The Friction Labs Blog / Climbing 101

How it Works: The Kneebar


You're pumping out on an overhung limestone sport route. The familiar symptoms of fatigue set in: wooden hands, wobbly Elvis legs, general panic at the thought of a long fall....
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How it Works: The Mantle


Rock climbing is all about pulling, right? Grab hold, pull on hold, grab next hold. Well, sometimes pulling doesn't get you where you need to be. Sometimes you have to...
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How it Works: The Lock-Off


  Rafael Passos locking off an open project in Moe's Valley, Utah. Photo by George Bruce Wilson of Read more

Warming Up With Will Anglin


"Warming up" has become a ubiquitous part of sports performance and is widely accepted as a way to increase performance and reduce injury rates. As a coach, route setter, and...
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How To Pull Off a Successful Bat-Hang


Disclaimer: hanging around like a vampire can be dangerous. When practicing this technique, make sure to have either a spotter or a crash pad beneath you—or both, preferably.
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How To Make A Tape Glove For Crack Climbing


It's your first day crack climbing. The sun beats down on you. It's hot for September in Wyoming; the wind kicks up dust. You know the jagged granite cracks around...
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Finding & Climbing Your Next Project


"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." - Marcus AureliusProjecting a rock climb is an emotional experience. Until you go through the process...
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How To Drop Knee!


In the third installment of our How It Works Series, we'll be digging into one of climbing's most classic moves: the dropknee. The dropknee is an underrated and underutilized fundamental...
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Connor's World: Five Synonyms For Your Crash Pad


Crash pads. To the untrained eye, the hulking angular mass upon your back is a mystery, an enigma. After ten years of hiking...
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How To Pogo for Climbing


Greetings once again, Connor here. I'm back to teach all you faithful FrictionLabs readers a new trick for your arsenal of climbing moves.   For those of you who are...
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