Heel hooks

Who it's for

Steep boulders, roofs and any move where you need a third point of contact. It's also the technique most likely to hurt you if you go at it hard, so build up slowly.

Most climbers start needing heel hooks once they're on overhanging walls regularly, usually somewhere in their first year or two. If a knee or hamstring is already sore, get a physio to look at it before you start pulling hard with your heel.

Common mistakes

• Placing the heel and hoping. Pull with it. Bend the knee and squeeze the hamstring and glute, the same way you'd pull with an arm.
• Toes pointing the wrong way. Toes out and slightly down puts the heel where it bites. Toes up rolls the hook off the hold.
• Cranking a hard heel hook cold. Hamstrings and knees don't like maximum load with no warning. Warm up before you load one hard.
• Ignoring knee pain. Pain on the inside of the knee is a reason to end that session there.

How to progress

Big obvious holds first, three tries a side, then worse holds, then heel hooks that have to hold you while you move a hand. Strong hamstrings help, so keep some Nordic curls or single-leg deadlifts in the same week.

How to make it easier

Go less steep. On a gently overhanging wall the heel only takes part of your weight, so you can learn the pull without much load on the knee. Use big footholds for the heel, like a jug or a large volume, and keep your hands on good holds too.

Where it fits in your week

It's a wall drill for early in a session, once you're warmed up and before you're tired. It belongs in a Base period, where you learn the movement on easy steep ground, and in a Performance period, where you sharpen it on moves like the ones on your project.

Questions

What is a heel hook in climbing?

A heel hook is placing your heel on a hold and pulling with it like a hand. You bend the knee and squeeze your hamstring and glute, which pulls your hips toward the wall or helps you move up. It takes weight off your arms on steep ground and gives you a third point of contact on moves where your feet would otherwise cut loose.

How do you do a heel hook?

Place your heel firmly on the hold, point your toes out and slightly down, then pull by bending your knee. Squeeze your hamstring and glute as if you were pulling with an arm, and bring your hips close to the wall before you load it. Start on easy steep boulders with big holds and practise each move three times per side.

Are heel hooks bad for your knees?

Heel hooks put real load through the knee and hamstring, so a hard one done cold or with the knee twisted can strain them. Warm up first, build up from big holds, and keep your hips close to the wall. Stop for the day if the inside of your knee hurts, and if the pain stays, get a physio to look at it.

When should you use a heel hook in climbing?

Use a heel hook when the wall is steep and you need a third point of contact to stay on or to move up. Common spots are roofs, aretes, the lip of an overhang and holds out to the side at hip height or higher. If your feet keep cutting loose on a steep move, look around for somewhere to put a heel.