UKC

I need help on how the best way of climbing an overhang indoors! Ive tried it so many times and failed. any hints and tips?

HELP!

In reply to ldeight: Keep your feet on. Concentrate on turning your hips, flagging and doing drop knees etc. Keep your arms straight.

It's as much about technique as it is brute strength!

I emailed you before about this weekend!

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In reply to ldeight: Use toe hooks and heel hooks and jam your body as much as possible so you can't move when looking for the next hold. The more weight you have on your feet the longer you will stay on the wall. Spend time looking at the holds before you climb as getting your sequence nailed first time is essential, you can't afford to just hang around and figure it out as you go as you will get tired. Hope this helps.

In reply to ldeight:
feet high. Most of the time I watch people on indoor overhangs who aren't good they have there feet too low. Feet high means when you move up your feet will stay on rather than swinging off into space.
My 2p.

In reply to ldeight:
I found dropping a grade or two and getting used to the extra physicality helped, and focusing on the movement rather than the holds. Having said that, my highest indoor lead (6b+) is on a relatively overhanging route!

In reply to ldeight: Get down the bouldering wall and practice doing overhangs in there. When you have perfected it, apply the same technique to the lead overhangs.

The main things are to keep your feet on the wall and keep your arms straight until you actually make the move. The move itself is a bit like a chin up, followed by locking one arm and reaching the next with the other whilst extending your legs.

Good luck!

In reply to ldeight:

I think the most important thing is to get your hips turned side on to the wall. Stiffens you up a treat. Then a lot of the time you'll be keeping your arm straight and turning your body into the wall to reach up with your inside arm as you push up with your leg/legs.

In reply to ldeight:

Niel Greshham's vid's cover overhangs quite well, demonstrating the techniques mentioned above of turning your hips in etc.

In reply to ldeight:

keep doing it, try different routes and different moves. It'll all just begin to click somewhere along the line, hopefully...

In reply to ldeight:

Drop your guts powerfully as you grasp the holds above the roof.

In reply to The third:

Positioning feet so you can transmit force through them effectively and efficiently is what I would say. Sometimes high, sometimes low, I wouldn't say one is used more than the other.

In reply to Wee Davie:

Gotta say, that doesn't sound pleasant for the dropper or the spectators.

In reply to ldeight:

All this might have been covered in the other posts, but this is what I try to remember in order of importance. When on a 30 degree plus overhang, whenever possible:

1) Keep at least one foot on at all times
2) Keep your arms straight unless your making a move.
3) Its more important then ever to oppose static hand and foot (i.e. if moving your right hand you need your right foot on a strong placement)
3) Feet as high as you can get them without making yourself unstable, most importantly your dominant foot (in previous example your right).
4) If you can, drop the knee of your dominant leg (again the right in the earlier example). I.e. twist your leg so that your knee moves inline with your groin, your heal points away from your body and your hips rotate. Watch some footage on Youtube of Sharma on Jumbo Love and you'll soon see what I mean.
5) Once you've made a move bring your feet high as soon as possible. Often this can easily be done by simply matching your feet, but not always.
6) If climbing a short section of steep ground on a varied wall, look for good rests before you hit the overhang so you can shake out and suss the holds/moves/clips before you get there.
7) The hardest part of an overhang is often turning the lip, when you loose sight of your foot holds and your already shagg*ed. But your almost there so don't panic/give up!

In reply to ldeight:

Have a look at this

http://www.mountain-trips.co.uk/overhangs.html

In reply to the_loz: Thanks - Good site.