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rokstahr39
Apr 8, 2004, 10:30 PM
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i've only been climbing almost a year... and (ppl say) I'm pretty solid on 5.10s... and I feel good on them most of the time. My balance is pretty good, strength getting better... but how to I get to climbing 5.11s? I climb about 3 or 4 nights a week, in a gym, open 4 hrs. a night. What can I do to get better other than just keep climbing? How do I improve my technique? Thanks for any advice!
Becky
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somethingcreative
Apr 8, 2004, 10:43 PM
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yeah, this is climbing, but something you might not do already...do some laps along the base of the gym wall, something that isn't too hard, and focus on smooth movements. Also, going outside, doing different problems helps quite a bit.
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nthusiastj
Apr 8, 2004, 10:44 PM
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Check out Eric Horst's books. He has some really good advice and training methods to help you chase the grades.
Training For Climbing
How to Climb 5.12
J
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sandbag
Apr 8, 2004, 10:46 PM
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Just dont rush it, thats the fast track to tendonitis, injuries and accidents. Keep climbing, work out with weights when you cant climb and just keep a good attitude. Its not about how hard the routes are that you climb, its about the joy you get from solving the problems both mental and physical and the journey to that place. Climb on......
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dirtineye
Apr 8, 2004, 11:06 PM
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Are you a sport climber, a top roper, a gym climber, or a trad clcimber?
At any rate, try getting on something you CAN'T climb, and flail away. See if you can use your brain to find a way to get up the thing you can't get up using your current technique.
Also, rest assured, that if you are really solid on 10b/c, there is at least one 11 out there with your name on it, you just have not found it yet.
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rokstahr39
Apr 8, 2004, 11:15 PM
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I guess I'm a sport climber... I just learned to lead (in the gym) but mostly I do top roped stuff. i'd love to learn to trad climb, but I should probably get better first. i;m close to Yosemite, so i'm climbing there this summer. YAY!!! Thanks for the advice! One thing though... how do I climb stuff that's way over my level without hurting myself?
Becky
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gogo
Apr 14, 2004, 2:34 AM
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Do pull-ups. Lots of pull-ups. And do laps up and down the wall. Preferably, find the hardest route that you have wired and use that one for laps, climbing both up and down climbing.
Should help,
Mike
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jt512
Apr 14, 2004, 2:40 AM
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In reply to: Do pull-ups. Lots of pull-ups. And do laps up and down the wall. Preferably, find the hardest route that you have wired and use that one for laps, climbing both up and down climbing. Should help, Mike
This is ignorant advice. She's climbing mid-10s. She needs to work on technique, not endurance or strength.
-Jay
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couloir
Apr 14, 2004, 2:53 AM
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Climb outside as often as possible. It helps develop technique that you won't get in the gym. It also helps with building muscles that don't get worked much in the gym from the relative lack of hold shapes. And most importantly, don't rush yourself. You'll get there before you know it, and there's tons of routes 5.10 and under waiting for you. And if you need a partner when you're in Yosemite, just PM me.
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karmaklimber
Apr 14, 2004, 3:22 AM
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In reply to: This is ignorant advice. She's climbing mid-10s. She needs to work on technique, not endurance or strength. -Jay
Definately. You can't stress enough the importance of building fundamentals over building strength.
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shaggyj
Apr 14, 2004, 3:26 AM
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Be a sub for really strong climbers. Watch their technique, pay attention to their sequence on a route. The will study the sequence from the ground, which makes them appear fluid and super strong on the route. Strong climbers will be very intentional with their foot placements to minimize extra movements. Focus on breathing and getting oxygen to your pump.
Relax.
The moment you stop wanting it so much, it will happen.....
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itakealot
Apr 14, 2004, 3:43 AM
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In reply to: Be a sub for really strong climbers. Watch their technique, pay attention to their sequence on a route. The will study the sequence from the ground, which makes them appear fluid and super strong on the route. Strong climbers will be very intentional with their foot placements to minimize extra movements. Focus on breathing and getting oxygen to your pump.
This is like the best advice. I have seen lots of talent go to waste since potentially awesome climbers don't partner up with climbers who can climb atleast a number grade better. I have seen first hand when a solid 13 climber coaches a 10 climber, then at the end of the season that person has jumped a number grade.
Over training can also be bad. You need to get on harder routes and get spanked to learn the whole zen of 5.11. I once had a climber at the gym come up to me all excited about speed climbing a 5.8, who also wanted to climb harder. I told her that speed climbing is not going to help her at all. Her happiness turned to deflation. Then I suggested she hook up with a better climber, which she did, and now she cranks harder than me.
In this whole process you will have to be able to deal with being unsuccessful at first. Did Caldwell onsite Kypronite?
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gogo
Apr 14, 2004, 4:14 AM
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I honestly don't think it's such bad advice. My girlfriend and her best friend were both in nearly the exact same position as you, they've been climbing seriously since about August, so a little less than a year, and have both started learning to lead. They both were climbing 5.10 solidly, but couldn't stick onto the .11's, so we started doing some strength training: pull-up pyramids, laps, lots of stickgame, and bouldering & traversing. Now they're redpointing 5.11a/b and looking pretty solid, so you can't immediately toss away strength training like that. Of course I'm not saying to focus solely on strength training, but it does help.
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alpnclmbr1
Apr 14, 2004, 4:18 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: Do pull-ups. Lots of pull-ups. And do laps up and down the wall. Preferably, find the hardest route that you have wired and use that one for laps, climbing both up and down climbing. Should help, Mike This is ignorant advice. She's climbing mid-10s. She needs to work on technique, not endurance or strength. -Jay
I would disagree with this.
After you get to mid ten in a gym all there is to work on is you're power and endurance.
=-=-=-
As far as working on technique, climb on as many different types of real rock as you can.
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a_scender
Apr 14, 2004, 4:30 AM
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Definitely be careful about overtraining. I got a little overzealous when I started climbing, and spent way to many hours at the gym trashing my body. Most importantly, give yourself plenty of time to rest, especially after a really hard day/night of climbing. Eric Horst's book, "How to climb 5.12," helped me a lot with ideas for training. I wish that I had of taken his advice to rest more seriously. I do think that the best way to improve technique is by climbing with better climbers. They know the moves, you can learn them by asking, or just watching. Good luck!
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jt512
Apr 14, 2004, 2:23 PM
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In reply to: I honestly don't think it's such bad advice.
OK, maybe I was too dismissive. The general answer is this: identify and work your weaknesses. What the climber needs to do is to have her climbing critiqued by one or more people who climb at least a number grade harder than her to help her determine why she falls off harder routes. Then, she can determine what she needs to work on: finger strength, power, power-endurance, endurance, core strength, recovery, finding and using rests, dynamic movement, staying in balance, footwork, breadth of technique, depth of technique, etc.
For strength training, though, I still think that pull-ups are a last resort. Bouldering would likely build climbing-specific strength more effectively than than doing pull-ups, at least at her current level.
-Jay
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phlsphr
Apr 14, 2004, 2:59 PM
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In reply to: I guess I'm a sport climber... I just learned to lead (in the gym) but mostly I do top roped stuff. i'd love to learn to trad climb, but I should probably get better first. i;m close to Yosemite, so i'm climbing there this summer. YAY!!! Thanks for the advice! One thing though... how do I climb stuff that's way over my level without hurting myself? Becky
The trick is to get out as much as possible with someone who can lead stuff that is a bit over your current level. They can lead and set up a top rope, and you can hang dog and work the moves on hard sections of the route until you can do the whole thing.
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scubasnyder
Apr 14, 2004, 3:18 PM
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boulder a lot, ask advice of better climbers while your climbing at the gym, they will help you a lot.
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njari
Apr 14, 2004, 3:29 PM
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I'll put in another vote for Horst's book (How to Climb 5.12).
When I was at the 5.10 barrier (not long ago) I worked out harder and harder, and it helped very little. Then, I stopped working out (except running) and just focused on technique. In a few weeks, I had definitely improved. Then, it was time to add in hard bouldering, then the hangboard, and eventually, the campus board.
I tried jumping on the hangboard too soon--my tendons ached for weeks.
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drrock
Apr 14, 2004, 3:44 PM
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edit
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alpnclmbr1
Apr 14, 2004, 4:05 PM
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In reply to: For strength training, though, I still think that pull-ups are a last resort. Bouldering would likely build climbing-specific strength more effectively than than doing pull-ups, at least at her current level.
I agree with this.
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saagax
Apr 14, 2004, 4:47 PM
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I used to have the same problem, I was climbing 5.10a/b pretty solid, I did thar for almost a year and two months ago I decided to go for the 11´s, and what I just did was tope rope some of them (5 perhaps) and start leading and learning now I´m climbing 11b with a lot of falls but I´m imporving my technique on the run. Also I´m training a little bit more on the hangboard.
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fredrogers
Apr 19, 2004, 4:37 PM
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I encourage you to keep climbing and improving. But don't get too worried about how quickly you're improving. Climbing 10c after a year of climbing is not bad. Some people improve quickly and you read in the mags that they're sending 13b after one year -- but that is rare. You don't read about the masses of people who never get past 5.9.
I highly enourage you to get outside to climb more often.
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trippleb
Apr 19, 2004, 4:54 PM
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are you enjyoing 5.10?, if so dont sweat it. Being from the land of the 10 in new paltz, ny (gunks) i have learned that a day of 10 climbing can leave you pumped and satisfied.
Climbing is a sport that rewards fitness so training is clearly key. For that you must find a system that works best for you, this sport is an individual thing (keep in mind that a 10 to one may feel like an 11 to another) so you need to paly around.
Boulder to work on moves that you cant do yet, lap routes to build endurance, and climb tough routes tired so your body can learn to rely on balance and technique. Go outside and climb all sorts of different lines and types of rock. Climbing is such a varried sport and requires many varried skills. Each new experience gives you a new tool to put into your "climbing toolbox" and when you are pushing your limits on 5.11 or 5.12 or 5.8 having more tools will improve your performance.
dont sweat the numbers, enjoy the journey and the adventure.
:shock:
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davidji
Apr 19, 2004, 5:02 PM
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In reply to: She's climbing mid-10s. She needs to work on technique, not endurance or strength. -Jay
The techniques many people are missing who are stuck at indoor 5.10, are ones that some people pick up a lot easier from a lesson or two than from simply climbing more and more, using their limited technique.
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