Different body types. Different lengths of reach. So, different sling lengths are needed to make extensions for rappelling (abseiling). Here are a few things I consider when ensuring I have the right length of sling available on my harness in case I need to rappel.

Often the riskiest part of sport climbing is the transition at the top of the climb from leading to lowering. Different anchors require different steps in that transition in order to stay safe and backed-up in case something goes wrong. This video goes through the process of both cleaning an anchor and direct lowering when coming to a two-bolt anchor with rappel rings or links.

Putting different foam compounds into climbing helmets creates different pros and cons for those helmets. Here is a rundown of how two of the most common foam types, EPP and EPS, may impact your decision when selecting a climbing helmet.

Potentially, the transition from climbing to lowering can be the most dangerous part of sport climbing. Setting up a system without any additional eyes to check your work increases the danger, and facing different permanent hardware setups means we need to know how to manage those scenarios. The full video walks through how to safely transition from at the top of a climb when facing two mussy hooks, both when cleaning an anchor or when lowering directly.

There is actually more to putting on a climbing helmet than just putting it on your head. It needs to remains as stable as possible through your movement but also should you receive an impact. Here's how to ensure a proper fit.

Transitioning from climbing up to being lowered down can be simple or can be tricky, depending upon the hardware you find at the anchor bolts. It can get even more complicated if you are putting in a top rope anchor for climbers to use after you. The full video shows how to manage this transition safely.

For those of us with little crusher rock climbing kids, one of the things to think about as they challenge themselves on new routes and develop new skills is that our equipment was designed for our adult-sized bodies. But with careful consideration, we can put together the right combinations of equipment to have it work well for them. Here is an example with quickdraws.

Our kids just completed their first sport climbing leads and their first multi-pitch climbs. We are continuing to shed some light on how we got ourselves and our kids ready so that they could make those advances in their climbing journeys. In the full video, we are talking about the mental checklist we impart to any new sport climbing leaders to make sure they were staying as safe as possible when up on the sharp end of the rope.

Making upward progress when rock climbing on a hard sport route often means efficiency and conserving energy. One of the places you can lose energy needlessly is with sloppy technique as you clip your draws. Here is how to assess and apply which technique and hand positions to use for maximum efficiency.

Our kids hit a few rock climbing milestones, this year, putting up their first sport climbing leads and completing their first multi-pitch climbs as seconds. In the full video, we are sharing how the kids progressed in skills and how we gave them exposure to some of the different demands of climbing so that we all felt comfortable letting them head up on lead.

The sticky rubber on rock climbing shoes can get polished, which reduces its grip. When you get shiny, polished sections on your climbing shoes, you can briefly scuff them with sandpaper to restore their stickiness.

A lot of home climbing walls go unused, often because the routes get stale and boring. The full video discusses how I've approached setting routes for the climbers in my family so that we can always feel like the routes we have on the wall are helping us become better climbers while also being fun!

Overhanging climbing routes, bad climbing holds, or underdeveloped upper body or grip strength can all cause your hands and arms to give out when rock climbing. The "drop knee" technique can shift a lot of the burden to our stronger, lower body muscles and help keep our hips close to the wall. Here's how you perform the technique.

To get better at any endeavor, we need a way to talk about it. New rock climbers are not an exception. In the full video, we describe and name some basic rock features, grip and foot placement types, and rock climbing techniques. This rock climbing vocabulary will help new climbers discuss their climbing with others, hopefully stimulating help, collaboration, and improvement.

Any time you are belaying from the ground, whether that be the first pitch of a multi-pitch climb or if you are out trying single-pitch traditional or sport climbing, you can think about using better belaying footwork, if you have the space, to make managing rope slack much easier as well as making is safer for your climber. Here's how.

Communication between climbing partners is a fundamental part of maintaining safety. Surprises create risk because you can't plan for things you can't anticipate. Solid communication can reduce surprises. Before attempting nuanced multi-partner, multi-pitch, or complicated alpine climbs, the full video shows how we taught the new climbers in our family - our kids - good communication while working comparatively simply top rope climbs. These communication habits will form the foundation of a lifetime of safe climbing.

For climbers just starting out, learning the foundations of solid belay technique is imperative. While different nuances and whole other techniques can be used in different situations as you gain experience, the Pull Brake Under Slide climbing belay method is the foundational method to use whenever your climber is above you.

Our kids are young and very into rock climbing. Our philosophy has always been to empower them, and that demands they take on increasing responsibilities for safety as they become ready. If they have always been partners in keeping themselves safe they will more likely continue to be safety conscious as they enjoy a lifetime of climbing. One major milestone in that climbing journey is learning proper top rope belaying. The full video shows how we taught our young kids how to top rope belay while ensuring we kept everyone safe along the way.

When you are alpine climbing or mountaineering it is easy to make the mistake of being at a rest, coiling the rope to shorten it for the next section of terrain, and only after getting retied in realizing you forgot to have your pack on as you made your coils. Here's how you can get your pack on without recoiling and still managing to keep your rucksack under the rope.

While the choice about taking ice screws or nuts or cams or pickets will always depend on route conditions and the route, itself, the full video walks through a few items that I take climbing on every trip, whether dry rock, snow, or ice, whether at the crag, in the alpine, or on a glacier. This gear helps me deal with any eventuality from standard climbing needs to terrain beyond my free climbing ability, to rescues.