Planning a Sequence of Moves

In planning a sequence of moves (on a rock face as opposed to a crack climb), it's helpful to have a basic understanding of the mechanics of movement, as well as an understanding of the geometric relationship between the hand and footholds.

The first phase of planning starts with observation. When I look at the up-coming section of rock, I scan the face in search of the most obvious features to either hang on or stand on. Depending on which quadrant (upper left, upper right, lower left, or lower right) the target handhold is located in, I will search for a corresponding foothold or combination of footholds in the quandrant/s that offer the most stablility. Unless making a "double-dyno" (jumping with both hands and/or feet off the rock at the same time), I usually suspend myself with at least three points of contact on the rock at any given time.

When making a move from one handhold to the next, I am usually standing on two footholds and holding on with only one handhold. If stepping onto a higher foothold, I am usually hanging on with two handholds and standing on only one foothold. Ideally I look for a combination of hand and footholds that work together in triangular relationship. Though the particular combination of the size of the holds, the distance between holds, and the angle of steepness are the primary factors that determine the difficulty of a climb, what often makes a route seem awkward has to do with the relative position of hand and footholds. When planning my next move, I try to place my foot in a direct line underneath my target handhold (same side hand to foot), or in a diagonal relationship between opposite hand to foot.

On paper, this sounds confusing but if you watch someone climb and analyze the body positions they assume, it does makes sense on an intuitive level. Cultivating this sense of spatial awareness and geometric relationships has been extremely helpful in my own process of planning my sequence of moves.

Think about a particular move on a particularly challenging climb and see if this concept makes any sense in your planning process!

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