Science Friction; Science behind the send

 Climbing in the Valhalla Mountain Range. Photo by the author, check out @pistol.pan on Instagram for more.

 Friction: the force resisting relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. 

 That's the definition given by Wikipedia anyway. For climbers, friction is life, sometimes literally. Have you ever reached for a nice jug expecting a break only to find out it's a greasy mess? Or found refuge on a sloper that you expected to be slip-and-slide? We have friction to thank for both situations, and before you go pointing a finger at the rock, perhaps it's time to take a look at that same finger you might be pointing. 

 Small crag on Vancouver Island. Photo by the author, check out @pistol.pan on Instagram for more.

 Turns out there's a great deal of science behind friction and, luckily for us, there are people looking into it. Check out this article on the Climbing Magazine website for a bit more of an in-depth exploration into the subject.