Review: The Climbing Bible by Martin Mobrǻten and Stian Christophersen

IT is 50 years since I first started rock climbing in my teens and over the years have climbed in Scotland, Wales, the Lake District and more locally at Ilkley, Caley, Almscliffe and Kilnsey.

I wish, back in the 70s, that a book such as this had been available as at that time we had to rely on articles in “Mountain Life” and “Climber” magazines plus guidebooks to the various areas such as “Yorkshire Gritstone” for our local climbs.

These days more and more people around the world are discovering how great climbing is both indoors and outdoors. In the 70s indoor climbing was the exception rather than the rule and it wasn’t until 1985 that the Indoor Climbing Wall at Aireborough Leisure Centre was opened by Sir Chris Bonington. There is also now Clip n’ Climb at Ilkley in the station complex where budding new climbers can make their first attempts at the sport.

The Climbing Bible by internationally renowned climbers and coaches Martin Mobrǻten and Stian Christophersen is a comprehensive guide to help climbers train effectively to become better in their sport. Based on their own extensive experience and research, the book collates the best European training techniques into one book with information on how to specifically train for the technical, physical and mental performance factors in climbing including endurance, power, motivation, fear of falling and injury prevention.

There are six main chapters in the book with sub-sections in each. These are Technique, Physical Training, Mental Training, Tactics, General Training & Injury Prevention and Training Plans. There are also a number of stories by various International climbers and the book is punctuated by numerous colour photos relating to the text in the book.

It is a weighty tome with over 350 pages but contains all the information that both a beginner and a more experienced climber would ever need about the sport.

As I said earlier, I only wish this book had been available 40 or 50 years ago as it would have been invaluable to me at that time.

Let’s hope the modern generation of climbers realise what a gem they have in this particular publication.

by John Burland