How to learn to climb walls. You can climb walls with these incredible gloves. How to prepare to perform
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Many lizards, such as geckos, have the remarkable ability to easily climb vertical surfaces. This process has fascinated scientists for many years, but it is only recently that they have figured out how it works.
A clearer understanding of the principle of operation of the pillows on the paws of the gecko gave specialists the hope that an exact copy of these pillows could support the weight of a person.
But there was one more problem that had to be solved with these "gecko-man gloves" - the problem of even weight distribution. The weight of a hanging person must be distributed so that no critical voltage arises in any pillow that can cause a chain reaction and destroy the entire system. A group of researchers led by Stanford engineer Ethan Hawkes believe they have solved this problem. They developed a dry binder called PDMS that contains nanofibers that look like gecko hairs. They are aligned when the glove moves down the surface, and grip with the surface is increased due to the resulting electromagnetic attraction. At the same time, the glove easily “unsticks” from the surface when jerked perpendicular to its plane.
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Wallflip - somersault from the wall - a spectacular trick in parkour and freerunning. For those who are not in the subject, it seems unrealistically complicated. Indeed, a person does not have the innate ability to tumble in the air. Especially to do it backwards. A flip in the air is perceived by our brain as an action that goes beyond the normal capabilities of the body. Unconscious fear of a somersault in the air back is a completely normal reaction. But there is nothing impossible in learning to push off the wall and make a wallflip (wallflip).
How to prepare to perform
Wall running followed by a back somersault is easier to master than a back somersault from a horizontal surface. Mainly because the main momentum in the trick is given by the legs by pushing off the surface.
It is much easier to carry out such repulsion from the wall, since:
- the push comes from the wall at a certain height, which in itself leads to the climb necessary to complete the somersault;
- the somersault is not performed 360 °, as in a back somersault, but approximately 270-290 °.
However, all of the preparatory exercises that were recommended in the backflip tutorial article can and should be used to prepare for the wallflip. They will teach you the following basic skills:
- correctly push off before a somersault;
- correctly grouped during a coup in the air;
- accustom the body and brain to non-standard backward rotation.
It should be remembered that wall running is objectively a health hazard. To perform it, you must be in good physical shape and perfectly control your own body. Particular attention should be paid to leg training. So run and jump more.
How to learn to run on the wall with a somersault back
To "run" on the wall you need shoes, the sole of which provides good grip on the surface. It will be nice if the surface is not completely smooth. The better the grip at the takeoff point, the faster you can learn to run with a wallflip.
- Takeoff.
3-5 m will be enough. During these few steps, the body acquires the energy necessary to complete the somersault.
- Plant hands back.
When approaching the wall, both arms are brought back to give additional momentum during the repulsion;
- Repulsion.
Repulsion from the wall is carried out with one foot by contacting its bow with a point on the wall located at waist level or slightly higher. The essence of repulsion is to jump up and back a little: at an angle of 45 ° to the surface of the wall.
Of fundamental importance is the correct choice of the point for repulsion! If it is lower than necessary, then the foot will slide off the wall, or at least the bulk of the momentum will be extinguished, and the wallflip will become impossible. If it is too high, then you will push off not at an angle of 45 °, but at a large one - at 60 ° or 80 ° - which will inevitably lead to falling back and falling on your back with a high probability of injury.
- Giving extra impetus with your hands.
When pushing away, the hands are forcefully transferred from the position “behind” - up, making a semicircular turn. This allows the body to gain additional momentum in the jump.
Practice doing steps 1-4. You must take a run, find a foothold, properly push off from it, using, among other things, the movement of the hands to give more strength to the jump, bounce off the wall and land on your feet. Do until you feel the inner readiness to move on.
Here are some tips for doing the roll correctly:
- Use the help of a partner to learn how to wallflip.
Most likely, you will not be able to do it correctly: do not complete a full rotation in the air, as a result, you will land unsuccessfully and injure yourself.
The partner must stand near the wall and insure the jumper, substituting his hand under his back during the somersault. In this way, the jumper will be able to stay at the right height, complete the flip in the air, and land safely.
- "Run" on the wall.
Don't try to "jump" off the wall. You have to sort of "run" through it. Pushing off with one foot, direct the other free one as if you are going to take a step and “walk” along the wall. Together with a sharp wave of the arms, this movement of the leg gives the momentum necessary to perform further rotation.
- Bend backwards.
Raising your arms back will lead to an automatic deflection in the back. The head should be in a slightly “tilted” position, as if you were looking up. The body must follow the head.
- Group up.
A somersault is carried out around an imaginary point at the level of the solar plexus. Grouping is needed so that this point is in the center of the body. However, when pushing off the wall, the rotation is less than 360°, so tucking in a wallflip is not as important as in a normal backflip. Unlike a full tuck when doing somersaults, you just need to bend your knees and bring them closer to your body.
Well-trained people can wallflip with little to no tuck. But if you are just starting to master the technique of wall running, then learn to group. This is the key to a safe performance of the trick.
- Remember that the body follows the head.
Arch backwards to complete the turn.
- Land on both feet.
Always end the wallflip by landing on both feet first. Having gained experience, you will be able to land “in step”: first on one, leading, leg, then on the other, free. Thus, you will truly "run on the wall."
Scientists have managed to create a device that allows a person to climb sheer glass walls. The role model was the gecko lizard, which easily moves along vertical surfaces.
The researchers found that the amazing ability of the gecko to stay on sheer slippery surfaces is explained by the van der Waals effect - the emerging forces of intermolecular interaction, which are quite enough to support the weight of the animal even if it runs head down in the stream. This feature of the funny lizard was the basis of the new invention.
Specialists from Stanford University, with the assistance of the US Department of Defense, have created a working version of a device with which a person can climb steep surfaces like a gecko, albeit very, slowly.
In fact, the new development is plates that are fastened to the hands with the help of special straps. Each of the plates put on the hand is connected by cables with a special support, which is designed for the foot. On each of them are 24 postage stamp-sized plates, covered with hairs of their special silicon polymer polydimethylsiloxane. This material is a complete analogue of the hairs on the paws of a gecko. With a strong pressure on the surface, the plates reliably stick to it, and the person does not slip off, even if held on one hand.
The device was tested on one of the graduate students. A young man weighing 70 kg easily climbed a glass wall to a height of 3.5 meters. All he had to do was take turns “peeling off” the hands with the plates fixed to them and rearranging them higher and higher. The legs were lifted by cables at the same time as the arms. To transfer the plate, it was enough for the graduate student to slightly ease the pressure on it.
In the near future, scientists are going to finalize the system, which will make the climbing process smoother. So far, with the help of plates, you can only climb dry and smooth walls. But in the near future, equipped with such plates, it will be possible to overcome rough walls.
Innovative glove plates that can turn anyone into a real Spider-Man are not the only ones of their kind. Earlier we talked about gloves for expressive communication in the dark.
Climbing walls are not just a place for sports, but also a good way to overcome fears, to feel the taste of victory from conquering peaks. Let so far in the hall, and not in the mountains. Here is a selection of some of the major climbing walls in our city.
1. Skala city
Large and well equipped climbing wall. Lessons with instructors or a visit to a climbing school are possible. There are bouldering (low walls for working out complex elements of the route) and a gym, lockers for personal belongings, showers and a sauna. The basics of insurance are taught free of charge.
Time: weekdays 15:00 - 23:30, weekends 12:30 - 22:00
Location: Kutuzovsky prospect, 36, building 3.
Prices: a one-time lesson costs 550 rubles, from Mon to Thu from 15:00 to 17:00 all visitors receive a 30% discount. There is also a 50% discount for students from Monday to Thursday. Subscription for a month (unlimited number of visits) costs 4300 rubles.
2. Climbing wall of the shopping center “Extreme”
The climbing wall is a giant grotto with a total area of climbing walls of 300 sq.m. Various insurance systems, high-quality rental equipment. There are showers, changing rooms, lockers for personal belongings, a climbing simulator. There is a possibility to spend holidays. There is a climbing school for adults (discounts for students).
Time: weekdays from 15:00 to 20:00, weekends from 10:00 to 21:00.
Location: st. Smolnaya, d. 63B.
Cost: 2 test climbs - 300 rubles, climbing on a climbing simulator without a limit - 300 rubles. Subscription for a month - 2500 rubles.
3. Climbing club of the children's sports palace
The climbing wall was opened back in 1993. Here you will find a large number of trails of varying degrees of difficulty. There is a bouldering hall. There is an opportunity to study in the adult section (a course of 10 lessons) under the guidance of highly qualified trainers. The palace building has a cafe where you can have a snack after a workout, as well as shops where you can buy climbing equipment.
Time: weekdays 18:00-22:30; weekends 11:00 – 22:00.
Location: st. Working, d. 63.
Prices: from 9:00 to 16:00 - 110 rubles, from 18:00 to 22:30 - 180 rubles. Two trial lifts - 300 r.
4. Bauman climbing wall
Includes two sites: a large climbing wall and a small one (a completely new module with a large number of planes and original hinged structures). As in all the above places, there is a bouldering hall designed for sports groups (bouldering is a type of rock climbing, a series of short but extremely difficult routes). It is also possible to work with trainers individually or in groups. This climbing wall attracts first of all with democratic prices. A one-time visit will cost 300 rubles. For this money, you will be able to climb both the Small and the Large climbing walls, run around the arena, pull yourself up on all kinds of wall bars, use the locker rooms and showers. Monthly subscription costs 2500 rubles!
Time: the climbing wall is open only on weekdays, from 18:30 to 21:30.
Location: Hospital embankment, building 2/4, 4th floor.
5. RedPoint climbing wall
Large climbing wall 12.5 meters high.
The climbing wall consists of six modules:
- one overhanging module 9 meters wide
one slightly overhanging module 9 meters wide;
- two vertical and partially positive modules with a width of 6 + 9 = 15 meters;
- "birdhouse" - a two-story bouldering hall;
"canyon" - a vertical wall in the form of an accordion 6.7 meters wide.
Address: Vyatskaya street, 27, bldg. 12 (m. Savelovskaya).
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday from 9:00 to 23:00
Saturday-Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00
Prices: one-time visit - 420 rubles, from 9:00 to 16:00 on weekdays - 300 rubles. Subscription for 10 visits - 3600 rubles.
The largest climbing center in Russia, its area is over 2500 sq.m. The center was built following the example of Western analogues, there are more than 130 tracks of various difficulty categories for beginners and professionals. There is a large climbing wall 13.5 meters high with a variety of angles of inclination, the RockTopia module with cracks and columns, the relief and texture of which accurately reproduces the real rocks of Bulgaria ... And other interesting things.
Opening hours: from 8:00 to 22:30 on weekdays, 10:00 to 22:30 on weekends.
Price: a single visit costs 400 rubles. on weekdays until 16:30 and 600 r. on weekdays after 16:30 and weekends. Subscription for a month - from 3060 rubles.
Address: st. Paper passage, 19 building 1 (metro station Savelovskaya, metro station Belorusskaya)