Book excerpt: If you are new to climbing, you will find games which introduce some essential skills (such as 'crimping' a hold - Chapter 10). If you are an old hand, you will find some great games to help add variety to your weekly club sessions (have you tried 'The Octopus'? - Chapter 6). Playing some of these games can become addictive as your friends and rivals find new ways to play. The overview of skills used in each game will help you turn play into progress. Each chapter deals with a fundamental climbing technique. Some chapters focus on a particular aspect of a climbing session, e.g. the use of foot or handholds, traversing or roped climbing. You can pick and choose activities from each chapter to suit your session and goals. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction, followed by a list of all the activities within that section along with their learning goals. The games are listed in a random order. Many of the games develop more than one aspect of climbing. To help you make the most of them, icons appear beside each title to give you information about the possible ways they can be used at a glance.