no rests and thus be rated 5.12. In the US the most common scale for bouldering is from V0 to V16.

Climbing environments:-

Climbs can occur either outdoors on varying types of rock or indoors on specialized climbing walls. Outdoors, climbs usually take place on sunny days when the holds are dry and provide the best grip, but climbers can also attempt to climb at night or in adverse weather conditions if they have the proper training and equipment. However, night climbing or climbing in adverse weather conditions will increase the difficulty and danger on any climbing route.

History of Rock Climbing

Although rock climbing was an important component of Victorian mountaineering in the Alps, it is generally thought that the sport of rock climbing began in the last quarter of the nineteenth century in various parts of Europe. Rock climbing evolved gradually from an alpine necessity to a distinct athletic activity.
Aid climbing (climbing using equipment that acts as artificial hand- or footholds) became popular during the period 1920 - 1960, leading to ascents in the Alps and in Yosemite Valley that were considered impossible without such means. However, climbing techniques, equipment, and ethical considerations have evolved steadily, and today, free climbing (climbing on holds made entirely of natural rock, using gear solely for protection and not for upward movement) is the most popular form of the sport. Free climbing has since been divided into several sub-styles of climbing dependent on belay configuration (described below).
Over time, grading systems have also been created in order to more accurately compare the relative difficulties of climbs.

What is Rock Climbing?

Rock climbing is a sport, in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route. Rock climbing competitions have objectives of completing the route in the quickest possible time or the farthest along an ever increasingly harder route. Rock climbing is similar to scrambling (another activity involving the scaling of hills and similar formations), but climbing is generally differentiated because of the use of hands to support the climber's weight as well as to provide balance.
Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility, and balance along with his mental control. It can be a dangerous sport and knowledge of proper climbing techniques and usage of specialized climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes. Because of the wide range and variety of rock formations around the world, rock climbing has been separated into several different styles and sub-disciplines that are described below. While not an Olympic event, rock climbing is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a sport.