Videography of climbing surfaces and improved positional control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are disclosed. Currently, videography using UAVs (e.g. drones) avoid vertical structures. Rather, such drones are designed to navigate open aerial spaces. For example, UAVs often include sensors and piloting programming to avoid vertical walls. In climbing scenarios, however, a UAV provides improved videography of the vertical surface as described herein. As such, attributes of a vertical, semi-vertical, or non-uniform vertical surface can be recognized by a UAV. These surface attributes can be used to pilot and/or control a UAV. In certain embodiments, a transmitter is disposed on the climber, a normal climbing surface vector is determined, and UAV control settings are generated thereby to position the UAV. And, improved communication can be provided so as to relay real-time video capture of climbing activity to one or more persons on the ground.