How to Improve Your Slab Climbing Technique

AMGA Certified Rock Instructor Erik Kramer-Webb explains five elements of good slab climbing technique: 1 low heels, 2 hips out, 3 smooth movement, 4 lateral movement of the hips, and 5 palm pressing. Take our Gym to Crag class and we will help you send the slabs.
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[@sarahbarron7868]

Thanks! Just the things I needed to hear. I put these in to quick application & it made all the difference.

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!

[@boulderfighters2590]

Thanks for the good video. Precise explanations and presented in a good way. I will definitely try to incorporate this into the next slab climbs.

[@malcopops4]

Nice and concise. Thanks

[@ricardobecerril1783]

Dude that was great. Thank you so much, gonna try it out.

[@fragletemmer]

good tips man! slabs can be horrendous until you "get them". got any tips for slab traverses?

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

Move the hips even more laterally as you rock onto footholds. Saves arm power.

[@hydra66]

thanks. I haven't come across the palm press before

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

My buddy Mateo who shot this video calls it a "down palm". It's the way.

[@revhead]

Great advice - thanks for posting this

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

Thanks so much! Did you see the butterfly landing on my helmet at 0:10?

[@revhead]

@@CaliforniaClimbingSchool yes. It tried to smear on your helmet and then thought better of it. Butterflies hate slabs lol

[@lukeaurand5722]

I’ve found on 5.10-5.11 slab that non aggressive shoes are a must

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

Absolutely! And if you weigh over 150 pounds like myself a stiff shoe is better than a soft shoe to keep your feet from getting so tired.

[@mgunthe]

Any suggestions on taking lead falls on slab? Ie. techniques to come off the rock above your protection to help you minimize the possibility of cheese grading down the face?

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

Great question. There is an art to falling: be like a cat, look where you are going to land, give a heads up to the belayer before it happens, etc. Occasionally the belayer can run down the hill to take in slack before you cheesegrate too bad. Lots of broken ankles, open tib/fib fractures, etc. from falling on slabs. I think the best answer is try not to whip on slabs.

[@xmnemonic]

would like tips on 5.10a+ slab climbing, is it just all edging?

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

Smear those edges. It's called smedging. Try to minimize edging on slabs because of reduced friction and toe strain. The techniques on this video helped me send the 11b slab on Freeblast, Crest Jewel 10a, etc. Basically it all applies to harder climbing except you have to pull harder on tiny edges with your fingers and your feet are more desperate. Sometimes it forces me to bump my lower foot a couple inches at a time before reaching the actual smear I am going for.

[@xmnemonic]

@@CaliforniaClimbingSchool Thanks!!!

[@LongBoy.0]

Well on this insane angle of slab technique doesn’t matter you can just friction crawl up

[@miguelayala3374]

It doesn't help to see you tip toe we need a clip of you actively doing it while shutting up. Nobody learns from listening they learn from watching and doing.

[@CaliforniaClimbingSchool]

I agree. Funny you should mention it because this was one of the only videos I had a live cameraman instead of just the tripod. But my friend held his phone vertically without realizing youtube is horizontal format, so all his video was useless. Especially when I talk about lateral movement of the hips. You can't see the the movement because the camera is at the wrong angle. Oh well. On a completely different note, did you notice the butterfly that landed on my helmet at 0:10? Pretty cool. It was a butterfly migration and there were thousands of them.

[@charlessullivan960]

I thought the video was very informative esp for new climbers. I would not have caught the lateral hip movement tip just by watching someone like Talo climb hard slab. An advanced slab climber like yourself may need the person to demonstrate while "shutting up" but beginning slab climbers need more than that.