Overhang (rock formation)

As overhang a cliff or climbing is referred to, the slope is more than 90 °, which is therefore steeper than vertical. With particularly strong overhangs that reach nearly or quite horizontal, one speaks of a roof.

When climbing, make overhangs and roofs in particular special challenges to both the technique as well as to the constitution of the athlete. With increasing steepness of the load on the arm and hand muscles increases because a smaller proportion of the body weight can be worn by the feet, resting points to relax the muscles, especially the no -hands rest are rarely found in overhangs. Climbing techniques for overcoming overhangs contain about the displacement of the body center of gravity as close as possible to the rock and building the highest possible body tension. Some climbing techniques, such as the Foothook be applied almost exclusively in overhangs and roofs. For a long time have been overcome in the alpine climbing almost solely of technical climbing roofs. In modern sport climbing, however, also strongly overhanging terrain are no longer a feature, climbing walls often consist largely of overhangs and roofs.

A well-known example of severely overhanging terrain in nature is the roof in the north wall of the Western pinnacle, its upper end comprises approximately 40 meters horizontal distance from the base of the wall. Difficult climbing routes that are characterized by overhang and roof climbing, are Separate Reality and La Rambla.