For beginner climbers especially, slopers often seem impossible to use and are avoided like the plague.  However, the reason slopers are so difficult to use is also precisely what makes them so interesting to climb on.  Unlike crimps and pinches, they do not rely completely on finger strength.  Slopers are subtle and often require thoughtful and creative beta.

However, how to climb slopers does not have to remain a mystery as there are techniques to climbing on them that can be practiced and trained.  To help, here’s an article from Climbing Magazine by JP Whitehead and featuring Megan Martin that outlines some of the basic techniques behind climbing on slopey holds and then gives you some tips about how to try your hardest by squeezing the life out of slopers.

“Loved. Hated. Feared. Revered. No other type of hold evokes such a wide array of emotional responses as the sloper. While these rounded and relatively featureless holds (usually devoid of any real edges or bumps to grip) may be aesthetically pleasing, they present an interesting conundrum for many climbers. Unlike other holds, such as crimps or edges, where one can usually just pull down harder, slopers require more finesse than brute strength.” – JP Whitehead

In detail, the article covers the different technical elements of how to climb slopers.  Specifically, Whitehead discusses:

• Body position
• Hand position
• The angle of the climb

Click through bellow to check out the whole article.  Then head out and try that slopey boulder you’ve been avoiding for years.  These techniques may just help you flip the switch and send.

Click Here: How to Climb Slopers

(photo by Alton Richardson; courtesy of climbing.com)

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