From Slab to Overhang: Decoding Climbing Styles

Understanding different climbing styles can help you improve your climbing. Knowing your weak styles can encourage you to improve, and establishing your strong styles can help when pushing yourself to try harder.

Yes, climbing a wall is simply climbing a wall, but there are numerous intricacies involved in that. No two routes are exactly the same, well, besides the speed climbing route that hasn’t changed in decades. Discover the different climbing styles, from slab to overhang, to better understand what it takes to climb each.

Slab Climbing: Balance, Precision, and Trusting Your Feet 

A slab route is a climb on a wall that leans away from you when facing it. Think, more than 90 degrees of verticality. While you may think slab climbing is easy because it doesn’t require as much pulling with the fingers, you’ll quickly find that technique becomes the dominant factor here.

Footwork and a strong mental game are key when slab climbing, from using micro-edges and standing on what seems like nothing, to balancing your weight ever so slightly to avoid barndooring. Plus, standing on climbing holds that disappear under your foot requires you to keep your cool when your hands are useless!

Vertical Climbing: The Gateway to Technique Mastery

Dead vertical climbing can be a mix of power and technique. Again, no two routes are the same. You can climb incredible, delicate vertical routes, or extremely thuggy ones that require a ton of power. While your technique is just as crucial for conserving energy, you may use harder-to-use climbing holds that will require body positioning to move past.

The importance of controlling your center of gravity is evident in vertical climbing, where you must move efficiently without becoming too tired. There may be more hands than on a slab route, but you must use them wisely!

Overhangs: Power, Core Strength, and Aggression

 This is where power screaming and grunting occur most frequently. This time, the wall is leaning toward you, which, as you can imagine, requires a significant amount of strength. What makes overhanging routes uniquely challenging is keeping your body close to the wall. This is when your core muscles will be most engaged, and your toe/heel hooks, lock-offs, and fight against the pump really come into play.

Steep terrain typically requires the reliance on bigger muscle groups, such as your biceps and back, which should be developed if you plan to train for overhangs. Focusing on endurance training is also a great way to tackle steep terrain.

Dynamic vs Static: Two Movement Philosophies, One Wall

Dynamic climbing can be identified as “going for it.” When a climber steps up and simultaneously throws their hand up to grab a hold, dynamic climbing is perceived as quicker and can be energy-saving, depending on the climb. If you move faster, you don’t get pumped as quickly, right? A good time to climb dynamically is on larger climbing holds or overhung routes.

Static climbing is considered the opposite of dynamic climbing. It is categorized as slow and controlled. Three points of contact are touching the wall at all times. Slab and delicate vertical routes are mostly popular among static climbers. However, that isn’t to say you can’t climb an overhung route statically!

A great way to climb is to understand when to switch between dynamic and static mid-route. This comes with experience and the skill of reading the moves ahead of you. You can climb more efficiently when you understand which style to use.

Matching Style to Strength 

Some climbers love slabs, others love roofs, and others enjoy it all! Climbers tend to gravitate toward climbing styles they’re better at. It’s good to enjoy your natural strengths, but consider hopping on a climb that will challenge you in different ways than you’re used to.

Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone will help you not only become a better climber, but it will also help you grow and understand more about yourself. Becoming a versatile climber opens up so many more routes to climb! If you only ever climb slab, then you’re missing out on all the overhung stuff out there, and vice versa!

Sure, mixing climbing styles can be frustrating, but it can also be fun to climb something you know you’re not as good at! Here is a challenge for you: next time you go climbing, pick the route that scares you the most and get after it!