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Thanks. To clarify, though, I do understand why one would be safe while the other wouldn't; what I was interested in was the actual technique a climber uses to

by jfager 16y ago

Thanks. To clarify, though, I do understand why one would be safe while the other wouldn't; what I was interested in was the actual technique a climber uses to determine that. In other words: there are certainly rocks for which both vertical and horizontal forces are safe, and rocks for which both vertical and horizontal forces are unsafe, but where and how is the line drawn to determine that vertical is safe while horizontal isn't? Is it just feeling and experience, or are there actual rules people generally follow?

thisrod 16y ago
There aren't any rules, but the feelings are usually strong ones. Consider the piece of rock in the article. It weighs tons, and has resisted gravity for centuries, so it would take horrible luck for it to fall off while someone was climbing it. On the other hand, no one would plan to fall on it - not even the guy who climbed it.