Before getting into the finer points of climbing snow, it is important to see the big picture. Unlike rock climbing, where the number and quality of hand and footholds is fixed, improving your steps and manufacturing protection placements is what snow climbing is all about. ...

The following is an excerpt on basic aid leading from the book How to Big Wall Climb by Chris McNamara....

On June 23 two groups from area gyms were climbing at crags along the Meadow River in the New River Gorge, West Virginia. Instructors from the gyms were guiding the climbers and both groups were overseen by an AMGA-certified rock-climbing instructor. ...

In 1980 my college roommate, Mark Herndon, fell 100 feet on a two-pitch route. I was belaying from a stance at the end of the first pitch, cooling my feet, shoes off. Mark had just cruised the second-pitch crux, a near-holdless paddle up granite glass, and was nearing the end of a 50-foot runout above the route’s only lead bolt when he slipped. ...

No commitment—not even the one to your SO—is as binding as that of the belay. When you hold the rope, your partner’s life is in your hands. Screw up this marriage and you give new meaning to the vow “till death do us part.”...

You can’t reach your potential in climbing if you are terrified of falling, and the key to confidence is for you and your partner to master dynamic-belaying technique. If you are still using the belay method that you learned as a beginner—standing still at the base and locking the rope off—then there is no guarantee that your leader will have a safe, comfortable fall. The “catch” may be too static and the climber may hit the wall too hard. ...

One of the most important performance skills is the ability to maintain good technique in high-pressure situations....

I have rigged my homemade draws with rubber bands to prevent the carabiners from crossloading, but I'm not sure if I am compromising my safety. Help! ...

Anyone can hit the campus board and get strong, but a truly skilled climber is someone who can keep it together even when he is drowning in lactic acid, miles above the runner. ...

If your forearms inflate like balloons and your fingers always seem to uncurl just before the anchors, then this two-part series on endurance training is just what you’re looking for. ...

It's no picnic taking a novice unfamiliar with anchor-cleaning protocol to the crags, since you have to climb each route twice......

Set thought aside to improve performance...

TRAINING AND performance experts agree: warming up before you climb will help keep you healthy and climbing your best....

The Nuts and Bolts of Gear....

How to belay if lives depended on it.

“Belay” is the most reverent word in the climbing lexicon. Belaying, or holding the rope to catch any fall by your partner, is the ultimate act of trust: you and your partner literally place your lives in each others’ hands. Don’t screw up!...

Turning your climbing photography passion into cash...

How long has it been since you noticed a real improvement in your climbing? If it has been a year or two, then you are probably still reaping the benefits of your previous breakthrough....

How to beat the scourge of climbing....

The gym season is here. Time to ask: Am I getting the best returns from my training? Now can be a crucial time to gain. In particular, you can boost t......

Our semi-scientific poll reveals for the first time the state of your health... plus whether you’ll be going straight to hell...