Unlocking the Art of Technical MTB Climbs

For most riders, climbing is just the price you pay to get to the good stuff. But what if the uphill could be just as satisfying as the descent?

In this video, I dive deep into the techniques, mindset, and small adjustments that transform frustrating technical climbs into a challenge worth pursuing, whether you’re on a regular mountain bike or an e-MTB.

Revisiting the Foundations

Even strong intermediate and advanced riders often carry small inefficiencies that hold them back. Re-sharpening the basics: body positioning, cadence, and terrain awareness all pay massive dividends when the trail gets steep or unpredictable.

The key: stay centred by hinging at the hips, keeping your chest low, and constantly adjusting your gear to maintain that sweet, efficient pedalling rhythm, while using your vision to scan between what is coming up next, and what you're about to go over now.

Breaking Down the Climb

Every tricky climb trail is a mix of easy bits and hard bits. Instead of attacking it as one long grind, treat it like high-intensity interval training:

• Rest and reset on the easy parts

• Prepare your body position, change gears, look ahead and choose your line

• Commit and burst through the tricky sections by putting the power down beforehand

Momentum, not muscling, is your friend.

Video for those who prefer to watch.

Commitment and Reset

One of the biggest climbing mistakes isn’t physical - it’s mental. But you already know that. Riders often 'half-commit,' entering a feature without enough speed or intention. The reset - taking a breath, visualizing the line, and re-committing with even more conviction - often makes the difference between stalling out and nailing it.

E-MTB Nuances

Switching to an e-MTB changes the equation. More weight, more torque, and way more traction - if you know how to create it.

Adjust your power mode, manage cadence, and use your range of motion to control the bike’s stability. Dropping the saddle a little lower gives room for those hips to dance moto style, and keeps traction planted when power kicks in. We also need to be more prepared, earlier. So adjusting your trail scanning zones, the NOW, and NEXT even further up the trail is critical, as well as identifying changes in the surface that will likely be slippery - think roots, rocks, steep uphills, or muddy patches - once again we want to gather momentum by accelerating before the hard bit hoping that we can coast over it without putting too much power down and risking that rear wheel slipping out. On the surface, many of these points are very similar to the techniques we use on a regular bike; they just carry much more weight when we pick up the e-bike - no pun intended.

The Mental Side of Climbing

Climbing teaches patience, precision, and persistence. It’s one of the best ways to train commitment - and unlike descending, failure usually comes without consequence, and simply means stopping and trying again.

With the right approach, even the hardest climb becomes a fun opportunity to challenge yourself and your mates, while building confidence, focus, and flow.

Next Steps

If this video resonates with you, jump into our Mental About MTB community on Telegram. Each week, I break down real rider clips, give feedback, and share practical trail wisdom you can use straight away.

Or, if you’re ready to go all in on your progression, explore the Full Circle Coaching Program or join one of our Global Expeditions. Both are designed to help strong intermediate to advanced riders build lasting confidence, control, consistency, and community - on every part of the trail, up and down. See you out there! - Jake