Physics: Rock Climbing Science
Physics: Rock Climbing Science
As with any sport, there is a lot of rock climbing science that goes behind the way that particular sport works. In rock climbing, climbers have to use precarious holds and balancing movements to make it up the face of the mountains. The rock climbing science behind these movements is amazing to study, as the human body functions with precision and the equipment used makes some of the more difficult climbs possible. There are scientists that study rock climbing science in order to help companies build better equipment that will withstand the conditions needed in the sport as well as meet the weight requirements in order to be able to climb with the equipment on the climber’s back.
Hands
One part of the rock climbing science has to do with the way the climber’s hands work. There are two different grips that climbers must use when doing rock climbing. There is the power grip and the precision grip that is used. The power grip uses the entire hand to grip a certain object so that it is pressed between the fingers and the palm of the hand using the muscles of the forearm. This allows the grip to be tight and powerful as opposed to the precision grip. The precision grip is utilized when doing fine motor skills, since it only grips the object between the fingers, thus using the power of the muscles in the hand rather than the larger muscles of the forearm.
When climbing, one part of rock climbing science comes into play when ensuring safety with the chock which is wedged into the mountainside. The precision grip is what is used to grip the chock and to shove it into a crack in the mountain. A carabiner is attached to the chock and the rope is threaded through it. If the climber falls, the rock climbing science says that the rope would bring the climber to a stop briefly, but the force exerted would be much larger than gravity exerts on the body, which would be impossible for a partner to hold up. However, the rock climbing science also says that because the partner has the rope wrapped around the waist as well as gripping it in a power grip, the grip is amplified many times which helps to stop the fall. In addition, the belaying pins also help to provide amplification, which helps the partner to be able to stop the fall and pull the partner back up again.
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