Overcoming Climbing Weaknesses

[jkrueger]

You know that old saying "you're only as strong as your weakest link?" Well, I think that applies to climbing as well. So, in an effort to be ready for the spring climbing season, I have been analyzing my climbing to pinpoint my weakest links. So far, what I have come up with are footwork, endurance, and reading a route.

 

So, if you have any recommendations, strategies, tips, or comments I'd love to hear 'em!

 

Of course, there is no need to limit the discussion to the weaknesses mentioned above, as everyone struggles with different aspects of their own climbing ability...

[JoshK]

For footwork, have you tried climbing TRed with no hands on something below your level? It can be challenging and somewhat fun.

 

For endurance, just getting out there and bustin ass is the only thing I can help to get that up.

 

For "reading a route", I'm not sure exactly what you mean...

[iain]

Not focusing on keeping my hands warm.

 

Not drinking enough.

 

Face-out french downclimbing steep ice w/crampons w/ speed.

 

Overswinging on steep ice when scared.

[jkrueger]

JoshK said:

For "reading a route", I'm not sure exactly what you mean...

I look at a route from the ground, and think about the moves, but inevitably I end up confused, stuck, and out of sequence. I don't know how many times I grab a hold, figure out I'm probably using the wrong hand, and then end up trying to match on it. Basically, I screw up "reading" the route, which results in my getting pumped out while I try to hang around and figure it out.

 

So, redpoints are fine and all, but I just feel my onsight ability is not where it could be.

[jkrueger]

And on a side note, what is the definition of good footwork, anyway?

[JoshK]

jkrueger said:

And on a side note, what is the definition of good footwork, anyway?

 

Well, I'm not really a sport climber, so i guess my definition of good footwork is being coordinated to get up my chosen route without falling

[sk]

good foot work as far as I understand it is where you can look for you next move or two and then place your foot on the best hold in the best way with out wiggeling it arround at all. So you look, place and move with out any exta movements or motion.

[iain]

Bringing a second tool when not needed. Using a second tool when not needed.

 

chalking up too often.

 

letting a grade convince me I can't do the moves

 

letting a grade convince me it should be a cakewalk

 

not keeping my heel pressured on steep skinning

[Dru]

good footwork is having a heel to toe length that fits the offwidth.

[sk]

Dru said:

good footwork is having a heel to toe length that fits the offwidth.

 

you can always stack your feet if you have to, although I haven't figured out how to move out of that postion

[texplorer]

You Leavitate

[jkrueger]

iain said:

chalking up too often.

I think the primary benefit of chalk is psychological.

 

I was reduced to gym bouldering last night, and my chalk bag was 99% empty, but that didn't stop me from reaching back and trying to chalk up on every problem. It was stupid and idiotic, as I knew I wasn't actually going to get enough chalk on my hands to make a difference, but that didn't stop me from doing it! It's like a bad habit!

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

jkrueger said:

You know that old saying "you're only as strong as your weakest link?" Well, I think that applies to climbing as well. So, in an effort to be ready for the spring climbing season, I have been analyzing my climbing to pinpoint my weakest links. So far, what I have come up with are footwork, endurance, and reading a route.

 

So, if you have any recommendations, strategies, tips, or comments I'd love to hear 'em!

 

Of course, there is no need to limit the discussion to the weaknesses mentioned above, as everyone struggles with different aspects of their own climbing ability...

 

For endurance, this Doctor has had great success with doing laps on the lead wall at the gym (something moderately overhanging with plenty of holds to choose from), augmented by running. Yes, that painfully boring, masochistic pastime gets the ol' cardio working nice and efficient-like. Although DFA never made it past the 5 mile mark, and was down around 2-3 most of the time, it beat the shiggles out of being totally unfit in that respect. For laps, get warmed up of course, and then pick a route that's easy for you, or just use all the holds up and down. It's nice if you can lead up one route, then downclimb an adjacent route, clipping yourself back in as you go. Once you're comfortably able to make it up, back down, and up again, you can try mixing things up a bit. Maybe start by going up a route that's moderately hard for you, then go down and back up using all holds. Or go up using all holds, go down using all holds, and back up on something moderately hard once you're kind of pumped. The latter will really help you work on continuing to climb efficiently and keeping your head straight. You can also try using any holds, and making up little crux sequences for yourself along the way, or even just doing one move here and there on some jingus hold for a bit more of a workout. Just take a nice logical progression, mixing and matching difficulty, and adding laps as you feel comfortable. Within a few weeks you'll be up on the wall for half an hour, and SK will be cursing you for her sore neck!

 

 

With regard to the laps in the gym, the mental component of endurance work is H-U-G-E huge. Your prime enemy, of course, is getting pumped. Soon as you start getting pumped, your brain tries to get you to stop whatever is building up the lactic acid in your forearms, and you start breathing too fast, getting panicky, and being clumsy and inefficient with your movements. You are, quite literally, getting "pumped stupid." The key is to recognize what is happening, and proactively take control of the situation and thus de-pump yourself. DFA will usually verbally tell himself to relax, slow down the breathing, shake it out, and focus. Find a decent rest hold, keep alternating shaking out each hand, all the while reminding yourself to relax, take the deep breaths, and focus. Finding out that you actually have mental control is great; you'll be amazed at how much more climbing you can milk out of yourself once you nail the psychological element. Really focusing on your footwork is helpful, too, as this is usually the first thing to go when you get wicked pumped, and, paradoxically, it's a key way to keep from getting pumped. Obviously, if you're already hating it, dragging your feet around like they're tied to bricks is not going to help your situation. Plus, having something specific and helpful to focus on will keep your mind off being pumped. Bueno!

 

For your footwork, you're on your own. DFA has terrible footwork. Probably forcing yourself to use jibs or little features for your feet at the gym, or climbing "easy" slab routes at Smith that force you to stand on dinky knobs. Sometimes it helps just to build up your confidence in what you can actually stand on, so you can relax and let your feet do more of the work. Although he has been doing the stretches in the new issue of Climbing for better high-stepping and turnout. Seems that if you're going to be doing footwork-intensive stuff, highstepping and good turnout are key. As a bonus, the whole stretching program takes less than 10 minutes.

 

For route reading, just get out and climb a shitload. That's definitely something that will be helped most by sheer volume of experience. The old cliche of having a "library" of moves in your head to choose from is pretty true. The more moves you've done, the more you've got in your library. Possible ways to help that are really obsessing about your projects, so you can visualize and mime out the whole route. Sure, you look like a dweeb when you're doing it, but it helps you keep a good mental image of the rock and how you move at each section of the route. This adds a handy 3-D component to the library, and is also a good way to speed up the redpointing process. When you have every move, clip, rest, shake, etc. totally wired in your head, you can get on your route and flow, without bumbling around trying to remember sequences on the fly. And of course watching other climbers, especially better climbers, doing routes can help you get ideas or different insights into possible ways of moving.

 

Shit, you totally owe DFA a beer!

[sk]

texplorer said:

You Leavitate

 

as soon as you teach me how

[Attitude]

jkrueger said:

So, if you have any recommendations, strategies, tips, or comments I'd love to hear 'em!

 

Climb more.

 

Eric Horst suggests that the bulk of training climbs should be a couple grades below your max to teach your body to move more fluidly over the rock. Also you can substitute endurance by climbing more efficiently, using the minimal amount of effort on each move.

[RuMR]

Footwork is the easiest to correct!! Just pull harder!!

[fern]

I think your three issues are related jk, and the key one

is the footwork. Like, fix the footwork and your climbing

will be less effortful (hah new word ) and so you won't

tax your endurance so you can hang on longer while you

figure out the right sequence and SEND!!

 

What Muffy says about the best foothold in the best way is

right except not the whole story. Because what is the 'best'

foothold? It's not always the biggest or most obvious one,

but it's the one that's in the right place relative to all

the other holds you are using. Sometimes it helps me to

think that the role of my arms is to stabilize me while my

feet push my centre of gravity around. Also looking focusedly

(hah another new word ) on my foot while putting weight

on it. These are my secrets to cracking the 5.6 barrier.

[RuMR]

Ha ha ha...

 

Nickname for chalk is "WHITE COURAGE"...

[jkrueger]

Dr_Flash_Amazing said:

Shit, you totally owe DFA a beer!

Consider it done, but you'll have to claim it in person...

[Dru]

try climbing barefoot, or in street shoes, for a while. with slippery feet, you'll really have to work your footwork to stay on the holds. then when you go back to the rock slippers, it seems real easy to pimp on a dime edge or whatever.

 

sort of like, climbing in the gym with a pack full of rocks on, and when you take it off all the routes seem way easier!

[COL._Von_Spanker]

jkrueger said:

iain said:

chalking up too often.

I think the primary benefit of chalk is psychological.

 

I was reduced to gym bouldering last night, and my chalk bag was 99% empty, but that didn't stop me from reaching back and trying to chalk up on every problem. It was stupid and idiotic, as I knew I wasn't actually going to get enough chalk on my hands to make a difference, but that didn't stop me from doing it! It's like a bad habit!

 

There's nothing wrong with that. Whatever it takes to get in the zone. many athletes have similar habits. It's like a baseball player adjusting his unit or hat or whatever, or a basketball player dribbling a few time before a free throw. Each person sort of has their own routine and I wouldn't call obsessive chalk baggin a bad habit. Now if you were like "i totally would have sent that if my chalk bag wasn't empty" that would be a problematic bad habit.

 

As for footwork, when working with the more advanced kids in the gym I have them climb extra slow (sloth style) and I make them stare at every foot placement.

 

I really need to work on not getting psyched out about leading trad stuff. Maybe I need more

[sk]

RuMR said:

Ha ha ha...

 

Nickname for chalk is "WHITE COURAGE"...

 

SO TRUE

 

BTW, Fern

[iain]

nice post dfa! good info

[RuMR]

Hey...

 

This is gonna sound really odd if you are unfamiliar w/ it, but the best thing I've seen for footwork is to really really strengthen your core. By this, I mean your obliques, diaphragm and lower back (think front levers, etc). It really really helps to hold your feet ON the wall, so you can then push DOWN on them and relieve pressure on your hands. This really comes into play on just over vert. to really steep.

 

Also, I don't know if you have a completely blown pair of slippers that have stretched too big, but if you do, try to workout really technical footwork intensive problems w/ them on. This will force you to place your foot on the hold and then hold on w/ BODY TENSION. Then, when you go outside, put your edging shoes on (think fresh pair of anazasis) and you'll be amazed at what little nubbins feel like...totally secure stances that you can order a pizza from and figure out the next sequence. This will really help in the slab to just steeper than vertical realm.

 

Also, contrary to Eric Horst's recommendations, you should invest some time on a significantly harder (but not impossible) project that will FORCE you to develop new strengths/techniques. Treat it as a classroom type of idea. The route should require significant effort just to figure out the moves not to mention linking them.

 

But, be sure to mix it up w/ easier climbing so as not to become a project only climber.

 

All of this will also help w/ crack climbing...you'll go down to the valley and be able to stand on dimes as well as mash your foot into a crack...

 

PS: Muffy will dig the 6 pack abs from all of the core work...

Edited February 20, 2003 by RuMR

[texplorer]

Does what DFA was saying sound familiar Jason. I also agree with him on the "staying calm" issue. That helped me alot.

 

Col. Spanker, I agree with the use of ques to get yourself in "the zone" but I believe those should be performed before you actually get on a route. Chalking whilst clinging to a crimp or somesuch hold will only waste valuable seconds and strength. Chalking may be necessary but should be limited to when needed.