1. Respect the Rope
Rope climbing is one of the oldest and most wholesome forms of exercise in the world. Soldiers have included rope climbing as part of their training for thousands of years. It was also part of the gymnastics competition in the Olympics from 1896 until 1932. The U.S. supported competitive rope climbing for another 30 years before its popularity died out. The Czech Republic established a new following for competitive rope climbing in 1993.
2. Getting To the Top
The average gym student will use the most basic method, known as PE Style, for climbing rope. Begin with both hands on the rope, one above the other, and your legs wrapped around the rope. The rope should be between your thighs with your feet hooked around it. Use your arms to pull yourself up until your chest meets your hands. Secure your position on the rope by squeezing your legs tightly around it while you reach up with your hands. Repeat this process until you get tired or reach the top.
3. More Advanced Methods
If you have great arm strength and want to set a new rope climbing record, you may want to try climbing ropes without using your legs at all. Grab the rope with your hands and allow your legs to hang down freely. With your upper hand holding securely to the rope, release your lower hand and grab the rope about 6 to 12 inches above the upper hand. Once you have secured the rope with both hands repeat this process until you reach your desired goal.
4. How the Pros Do It
If you're really feeling strong, you can try to climb with only one arm. Begin by pulling yourself off the ground with both hands, allowing your legs to hang freely. Grab the rope as high as possible with one hand and release with your other one. Using only this one arm, pull yourself up until your hand and chest meet. Now grab the rope as high as possible with your free hand and repeat the process. Though you're using both arms, you're only using one at a time rather than both together.
5. Avoiding Injury
Despite its simplicity, rope climbing is still a dangerous sport. To avoid injury, know your limitations. Don't go too high or try more advanced methods of climbing until you feel confident in your ability to hang on to the rope. Remember to conserve enough energy to climb down too. Rope climbing puts excessive stress on your shoulders and elbows so if they are sore or injured, limit the amount of rope climbing you do until you are completely healthy. Always use a hand-under-hand method to come down the rope to avoid painful rope burn.
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