Bouldering and beyond

From an article titled "Rock Climbing Technique, Performance and Climbing Tips":

Preview and Read the Route. Before you climb, visualize the sequences through the entire route--or as much as you can see from the ground. After you complete the route, look at it again and re-analyze it.

Improve Your Balance. The starting point for developing a good rock climbing technique begins with your sense of balance, and how you control your balance on the wall. A good sense of balance is the key to moving smoothly and making difficult climbing moves appear effortless. To maintain balance while climbing keep moving! Use momentum to reach a move that is further than can be reached using a static movement. The holds you choose should not be out of reach…. Make the series of holds within reach but which also require extending your body position.

Speed of Climbing. Some climbers are slow and deliberate and have a static technique. Some climb fast using a dynamic climbing technique. Both types of climbing can be considered good rock climbing technique. It is more important to adapt your style to make best use of your abilities.

Develop Smooth Movement. The control and fluidity of how you move is one of the primary indicators of good well developed rock climbing technique. Develop smoothness to your climbing by simply making a conscious effort to control unneeded movement. Wiggling and resituating creates “opportunity” to fall, slip off the
hold or lose balance. To correct this, simply become conscious of your movements. Think about the movement that is needed to advance, and do only that.

Find Rest Spots. Regardless of the speed of climbing, climbers who look for and take rests will do better than those who do not. Learning to spot and take advantage of rest spots is a very important technique in rock climbing. The reason climbers peel off high routes within their ability level is they did not manage their rest properly.

Watch and Learn. The best way to learn and improve rock climbing technique is observe the technique used by good climbers, and practice to develop these techniques yourself. Make mental notes as you observe climbers.

Taking a Good Fall. No matter how good you are, you will fall. If you don’t you are not pushing yourself to your limit. Falling is part of climbing and it is a skill to learn just like any other aspect of good climbing technique. There is a basic fear of falling in humans, which is part of the underlying thrill of climbing. This fear may be debilitating to people new to climbing but as you get more experience with falling the more comfortable you will become. Then say to yourself, “that wasn’t so bad”, get back on the wall. Now you have confidence to push yourself to try difficult moves even if it means falling. That is an important aspect of developing and improving your rock climbing technique: You need to be able to push yourself to your maximum ability…which means you will fall. Most falls should be a surprise. Yes, you will feel most of them coming, but the actual moment you pop off the wall should be a surprise.