A six-module course on climbing-specific anatomy, injury mechanisms, assessment, rehabilitation, and return to sport — built for physiotherapists who already have strong clinical skills but little climbing background.
No climbing anatomy assumed — but no re-teaching basic anatomy either. It starts exactly where a physio's training leaves off.
Every module cites the climbing-medicine literature it draws from — Schöffl, Schweizer, and the rest of the field, not general opinion.
Differential tables, grading systems, and assessment frameworks you can use in your very next climbing patient's session.
Each module unlocks once you pass the quiz for the one before it — work through it at your own pace.
The sport itself: disciplines, competition formats (Speed, Lead, Boulder), and the vocabulary you'll need for every module after this one.
Full osteology, the flexor pulley system, grip biomechanics, and a dedicated section on growth plates and youth-specific injury.
Injury prevalence by body region and discipline, and how acute versus overuse presentations differ mechanically.
A site-by-site framework — fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee, and ankle — with differential tables for every presentation.
Evidence-based loading progressions, climbing-specific exercise selection, and grip-type-aware reloading after injury.
Grading readiness by discipline, load progression, protective taping, working with coaches, and monitoring for re-injury.
Chris is a sports physiotherapist with more than 25 years of clinical experience and an MPhil in Sports Physiotherapy from the University of Cape Town, awarded with distinction for his research. His clinical background spans sports and orthopaedic rehabilitation, biomechanics, running injuries, return to sport, and high-performance athletes. He has also lectured extensively to postgraduate Sports Medicine and Sports Physiotherapy students on biomechanics, knee injuries, running analysis, and return to play.
His particular expertise in climbing has developed through his work with high-performance climbers, the Western Cape Climbing High Performance Programme, and the South African Youth Climbing Team — bringing together clinical physiotherapy and the specific demands of climbing performance.
Julia is a physiotherapist with an MSc in Exercise and Sport Physiotherapy from the University of Cape Town and a particular interest in combining clinical practice with education and evidence-based care. She has extensive university teaching experience, including convening and lecturing on the MSc Exercise and Sport Physiotherapy programme at UCT.
She currently lectures physiotherapy students on Clinical Reasoning, Biomechanics of Rock Climbing, and physiotherapy in the sporting context, including the lower limb, hand, and wrist. She also has extensive private-practice experience in sports physiotherapy and ANMS, making her ideally placed to translate the clinical and biomechanical demands of climbing into practical injury management.
Work through the six modules in order, at whatever pace suits your schedule. Passing each quiz unlocks the next module automatically.