This is a no-nonsense treatise on scientific aspects of rock climbing, as well as technical discussion on some advanced climbing techniques. The mathematical and physical principles discussed herein aim to provide a self-consistent body of information from which practical advice on climbing techniques, use of equipment and safety, can be deduced by an astute reader. Thus, rather than providing specific rock climbing instructions, as typical textbooks do, we encourage the reader to grasp the underlying mechanisms to be able to improvise practical solutions to any given situation.
The second objective of this text is to dispel some commonly re-curing myths, which tend to arise from misleading scientific information, often presented in the literature and/or promulgated in the community.