tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79998663638452286982024-03-13T08:43:45.824-07:00Climbing For The Rest of UsReal world information, thoughts, opinions, and gear reviews for everyone who loves rock climbing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999866363845228698.post-60574426219863655802014-03-02T11:14:00.001-08:002014-03-02T11:15:06.735-08:00YOU'RE TALKING YOURSELF INTO FAILURE WITHOUT KNOWING ITEver feel like your actual climbing performance isn't matching your potential climbing potential? Yeah, we all have felt that way. Most climbers try to close this gap by training more, buying new ("better") equipment, or other similar efforts. There's nothing wrong with doing these things, but you are probably completely overlooking a more basic problem that doesn't require anything other than some mental effort. <br />
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<h2>
The Power of Your Mind</h2>
Everyone has heard sayings like "negative thoughts lead to negative actions," or "the body can't go where the mind hasn't already been." And every climber knows that it is very easy to let negative thoughts get the best of you while on a hard or scary route. But not many climbers seem to do anything about it. I think this is because (obviously) stopping your thoughts isn't possible, but yet there isn't much info out there about how to not fall into the trap of negative thinking, especially in climbing. Two psychological concepts provide a simple way to not let negativity determine your climbing performance.<br />
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<h2>
Self Talk</h2>
For our purposes, "self talk" is basically the conversation you have with
yourself, the "words" that go through your mind when you are doing or
thinking about something. It is more than just our thoughts, it is
literally the inner dialogue you have with yourself. Sometimes, self
talk is actually said out loud (talking to yourself). In climbing,
examples of self talk often include statements like "wow that hold is
small," or "I'm getting pretty pumped," or "oh man that routes looks
pretty hard." There is nothing at all wrong with self talk, but the
problem is that usually it is negative. Negative self talk easily leads
to negative performance, sometimes even convincing yourself you can't do
a route before you even get on it. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Reframing</h2>
We cannot simply turn off our self talk. It is an automatic
response to a situation. But, we can work on "reframing" the self talk to
ideally something positive, or at least not negative. Reframing is a technique to change how we understand or interpret a situation. Instead of saying
to yourself "I'm feeling pretty tired today, I don't know about this,"
you could say "This is going to be a good challenge for me today," or
"This is going to be good training for me to work on pushing through
when I'm tired." Importantly, reframing self talk has to be reasonable
and accurate. You cannot trick yourself. For example, instead of saying
"that hold feels tiny" you can't say "that hold feels huge" because you
know it isn't true. But you can say "I know that hold is small so I need
to move off of it fast so I can get to a better hold." <br />
<br />
<h2>
Reframing Your Self Talk</h2>
<div>
When working on this, at first you will probably catch
yourself saying something negative and then having to reframe it to
something not negative. Eventually though, the goal is that all of your
self talk (and yes, even outside of climbing) will become non-negative -
maybe even positive! - and you won't have to reframe any of it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
For many climbers, a huge
amount of your actual performance (not potential performance) is
directly related to your emotional and mental state. Focusing on
your self talk can really help keep your actual performance at the
level of your potential performance. To start reframing, first just be thinking about your self talk and notice when it is negative. Actively work on immediately reframing it to a positive, or at least neutral, statement. With some dedication soon you will find yourself having non-negative self talk without thinking about it! <br />
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P.S. Here is a link to another blog post that offers related, inspiring advice: <a href="http://thegription.com/?p=126" target="_blank">Shut Up and Get It Done</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999866363845228698.post-22414814394538277862012-12-09T09:27:00.002-08:002014-03-02T11:17:04.529-08:00WHY YOU NEED PROJECT ROUTES TOOIf you spend any time at all paying attention to climbing media, no doubt you've heard all about the latest projects the pro-bro climbers are working on. Sure this can be inspiring, but for most of us reading about the cruxes of 5.14 routes (or now 5.15!) is so far removed from our climbing it goes right over our heads. But the rest of us should have project routes too, even if our "projs" are 5.10s! There are many benefits of projecting routes, most importantly making you a better overall climber.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<h2>
What is a project route? </h2>
A project route is simply a route that is too hard for you to currently climb, but that inspires you to work really hard to finally be able to send it. That's it. The route can be in a gym, or at Cuese. It doesn't have to be the best route in the world either. The only two things that matter are that you can't currently climb it, and you want to work hard to be able to climb it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImL9n3YRBBGYUWAUstxYBe_uQBkwwDgwAPR0HtJqw3Cjg2N_1cAhDeHvlq3RGLo3GTkPcsD0i1rk-sS9EahVw-mDEWz8KUj8qbr7JHHHLHCc6H3ZdeZieScYd1h9hWnH1GjVcbCiJrw/s1600/Ondra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImL9n3YRBBGYUWAUstxYBe_uQBkwwDgwAPR0HtJqw3Cjg2N_1cAhDeHvlq3RGLo3GTkPcsD0i1rk-sS9EahVw-mDEWz8KUj8qbr7JHHHLHCc6H3ZdeZieScYd1h9hWnH1GjVcbCiJrw/s1600/Ondra.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam Ondra working a "lifetime" project.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some times a project route doesn't take too long to finally send, but some times they can. Pros sometimes talk about multi-year projects, but I think for the average climber that is way too long. In my opinion, for normal climbers it is important to select project routes that are realistic for us. It would be a waste of time for a 5.10 climber to seriously work on a 5.12 route. The point is not to just throw yourself mercilessly on any route that is too hard for you. If I had to put numbers to it, I would say that a realistic project route for normal climbers should take more than 5 attempts, but fewer than 20 to send. <br />
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<h2>
How to work a project route.</h2>
After selecting a project, the next step is to work on sending it! What you don't want to do is just try climbing it over and over again, hoping that eventually something magical will happen and it will work out for you. Instead, you want to figure out <i>why</i> you can't send it now, and then work on that deficiency until it is no longer holding you back. Maybe there is one really bad hold for you, or maybe you need more endurance, or maybe there is a really mentally challenging section. Figure it out, and then work it out. This gets to what I think is one of the most fundamental components of <a href="http://climbingfortherestofus.blogspot.com/2012/07/becoming-better-climber.html" target="_blank">how to improve your climbing</a>: taking seriously the difference between practice and performance. In this context, performance is what you do when you attempt to send your project; practice is what you do to be able to perform well enough to send it.<br />
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Practicing for a project route may mean rehearsing a tough section of the route until you have it totally wired. Or it may mean <a href="http://climbingfortherestofus.blogspot.com/2012/08/hangboard-training-for-average-climbers.html" target="_blank">doing some hangboard training</a> so you don't get spit off that one bad hold. Throwing yourself time and time again on the route is not practice, and it is not an efficient way to improve.<br />
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Performance is when you feel you have practiced enough and are ready to make an attempt at a send. When I said above that a project should take between 5 and 20 attempts, I meant all out, 100% efforts at sending it. This is when you are fully focused, feeling strong and confident, and are ready to put it all together. There should be NO "takes" when you are performing. If you don't send the route on your attempt then you should fall trying. <br />
<br />
Here's an example. I worked a project that had two spots that gave me trouble. The first was the whole bottom section that required some careful footwork and body tension. The second was the final clip before the anchor. The clipping hold itself was a sidepull crimp that was hard to get to, required me to really lock my body off in a tenuous position, then mentally commit to pulling rope and clipping. One more tough move after that and the route finished with a fun dynamic move. To have enough strength left to make the crux clip, I had to move efficiently through the bottom section, then calm down mentally so I could focus and commit.<br />
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I practiced by breaking the route into two two sections, then worked on climbing through each section at a time. Once I (thought I) figured out my beta and knew I could do each section separately, it was time to put them together and go for the send. Here is an attempt at sending:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/w3pxsIVeQMU" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
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It was pretty ugly. I wasn't focusing on my feet during the first section, and I forgot my beta anyway. I also didn't keep my body tight during the tricky heel hook. Because of these errors I didn't have the energy needed at the crux. The good news though is that I kept pushing on until I fell. I also learned that the beta for my feet during the crux wasn't going to work when I was on point from the ground. So I practiced both sections a few times, and my next attempt I sent:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6WgRzm0Fxc0" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Much better! My climbing was much smoother, my new beta for the crux worked, and I had enough energy to make it all the way. Breaking the route down and deliberately practicing until I was ready to perform really worked!<br />
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<h2>
Benefits of Project Routes</h2>
There are many benefits of having a project route, but here are few that I think are really important:<br />
<br />
1. It will challenge you<br />
2. It will motivate you<br />
3. It will provide a clear measuring stick of your progress.<br />
4. It will provide a sense of accomplishment (once sent!)<br />
5. It will force you to learn new techniques, get stronger, or both<br />
6. It will make you a better climber <br />
<br />
So, next time you're at your favorite climbing spot walk over to that route you've looked at and said "some day." Maybe projecting it will be what takes your climbing to the next level!<br />
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Thanks for reading this. Hopefully it will help you become a better climber.<br />
<br />
As always, please help spread this around, and leave any thoughts, comments, or questions. <br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999866363845228698.post-59692776083448041522012-09-26T09:20:00.000-07:002012-12-09T09:34:41.552-08:00PROPER LEAD BELAYINGIn this post I want to offer some thoughts on what I think a proper lead belay is. I'm going to assume you already know how to lead belay, so this is not meant to be basic instruction. But just because you can lead belay doesn't mean that you can't improve, or even that you are doing it properly. Think about it: how many times have you been in the gym or at a crag and have seen some pretty sketchy belaying? Well, all those people "know how" to belay, but yet they aren't doing it correctly. Is there a chance you may not be doing everything as best as you can?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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Before getting too far in, let me restate this, because it's really the most important point of the whole post: just because you can lead belay doesn't mean that you are doing it properly. <b><span style="background-color: yellow;">A proper belay is one during which you are doing everything correctly and to the absolute best of your ability</span></b>. I'm going to divide the rest of this post into two parts. First, I'm going to list some thoughts and suggestions about proper belaying. Then I will finish with some detailed info on how to correctly belay with a Grigri. <br />
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<h2>
Belaying is the single most important thing we do in climbing.</h2>
While belaying, your climber is putting their complete trust in you, and you literally are holding their life in your hands. Smart climbers are very picky about who they let belay them. For example, I actually choose my climbing partners on how well they can belay; I couldn't care less about how "strong" my partners are. This is so important to me that I purposely won't climb with certain people because I don't trust their belaying, even though they are way stronger than me and I probably could learn a ton from them.<br />
<h2>
Every single belay must be proper</h2>
There is no such thing as a belay that doesn't matter. Climbers can and do take unexpected falls on warmup routes. Holds break. Shit happens, especially outside. The point is that climbing is inherently dangerous. We can do several things though that drastically reduce the risk to the point where climbing can be a very safe activity ("normal" sports like football are statistically far more dangerous than rock climbing). But if you are not giving a proper belay, then you are knowingly and willingly increasing the risk to your climber. That's just not okay.<br />
<h2>
Never, ever lose control of the brake end of the rope</h2>
Regardless of whatever occurs during your belay, you can never lose control of the brake end of the rope (i.e. the end of the rope going from your belay device down to the ground). You may get hit by a falling rock, or attacked by a swarm of bees, but you don't lose control of the rope. Your job when belaying is not to protect yourself, its to protect your climber.<br />
<br />
But I didn't say "never, ever take your hand off the brake end of the rope." This is a great thing to teach new climbers because it is simple, but there are many reasons why a belayer may justifiably want or need to let go of the rope (mimicking beta to your climber may or may not be justifiable!). You can easily take your hand off the rope while still controlling the brake end of the rope by doing things like tying a quick overhand-on-a-bight or a munter-mule knot. The knot will not be able to pass through the belay device, and therefore the rope is controlled (i.e. the climber cannot be dropped). What is NOT acceptable, however, is to take your hand off the rope when an assisted locking device (e.g. Grigri) is locked without tying some sort of knot in the rope.<br />
<h2>
Treat every device like a plaquette device</h2>
Plaquette devices (ATCs, Reversos, etc.) require excellent belay skills because if the belayer messes up, the climber will fall. There are no backup systems with such devices. The only thing they do is add a ton of friction which makes it relatively easy for the belayer to hold the climber's force.<br />
<br />
If you are using an assisted locking device (e.g. Grigri) your goal should be to pretend it is a friction device. This way, the locking mechanism actually becomes the backup to your proper belay. Plus, people load devices like Grigris backwards all the time (this is in fact one of the main reasons Grigris "fail"); it is surprisingly easy to do after a long day at the crag. A backwards-loaded Grigri works exactly like a friction device, with the added benefit of more friction than say an ATC. Other times, assisted-locking devices can fail because debris gets caught in or around the device inhibiting the locking mechanism to operate. In any of these cases, the "failure" of the device wouldn't matter if the belayer is pretending they are using a plaquette.<br />
<h2>
But don't use a plaquette device</h2>
Although you should always pretend you are using one, I think the absolute necessity of a perfect belay when using a plaquette makes them dangerous. One small little lapse in concentration and the climber could easily get dropped. But more scary to me are the "shit happens" moments that occur every once in a while, like a piece of rock breaking loose and hitting the belayer. Or a lead fall low on a route resulting in the climber swinging down and colliding with the belayer, who instinctively puts their hands up and lets go of the rope. Assisted-locking devices serve as the backup that keep these moments from turning into serious accidents.<br />
<h2>
Don't have too much slack out</h2>
Sounds obvious, right? But if it is so obvious then why do so many belayers do it? Maybe because they think they have to. Or maybe because they aren't paying attention. Or maybe because they don't want to have to work very hard while belaying. Having too much slack out increases the climber's fall, and while there is nothing necessarily wrong with falling there is no reason to make it bigger than it need be.<br />
<br />
I'm a strong proponent of a very active, rather than passive, belay. Belaying passively means that you are just standing there, feeding out a bunch of slack when the rope starts getting too tight, then standing around doing nothing again until you need to feed more slack out. Passive belayers usually have their weight on their heels, or have shifted their hips so their weight is on one leg. An active belay is the opposite: the belayer is in a "ready" position with their weight centered and on their toes, and they may even have a slight bend in their knees. But more importantly they have only a minimum amount of slack out. Doing so will force them to be more active; an active belay requires more rope management than a passive. A great belayer is constantly adjusting and readjusting their stance, position, and amount of slack out so that everything is just right and ready to go to catch a fall.<br />
<h2>
Stand under the first piece of protection the climber clips</h2>
Some belayers like to stand off to the side of the route. Others like to stand a distance away from the wall so they can see their climber better. The correct place to stand though is right under the first protection the climber clips into. When the climber falls and the belayer gets pulled up, they will always be pulled in a straight line towards the first protection piece. Therefore, the shortest distance the belayer could be pulled will be from directly under the first piece (think of a right triangle). The more the belayer gets pulled, the more the climber falls. Also, standing further away from the plumb line of the first piece will increase the force put on the belayer since doing so increases the leverage of the fall (standing further away lengthens the hypotenuse of the right triangle, which increases leverage). The point is that if you stand further away from the wall while belaying, you are going to increase the distance of your climber's fall and have a harder time controlling the belay.<br />
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<h2>
Don't take your eyes off the climber</h2>
This one is pretty simple: you should be paying attention. If you are not watching your climber, you are not paying attention. The act of belaying should become something that you can easily do without having to watch your hands.<br />
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<h2>
Manage the rope</h2>
Finally, understand that proper belaying starts before the climber leaves the ground. Flake the rope out into a nice pile that is near your belay stance before the climber starts. During the climb, give the rope a quick whip once in a while to ensure a snarl isn't going to develop. Your goal is to be able to feed out the rope without any problems so the climber never even has to think about what is going on with the rope.<br />
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<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1QtS0n7Af4E?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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Here is a quick video of me putting together all of these elements of a proper belay:<br />
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<h2>
Proper belaying with a Grigri</h2>
In 2007 Petzl released a new, official belay technique in response to serious accidents that had been happening when Grigris were used. The device of course never failed or malfunctioned in any way. The problem was that the belayers were gripping the device and/or rope incorrectly, which in turn caused the cam to not engage the rope and stop the climber's fall. Foremost was the problem that many belayers weren't treating the Grigri like a plaquette device. Secondly, incorrect technique was allowing the belayers to inadvertently hold down the cam lever, making it impossible for the cam to engage, while they stood waiting for their climber to stop falling. I personally have seen the latter happen twice. In each case, the person belaying "knew how" to belay and had been doing it that way for years. And in each case the belayers literally stood frozen like a deer in headlights while they watched their climber fall and hit the ground. They had no idea that they were squeezing the cam lever.<br />
<br />
Upon some research, Petzl found that the culprit was simple: a problematic positioning of the belayer's brake hand. All it takes to change this problem is to simply turn your hand over, and hold the rope. The key point of the new technique is that your brake hand should NEVER be touching the Grigri unless you have to quickly feed slack, and in that case it should be holding the Grigri as minimally as possible.<br />
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Here is a great video showing the "classic" and the "new" technique:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aSVchbjVKLE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Here is a link to another video of this technique with good explanation:<br />
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<a href="http://www.climbing.com/news/press/petzl_announces_new_grigri_lead_belay_technique/" target="_blank">Grigri: belaying the leader</a><br />
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Finally, here is a link to the most up-to-date, official direction from Petzl:<br />
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<a href="http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/grigri-product-experience" target="_blank">Grigri Product Experience</a><br />
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So what if you are still doing the classic technique- should you switch? What if you have been belaying this way for years without ever having a problem? The answer is YES!!!! Learning the new way is not difficult; it will probably take you less than 10 belays to get comfortable with it. I simply cannot understand why some people refuse to change, even when they know about the new technique. There just is no good reason to not change.<br />
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Thanks for reading this. Hopefully it will help you become a better belayer.<br />
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As always, please help spread this around, and leave any thoughts, comments, or questions. <br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999866363845228698.post-33834621885316517902012-09-03T11:47:00.000-07:002012-09-03T11:47:49.245-07:00HANGING QUICKDRAWS<br />
Probably most everyone reading this knows that when climbing outside you need to hang your draws while you are leading. This is one aspect where gym and outdoor climbing really differ. Despite this big difference it seems not many people spend time thinking about how to do it best, or even if there is a correct way to do it. As it turns out, how you hang your draws may actually make a difference in how safe your climb is. The other morning I made a quick video to demonstrate this. So, watch the video below to see how something as seemingly basic actually requires a bit of thought. As always, please click "Comments" below and let me know what you think. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999866363845228698.post-47051627744517375352012-08-10T04:52:00.000-07:002012-09-03T11:15:20.304-07:00HANGBOARD TRAINING FOR AVERAGE CLIMBERS<br />
I suspect there are two common types of climbers that use hangboards: elite climbers that use them correctly, and average climbers who use them incorrectly. Obviously, these elite climbers see tremendous gains from hangboarding, while these average climbers do not. This probably explains why the internet is rife with arguments over hangboarding's effectiveness, potential for injury, and so on. But average climbers certainly can benefit from hangboards <i>if</i> the training is done appropriately. So, if you are generally familiar with and are thinking about starting a hangboard workout, here are some thoughts on a correct approach to hangboarding that will benefit average climbers:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<h2>
You Are Not An Elite Climber</h2>
Just face it, you're not. Neither am I. And most climbers aren't either. So watching YouTube videos of elite climbers showing how <i>they</i> use the hangboard isn't going to do the rest of us any good, and in fact it will probably lead to frustration and injury. Also most of the hangboard workouts out there are written by and/or for elite climbers, and those that are supposedly for "beginner" and "intermediate" climbers I don't think are really that good, because the concepts behind them aren't appropriate for non-elite climbers. The remaining thoughts below are meant for climbers between the 5.10 and 5.11+ range- if you can't climb 5.10 you should <i>not</i> be hangboarding, and if you can climb 5.12 you should be doing specific hangboard workouts designed for elite climbers (a Google search will yield dozens of options, but here is a great start from a guy who really knows his stuff: <a href="http://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/search/label/Hangboard" target="_blank">Power Company Climbing</a>).<br />
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<h2>
You Maybe (probably?) Shouldn't Be Hangboarding</h2>
Like I said above, if you are not climbing at the 5.10 level, do not hangboard. Your arm and hand muscles and tendons are just not ready for it. Plus, even if you were to hangboard and avoid injury, you would see far greater returns in climbing ability by just climbing more.<br />
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If you are comfortable climbing 5.10, then your body is probably ready for some hangboarding. But this doesn't mean that you <i>should</i> be hangboarding. What you should be doing is climbing more. Except at the elite level, there is just simply no greater training for climbing than climbing. Let's take a second and consider a truth about elite climbers and their training. By definition elite climbers are already really, really good at climbing. This means that they have already developed a huge repertoire of climbing skill<cite></cite> and technique; there probably aren't many techniques they need to learn. Instead, they need to be able to hold onto smaller and smaller holds and make harder and harder moves. Thus, serious time spent at the hangboard can literally be the difference between sticking a move or not. But remember: you are not an elite climber! Serious time at the hangboard for you is a serious waste of time, because you weren't using that time to go climbing. <br />
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There are, however, a couple good reasons why the average climber should consider hangboarding. The first is that if you just can't make it out to climb regularly, hangboarding is probably the next best thing. Second, if you are willing to commit to hangboarding, it <i>will</i> make you stronger. <br />
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<h2>
Concepts Behind Your Hangboarding</h2>
Here are a few concepts that underlie appropriate hangboarding for the average climber:<br />
<h3>
It will not make you a better climber.<br /> </h3>
Hangboarding will <i>only</i> make you a stronger climber. It will not improve your mental game. It will not improve your technique. It will only allow you to hold on to smaller holds with more ease (and therefore will indirectly help your endurance too).<br />
<h3>
It must be supplemental.</h3>
Because hangboarding only increases strength, climbing more should still be your main goal. Hangboarding is only training for climbing; since it is so effective at increasing strength it makes an excellent alternative to climbing if you truly can't make it to the rock (or gym for many of us). But if you have enough time to get a good hangboard session in, you likely have time go climbing. If you live far enough away from the rock or gym that the travel makes climbing often impossible, then you would be better served making even a small bouldering wall at home. Although hangboarding is the next best thing to climbing, it is still a last resort.<br />
<h3>
Gains happen over the long run</h3>
If you are thinking about hangboarding, you should really first think about your level of commitment. If you cannot honestly say that you will have a regular schedule, and will stick with it for several months, then you shouldn't start hangboarding. This is because the strength increases from hangboarding come primarily from increases in tendon strength, not muscle strength. It is just a physiological fact that our tendons take much, much longer to strengthen than our muscles. At a minimum, you should be prepared to devote 30 minutes, twice per week, for three months.<br />
<h3>
Isometric not dynamic</h3>
Hangboards are named hangboards, not pull-up boards, move-around-on boards, or anything else. They are meant to statically hang from. Sure, you can do pull-ups on move from hold to hold on them, but that is not what they are meant to train. In climbing, isometric strength is called "contact strength." It is simply and only the ability to hold on to a given hold. Contact strength is extremely important in climbing because if you just can't hold on to a hold, there is no way you can move above it.<br />
<br />
Isometric training is generally considered the best way to strengthen tendons. If you hang with slightly bent elbows, the weight of your body becomes an isometric resistance that your fingers must overcome. In a very basic sense, fingers bend by the forearm muscles pulling on the long tendons that connect the muscles to the finger bones. Since most climbers' forearm muscles are pretty strong, the tendons are usually the weak link.<br />
<br />
Here's a simple experiment that shows this: make a really hard fist with one hand and grab your forearm with you other hand. Next, do the same thing but instead of making a fist pull on something that resembles a crimp. Your forearm probably doesn't feel as "flexed" on the crimp than it did when making a fist, right? This is why you can peel off of a crimp hold without your forearms feeling pumped, but you can pump out on huge jugs that are easy to grab.<br />
<br />
The point is that training contact strength requires your tendons to learn to overcome isometric resistance, and this is why you want to hang from hangboards. Unfortunately it takes a long time for this to occur. <br />
<h3>
Remember the goal</h3>
Perhaps the most important concept - and what ties the previous ones together - is that becoming a hangboard wizard is not the goal of hangboard training. <b><span style="background-color: yellow;">The goal is to become stronger so that you can become a better climber</span>.</b> Hangboarding by itself <i>will not</i> make you a better climber. But by committing to a consistent workout of isometric hangs you will become stronger, so when you climb you will be able to more easily use smaller holds. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Keep It Simple<br /> </h2>
There are hundreds of hangboard workouts and dozens of commericially-made hangboards out there. You can if you want, but you don't have to use any of them. The single most important factor here is that you set yourself up for success. You need a simple board that has the grips you need, and a simple workout that you wont start to dread.<br />
<br />
The hangboard itself can be as simple as a couple pieces of scrap 1x4 and 2x4 nailed above a door, or you can spend over $100 on the latest design from the coolest new hold company. I'm personally not a fan of big, complex hangboards. Remember, all you need is something you can hang from, with a small variety of grip sizes suitable for your current strength level. Here is a picture of the setup I have in my garage:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrCuuLOTun6zGfwsuJZzaI41aqtFMzYQbFETOczd62q3JJnG_jQpJ5_7ExzJGpUHLl0BIeWc5JKDzg5hEd7Cv0M0nK4UNeBTu3uqr5RGf4vCzndO53Kko-FJ8SF1Z5_a7gkQGA5dEcg/s1600/IMG_4534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrCuuLOTun6zGfwsuJZzaI41aqtFMzYQbFETOczd62q3JJnG_jQpJ5_7ExzJGpUHLl0BIeWc5JKDzg5hEd7Cv0M0nK4UNeBTu3uqr5RGf4vCzndO53Kko-FJ8SF1Z5_a7gkQGA5dEcg/s320/IMG_4534.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Pretty simple. It consists of two <a href="http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/rock_rings.html" target="_blank">Metolius Rock Rings</a> (which are great because if I am traveling somewhere I can take them with me), an old edge hold, a cut down scrap1x4, and an old campus board rung. I can get a great workout in and hit all the grips I need with this.<br />
<br />
At <a href="http://hoosierheights.com/" target="_blank">Hoosier Heights</a> we have several hangboards up, but by far my favorite is the <a href="http://thedrcc.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=201" target="_blank">DRCC v5.12. </a>It has the best texture of any board I've used, has a nice variety of all the holds and sizes needed, is small, and is priced very well. Here is a pic of it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uz98Bc-kf0pflos6fW35KXQfBUfthh47-gE59q5WWl-5pTL63sAopnUIgWwpWhwKkUr9ahZ4D_-GU32SjLA0mMbaHtxj3LdDIT0Pu3Z4FQ8Wsp0ArQkWjILALwnV9UbVxPygA4dZZw/s1600/IMG_4531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uz98Bc-kf0pflos6fW35KXQfBUfthh47-gE59q5WWl-5pTL63sAopnUIgWwpWhwKkUr9ahZ4D_-GU32SjLA0mMbaHtxj3LdDIT0Pu3Z4FQ8Wsp0ArQkWjILALwnV9UbVxPygA4dZZw/s320/IMG_4531.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
You probably notice that neither of these setups have any pockets. I think that average climbers will get a enough benefit from training on edges, so specifically using pockets is unnecessary. Moreover, using three- or two-finger pockets significantly increases the chance for injury since the stress is concentrated on only those fingers. If you really do want to train pockets, hanging on a flat edge with three or two fingers simulates a pocket just fine. <br />
<br />
<h2>
Appropriate Hangboard Workouts</h2>
Finally, you've come to what you probably wanted right away when you started reading! There are so many hangboard workouts out there readily available with a five second internet search that I am hesitant to write yet another one. So instead, first, here are some rules that you should follow for any hangboard workout: <br />
<ul>
<li>Warm up. Jumping straight to hangs is a guaranteed way to severely injure yourself. The very first thing you should do is something to get your heart rate elevated. Once your body is ready for a workout, then you should stretch and rub your hands and forearms until your blood is really flowing and they feel loose and ready to go. I've found that a quick mini-massage of the hand and forearm significantly helps my workout.</li>
<li>Keep your elbows slightly bent. Hanging with straight arms puts too much stress on your joints. A slight bend is harder to hold, but this is exactly one of the weaknesses you want to train.</li>
<li>Get a core workout too. You might as well be efficient and get two things done at once. During each hang, lift your knees up and/or hold your feet out in front of you. This will really strengthen your core, and will also help teach your body that between moves in climbing your core should be tight.</li>
<li>Challenge yourself. What's the point of doing a workout if you do not want it to be difficult. You should work up to having to really strain to hold on to the holds.</li>
<li>But don't go too hard. You don't need to use the tiniest holds on your board. Elite climbers gain from holding the small holds, even if only for two seconds. If you try this, you will probably get a tendon injury. Also, because you are training isometric resistance, you probably won't get a pump like you do when you are climbing. This is how it is supposed to be; not getting pumped doesn't mean you aren't going hard enough.</li>
<li>Stick with it over the long run!</li>
</ul>
<i>(drum roll please...)</i> Here is a general workout plan that is effective for average climbers:<br />
<ul>
<li>Warm up. </li>
<li>Largest holds for 15-20 seconds. This is really part of the warm up. You may want to do some pullups during the 20 seconds too. Do one hang, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat three times.</li>
<li>Next smaller holds for 12-16 seconds. Do one hang, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat three times.</li>
<li>Next smaller holds for 8-12 seconds. Do one hang, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat three times.</li>
<li>Next smaller holds for 4-8 seconds. Do one hang, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat four times.</li>
<li>Next biggest holds for 8-12 seconds. Do one hang, rest for 60 seconds. Repeat two times.</li>
</ul>
This simple plan does work, but you can easily modify any other plan out there to fit your needs. I don't recommend mixing plans up too much. You are not trying to get "muscle confusion" or anything like that because you are not directly training your muscles. Remember: all you need is consistent, repeated exposure to isometric resistance.<br />
<br />
Give these pointers and the workout a try. Please comment with your thoughts, hangboard approach and/or specific workouts.<br />
<br />
Good luck!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999866363845228698.post-56943273468256599232012-07-23T12:44:00.001-07:002012-08-10T04:34:57.557-07:00CLIMBTECH QUICKDRAW REVIEWI've known about <a href="http://www.climbtechgear.com/" target="_blank">ClimbTech</a> for a few years now as the "<a href="http://www.climbtechgear.com/permadraws/" target="_blank">Perma Draw</a>" company. If you've ever climbed at any steep crag around the country then you've no doubt seen the Permas hanging. Their quality and reputation could not be any higher. Nonetheless, when Chris Vinson (ClimbTech's marketing and sales manager) told me about their new line of quickdraws I was skeptical. I mean, how could ClimbTech possibly compete against the quality and reputation of Petzl or Black Diamond, or against the price of Omega Pacific? What were they going to do, reinvent the wheel? Despite my hesitation, Chris sent me a some samples and asked me to give them a try. What I found is that the ClimbTech draws are just as good if not better, and priced similarly if not lower, than their competition.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
ClimbTech offers <a href="http://www.climbtechgear.com/quickdraws/" target="_blank">three draws</a> in its lineup, the Anejo (which can be had in four different configurations), Blanco, and Resposado. The lineup ranges from heavy-duty workhorse to ultra-light, high-end performance, with the retail price ranging from $13.95 to $15.95. Yep, their most expensive draw is $15.95! Here they are:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6yEYY98wrM45TVveXHqx1YJKxf22gq3LreDvVAIkFUlj9KUTaz1jesWb-_DqYAIi1qFn2z7yOJyDGYSHIaoOBqKruoT9szH3HCIDsHlUf-VYgo32wMKxYHITUTQAxeSq6-ql-ijkZQ/s1600/lineup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6yEYY98wrM45TVveXHqx1YJKxf22gq3LreDvVAIkFUlj9KUTaz1jesWb-_DqYAIi1qFn2z7yOJyDGYSHIaoOBqKruoT9szH3HCIDsHlUf-VYgo32wMKxYHITUTQAxeSq6-ql-ijkZQ/s320/lineup.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(The extra wiregate is shown because it is one of the configurations of the Anejo.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Let's start with the Resposado, their ultra-lightweight, high-end draw. It features two wiregate, I-beam biners, one straight and one bent gate. The dogbone is 10mm wide and 11cm long Dynema. Its second-best aspect is that it is rated at 25kn, but yet weighs only 74.5 grams. Its best aspect is that it retails for only $13.95! Yeah, there are other draws out there that are a bit lighter, but they're not as strong and can approach two times the cost. Impressively, the biners are a normal size (unlike the super small ones other companies use to save weight) and are very smooth to keep clipping easy. With the Resposado you don't need to worry about sacrificing strength or functionality to achieve significant weight savings.<br />
<br />
The Blanco is also lightweight (84 grams), strong (24kn), and inexpensive (retail $13.95). It has two keylock, I-beam biners, one straight and one bent gate. The dogbone is also 10mm and 11cm Dynema. It also has normal size, smooth biners. I think a good comparison draw is the Black Diamond Positron/Posiwire. Here is a picture comparing the two:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqk8LapsMJr-6ae4vXrAWo0RGmSF-EJhvTaHs6tconzfbp0WiIRy3NtKoirXbsDy10LXQz6CiQ2g4Vel81ANCRfdNOALdo36q5JOr4nbrpN0brnmdT2zzIxdzSacAl4r0okgBsskTBA/s1600/Blanco.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqk8LapsMJr-6ae4vXrAWo0RGmSF-EJhvTaHs6tconzfbp0WiIRy3NtKoirXbsDy10LXQz6CiQ2g4Vel81ANCRfdNOALdo36q5JOr4nbrpN0brnmdT2zzIxdzSacAl4r0okgBsskTBA/s320/Blanco.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
You can see that the Blanco is a bit shorter, and the biners are bit smaller. In my experience these do not lead to any noticeable differences when using the draws. Again, the ClimbTech draws are less expensive and stronger.<br />
<br />
Where ClimbTech really has a winner though is with the Anejo. Despite my initial skepticism, I will now say that it is the best draw on the market in its "class." By "class" I mean a heavy-duty, workhorse draw meant to take years of abuse, be left up on project routes, or maybe even be the first draw a newer climber buys. I think there are two well-established, super popular draws in this class: the Petzl Spirit and the Omega Pacific Dirtbag. The Spirits are commonly thought of as the Cadillac of draws: pretty, very smooth clipping, strong, and so on. The Dirtbags are probably the most common first-purchase draw because despite not being pretty or smooth, they are strong, simple, and cheap. Here is the Anejo next to them:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkuPWuo-iPuAX8vs0BTRF46-Gzv6P-c2tw5aK5NwrdfiE9QtkF8ZApQvmlcre4cPxXU2qtdapBqjKJfJj0mgnr7pnH4G_yFyNpcaL4Pos8fcto1r8KDN5-WVVuh-pf8rwGFAIsA31vA/s1600/Anejo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkuPWuo-iPuAX8vs0BTRF46-Gzv6P-c2tw5aK5NwrdfiE9QtkF8ZApQvmlcre4cPxXU2qtdapBqjKJfJj0mgnr7pnH4G_yFyNpcaL4Pos8fcto1r8KDN5-WVVuh-pf8rwGFAIsA31vA/s320/Anejo+1.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
Note that shown is the 11cm Anejo; 17cm and 25cm versions are available, each with either a normal or wire gate clipping biner.<br />
<br />
The Anejos feature a nylon dogbone, rounded (i.e. not I-beam) keylock biners that are rated at 28kn(!). Depending on the combination of length and clipping biner, the retail price ranges from $13.95 to $15.95. Again, the biners are a normal size and are super smooth.<br />
<br />
Now that the Anejo is available, I can't think of any good reason why anyone would purchase either the Spirit (or similar draws like Black Diamond's new LiveWire) or the Dirtbag. First, the Anejo is equally as smooth, pretty, and polished as the Spirit, but yet is lighter, has stronger biners, and is nearly half the cost ($14.95 for the 17cm compared to $23.95). It seems to me only a gear snob would purchase the Spirit over the Anejo. Honestly, I think the biggest competition the Anejo has is against the Dirtbag as a first-purchase draw, and I think the only reason why there is some competition is because the Dirtbag is a bit less expensive ($12.60 vs $13.95). But for less than $1.50 difference per draw, the Anejo is superior in every way. Here they are side by side:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEtTHxqpWhUt9_j-7DCtCL_UteRO4TsBb4nh8G73kOXmm33hce004l11rw-sBri-RgYond9lxgM0MfRJs3wYgVzQOSHl3xW5B98h8hxxga_ZMojhldMne-3QLIPIQqoqoxzTKdp4CTg/s1600/Anejo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEtTHxqpWhUt9_j-7DCtCL_UteRO4TsBb4nh8G73kOXmm33hce004l11rw-sBri-RgYond9lxgM0MfRJs3wYgVzQOSHl3xW5B98h8hxxga_ZMojhldMne-3QLIPIQqoqoxzTKdp4CTg/s320/Anejo+2.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
They are almost identical in size, although the Anejo has a much wider dogbone. This is really nice because it makes it much easier to grab the draw when cleaning (or too pumped to clip!). I think it also looks a lot nicer. But what really separates the two are the weight and biners. OP doesn't list the weight of the Dirtbag on its website, but it is obvious by just holding each in your hand that the Anejo is significantly lighter. The savings across a whole rack of them would be substantial. The Anejo's biners are also much smoother than the Dirtbag's. Finally, the Anejo's biners are key-lock and the Dirtbag's are not. Here is the difference:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpT0ZET3NZQAIltCArpnshuXLdQ41jhSL7L7uMMWi8VGpvW9vcEKbA6aLY6LBg38luzpgO9SBI4nh4jai1vRXPvQubPQCvFMRCAZG7pcXIIE343doRoWwqp6Qt7QAvdGKGxFLokvtZwQ/s1600/Anejo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpT0ZET3NZQAIltCArpnshuXLdQ41jhSL7L7uMMWi8VGpvW9vcEKbA6aLY6LBg38luzpgO9SBI4nh4jai1vRXPvQubPQCvFMRCAZG7pcXIIE343doRoWwqp6Qt7QAvdGKGxFLokvtZwQ/s320/Anejo+4.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
See that big, gaping hook on the Dirtbag biner? It catches on everything! Traditional hook gate designs make unclipping the rope, cleaning routes, and even getting the draw off your harness' gear loop much more difficult. There is no good reason, other than cost, to use a hook gate biner. Compared to the $24 Spirit, yeah maybe the Dirtbag's gritty feeling action and hook gate can be overlooked. But with the all the Anejo's advantages, I don't think saving less than $1.50 is worth it.<br />
<br />
Overall, I am very impressed with the quality and value of ClimbTech's quickdraws. With any of them, you'll get the best combination of value, strength, weight savings, and smoothness available.<br />
<br />
**Please click "Comments" below and let me know what you think!**<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7999866363845228698.post-7303918868784278202012-07-14T13:46:00.000-07:002012-07-23T20:11:54.817-07:00HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CLIMBING<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18pt;">"How Can I Get Better at
Climbing?" </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Since the point of this blog is to share realistic
information to normal, every-day climbers, I thought I would start things off
by addressing probably the most frequently asked question I get around the gym:
how can I get better at climbing? My answer is always more general than
specific, and is based on the following three principles:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Figure out what you really mean.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Everyone thinks climbing "better" means being able
to climb harder routes or problems. Now, I've never met anyone who doesn't want
to climb harder, but being "better" has different meanings for
different people. For everyone, being a "better" climber <i>should</i>
mean more than being a stronger climber. So ask yourself what you really mean
by "better." Do really only want to be able to hold on to the tiniest
of crimps? If so, great, then go get on a hangboard. Or do you mean you want to
be able to climb routes/problems that don't fit your style? Or do you mean you
want to be more efficient climbing outside so you can get more climbing in on
your weekend trips? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">D<span style="background-color: black;">istinguish between knowledge and
ability.</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Knowing that something exists - a backstep, for example -
does not mean that you can actually do it. <span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">Knowledge
requires practice to become a skill.</span></span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;"><span style="background-color: black; color: blue;">
</span>Conversely, just because someone is a super-strong climber does not in any way
mean they know anything about climbing. You can't just mimic what you see
strong climbers doing and hope that you too will become strong. Remember, being
"better" does not just mean being a stronger climber. Combining
knowledge and ability will get you on the fast-track to becoming a better
climber.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Increase
your knowledge. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Once you figure out what you really
want to become better at, then determine what you need to know to be able to
reach your goal. Here are three simple things that will help:</span></div>
<ol start="1" style="background-color: black;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Find a mentor. In my opinion, <i>this is the most
important thing you can do to become better, regardless of what
"better" means to you</i>. If the only people you are climbing
with are at your same level, your progression will be painfully slow.
Climbing with someone who is more experienced, more knowledgeable, and who
may even be stronger than you will necessarily increase your performance.
Even if they don't actively teach you, you will naturally absorb new
things from them.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Watch "better" climbers. Sit down at the gym
and watch how that one really strong climber does a route. Or watch how
the guide on the next route over from you sets up and takes down their
anchor. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Read books. If you want to be stronger, read training
books. If you want to improve your technique, read training books. If you
want to be safer outside read anchoring or "how to climb
outside" books.</span></li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Increase
your ability.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">You need to be able to transfer what
you have learned to an actual skill you can use while climbing. Only two things
are required for this:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">PRACTICE!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">and,</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">PRACTICE
A LOT!! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But practicing isn't as simple as it
sounds. To really practice, you need to not think about performance. Be honest-
the last time you were climbing, were you thinking about sending your project,
or were you thinking about actively practicing something you want to improve
on? Most everybody climbs, and even trains, for performance. If you want to a
better climber,<span style="color: white;"> </span></span><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">focusing on
performance is really, really inefficient</span></span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;">.</span> In any activity, performance is when you "put it all
together" in a culminating effort. By definition, you cannot be practicing
when you are performing; once you have practiced enough and have achieved
mastery, then you perform.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: black;">So, coming in to the gym every session a</span>nd
trying to send routes is not going to lead to much improvement, because you are
not practicing. Similarly, reading a book on anchors and then going outside and
trying to set your first multi-point, complex anchor is probably not going to
work well for you. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I will say more about how to practice in
future posts, but for now let it suffice to suggest that the vast majority or
your time climbing should be focused on practicing and not performing.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Have the right gear.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you want to improve, you must have the right gear. This
doesn't mean the latest, greatest, most expensive gear, it means having the
"right tool for the job." </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">For example, let's say you are a beginner climber wanting to
break into the 5.10 grade level. There are two pieces of climbing gear that are
absolutely essential:</span></div>
<ol start="1" style="background-color: black;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Proper
shoes. Climbing shoes are the <i>only</i> piece of climbing gear that
will, in and of themselves, improve your climbing. You cannot climb well
in old, worn out shoes. You cannot climb well in shoes that don't fit you
correctly. You cannot climb well in shoes that aren't meant for what you
want to do. Please, don't go online and find the cheapest pair of Mad Rock
shoes and guess at your size. But also don't get the most expensive pair
that you see all the pros wearing in the magazines and videos. Go to your
local climbing gear shop, talk to the staff, and try some on. My general
recommendations to anyone climbing up to the 5.11 grade are the <a href="http://www.evolvsports.com/shop/climbing-shoes/defy-vtr/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Evolv Defy </span></a>and
the <a href="http://www.evolvsports.com/shop/climbing-shoes/bandit/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Evolv Bandit</span></a>. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A
good harness. A harness won't make you a better climber, but if your
harness is comfortable then you will want to climb more, which will make
you a better climber (assuming you are practicing!). Until you are doing
something really specialized - only trad climbing, only ice climbing, or
high-end sport climbing - you do not need the most expensive, most
high-tech harness available. What you need is a lightweight, breathable,
and comfortable harness that you don't dread putting on. My recommendation
is the <a href="http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/mountaineering-and-climbing-harnesses-0/sama" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Petzl Sama</span></a>. </span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So, if you want to become a "better" climber, try
following these ideas for a while and see what happens. I'm very confident that
you will see fast progress. Thanks for reading, and let me know how it goes!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028116597984250274noreply@blogger.com0