Rock steady

American Chris Lindner was a child prodigy in rock climbing. At the age of three, Lindner was doing the same top-rope climbs as adults. A year later, he was lead climbing – a more technical and dangerous type – and by the age of six, he had his first sponsorship. So if a child can do it, why can’t you? Now 24, Lindner offered Alex Welles tips on getting started while visiting the annual Climb On! Singapore competition last month.

Tips for beginner climbers:
1 Don’t reach with your hands first; instead, look down and bring your feet up. Shift your weight right over your feet and push up with the biggest muscle in your body [Lindner slaps his leg].

2 Find your balance. A lot of beginners aren’t on balance when they make a move, in which case they barn-door off [pivot on two points of contact] and that’s why they actually fall. It’s not because they can’t hang on anymore.

3 When resting, keep your arms straight – you can look ahead a move or two and it will save you more energy than if your arms are bent.

4 Beginners also try to climb with their feet instead of their toes. If you put just your toes on a foothold, you can shift your weight around more by pivoting on the toe.

5 Pay attention to memorising sequences. Beginners fall again at the same spot because they didn’t actually fix what they were trying to do. Work on your efficiency and ability to memorise a route.

6 Watch your feet and make sure they don’t get caught behind the rope. If this happens on steep routes and you fall, you can spin, get your leg caught and end up with a rope burn, or swing and hit your head.

7 Don’t worry if you’re afraid of heights. It’s a common thing to start thinking about the fall instead of climbing. You just have to get over it by taking a couple of safe falls; the gym is a good place for this.

8 Get out and climb some rocks. Travel. There are rocks all over the world. Go find them.