When people are just getting into crack climbing, there’s often a tendency to rely on brute strength instead of technique. At Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA), a top-tier rock climbing summer camp, we help campers develop skills like the layback move—an essential technique for tackling corner cracks and overlapping sections. While this move can be strenuous, using it strategically can help climbers navigate tough sections with efficiency and control.
What is the Layback Move?
The layback move works by creating opposition between your hands and feet, leveraging your body to move up the rock face with minimal effort. Here’s how it works:
-
Your fingers grip the crack, pulling with your arms.
-
Simultaneously, you press your feet against the opposing wall to create a counterforce.
-
By keeping your feet high and maintaining tension between your hands and feet, you can make small controlled movements up the rock.
One key mistake beginners make is rushing the movement and standing up too far, causing their feet to slip and losing their position of strength. Instead, keeping heels dropped and feet high ensures a stable stance, allowing for steady, controlled progression.