The Climbing Narc said it well" For the first time in the 4 years the TMG has hosted this World Cup no Americans stood atop the podium at the end of the comp with Alex Puccio (2nd) and Angie Payne (6th) being the only Americans to even make it to finals." While I do not believe that bouldering competitions are the only measure of climbing ability, it is striking particularly on the male side, how completely the US men were shut out of the finals.
No doubt the competitors will have their own thoughts on the subject and in particular I look forward to seeing what Carlo Traversi will have to say. But I would suggest that the time may have come for a second look at how climbers train and prepare for these events. A similar problem is also apparent in looking at the 8a.nu rankings for roped climbing. Not a single American male climber shows up in the top 20.
While I know this is a perennial topic for blogging and message boards, I think there is some cause for concern given the push for professionalization among climbers in recent years. Are climbers able to get the coaching, training and travel opportunities that are available to their European counterparts? And perhaps increasingly more important a question is, are they required to train at a world-class level to maintain sponsorships or team memberships?
An interesting counterpart to this question is an essay by a British climber and coach, Mark Pretty, on "The Forgotten Art of Training." In the piece which should be required reading for every serious climber, Pretty notes that in contrast to a previous generation that displayed a genuine "thoroughness of their training in whatever form it took and the dedication and energy they applied to it in the pursuit of their goal," today, "in my job as a coach, I see at many walls climbers frittering away their talent and energy in pointless training or idle posing-the ‘big fish in a small pond’ syndrome." He continues "There is a lot of talk but very little walk as most people seem to prefer to mess about on a bouldering wall and call it a training session rather than knuckle down and train."
Last year I climbed a bit with a Dutch climber who came to Colorado for the World Cup and was struck by the serious training regimen that he described for the Dutch team. Regular practices, required attendance at competitions and so on. My impression of the Austrian team and others, though only second-hand, is that the same principles apply. The American approach is much more casual and ad hoc and I wonder if the results of this attitude are now starting to show in earnest. Sure there are strong US outdoor climbers though not many on roped climbs and I have no doubt that in outdoor bouldering, US climbers can hold their own. But the results at Vail show some trends that do not look good for US climbers, especially males. What if anything will be done about it is anybody's guess.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Will Levandowski Operation Smile Climb/ World Record
Starting tonight and continuing on Thursday, Will Levandowski, a local climber, will attempt to transform a lowly stretch of Flagstaff sandstone into an arena of world-class proportions. Jenn Fields, a writer for the local paper, has a great article that explains everything.
I first encountered Will a couple of years ago when I was doing a warm-up session below Beer Barrel Rock and noticed someone climbing the same problem again and again on the formations known as the Mugs. I thought it was curious and asked what his reason for repeating the same thing literally hundreds of times. He explained that an injury in his foot from running limited his ability to either fall or negotiate a tricky descent so he found this one spot that allowed him to climb continuously for hours.
As an aficionado myself of logging vertical mileage at Flag, I can easily understand his motivations. However I freely admit that I would not want to try to log 25,000 feet on the same 10 foot problem. That takes a different mindset altogether. If you want to cheer Will on and even act as witness to his Guinness World Record attempt, you can find him starting at 5 pm tonight, a couple of tiers below Beer Barrel Rock. He will climb until 11 pm, take a break until 5 am and continue Thursday until 5 pm.
I first encountered Will a couple of years ago when I was doing a warm-up session below Beer Barrel Rock and noticed someone climbing the same problem again and again on the formations known as the Mugs. I thought it was curious and asked what his reason for repeating the same thing literally hundreds of times. He explained that an injury in his foot from running limited his ability to either fall or negotiate a tricky descent so he found this one spot that allowed him to climb continuously for hours.
As an aficionado myself of logging vertical mileage at Flag, I can easily understand his motivations. However I freely admit that I would not want to try to log 25,000 feet on the same 10 foot problem. That takes a different mindset altogether. If you want to cheer Will on and even act as witness to his Guinness World Record attempt, you can find him starting at 5 pm tonight, a couple of tiers below Beer Barrel Rock. He will climb until 11 pm, take a break until 5 am and continue Thursday until 5 pm.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Using a Finger Board: Refining the Workout
When measured in terms of square inches, a good fingerboard is certainly the most effective strength building tool out there. A good commercial board, such as the one made by Moon Climbing, allows you to stress your arms and fingers in the most concentrated ways available outside of actual bouldering.
If you are not using a commercial board, making your own edges from wood is a good idea, including a 20 mm (3/4 inch) and a 6 or 7 mm (1/4 inch) edge and perhaps a wider but sloping edge. It's a good idea to round the outer edge of the hold and sand the wood well so it is quite smooth. These edges can be attached to a plywood board and then mounted over a door. They can also be attached directly to framing timber where convenient such as with floor joists.
When using a fingerboard, climbers can be more creative in figuring out ways to simulate the demands of climbing in a much more sport-specific fashion. Here are a few to consider.
First, make sure that you are hanging in different grip positions, not just the ones you favor. On a fingerboard, I tend to default to openhand position, the one that feels most secure, especially for one-hand hangs. However, I have found that hanging in a crimp position is actually much more effective for actual rock climbing since so many longer lockoff-type moves require that hand position. You obviously have to be careful about overdoing it but if you are favoring a certain hand position, you may be under-utilizing the fingerboard considerably. Make sure that you practice all three standard positions: crimp, semi-crimp, and open-handed.
Second, make sure that you are using a wide variety of holds including small edges, wider flat edges, slopers and pockets and that you are using the different hand positions on these where appropriate. You should get to the point where, for any hold and grip position, 5 seconds hangtime (the average time a climber uses a hold in a problem) with both hands is feasible. For a single edge, you can simulate pockets by gripping with only two or three fingers and not using the thumb. It's best to avoid crimping in a pocket configuration however. Use open-hand grip and avoid any unexpected shock-loading.
You may want to build or add pinch holds as well. Most finger boards don't include good ones but they can be bought as climbing holds and added in to a homemade set.
Third, make sure you are testing your grip strength in both extended and contracted arm positions. You may find yourself much weaker on certain holds in a fully contracted position than in a semi-extended one.
Fourth, introduce dynamic elements into your hangs. One of the more effective ones is shifting your grip from open-hand to crimp position. Starting with both hands in the open-hand position, move one hand to a crimp position and then the other. This is a much needed skill when making a lock-off move from a hold that was grabbed at full extension with an open-hand grip.
Another option is switching back and forth between hands, taking one hand off for a second or two,going back to hanging on both hands, pulling up a bit then taking off the other hand, and repeating to failure. This is a bit like campusing.
Fifth, focus periodically on developing your one-hand hanging strength. This can involve trying to hang for only a second or two and working on increasing this time to 5 seconds or higher, maybe up to 8 or 10 seconds max.
Combining one hand hangs with attempts to maintain a fully locked off position is very effective at developing resistance against sagging on holds and therefore maximizing reach. Again work through different grip positions so that you have equal or at least
Constantly try out different grips for weaknesses and you will find your ability to deal effectively with all kinds of holds and moves considerably improved.
For a sample fingerboard workout visit Moon Climbing's School Room area
If you are not using a commercial board, making your own edges from wood is a good idea, including a 20 mm (3/4 inch) and a 6 or 7 mm (1/4 inch) edge and perhaps a wider but sloping edge. It's a good idea to round the outer edge of the hold and sand the wood well so it is quite smooth. These edges can be attached to a plywood board and then mounted over a door. They can also be attached directly to framing timber where convenient such as with floor joists.
When using a fingerboard, climbers can be more creative in figuring out ways to simulate the demands of climbing in a much more sport-specific fashion. Here are a few to consider.
First, make sure that you are hanging in different grip positions, not just the ones you favor. On a fingerboard, I tend to default to openhand position, the one that feels most secure, especially for one-hand hangs. However, I have found that hanging in a crimp position is actually much more effective for actual rock climbing since so many longer lockoff-type moves require that hand position. You obviously have to be careful about overdoing it but if you are favoring a certain hand position, you may be under-utilizing the fingerboard considerably. Make sure that you practice all three standard positions: crimp, semi-crimp, and open-handed.
Second, make sure that you are using a wide variety of holds including small edges, wider flat edges, slopers and pockets and that you are using the different hand positions on these where appropriate. You should get to the point where, for any hold and grip position, 5 seconds hangtime (the average time a climber uses a hold in a problem) with both hands is feasible. For a single edge, you can simulate pockets by gripping with only two or three fingers and not using the thumb. It's best to avoid crimping in a pocket configuration however. Use open-hand grip and avoid any unexpected shock-loading.
You may want to build or add pinch holds as well. Most finger boards don't include good ones but they can be bought as climbing holds and added in to a homemade set.
Third, make sure you are testing your grip strength in both extended and contracted arm positions. You may find yourself much weaker on certain holds in a fully contracted position than in a semi-extended one.
Fourth, introduce dynamic elements into your hangs. One of the more effective ones is shifting your grip from open-hand to crimp position. Starting with both hands in the open-hand position, move one hand to a crimp position and then the other. This is a much needed skill when making a lock-off move from a hold that was grabbed at full extension with an open-hand grip.
Another option is switching back and forth between hands, taking one hand off for a second or two,going back to hanging on both hands, pulling up a bit then taking off the other hand, and repeating to failure. This is a bit like campusing.
Fifth, focus periodically on developing your one-hand hanging strength. This can involve trying to hang for only a second or two and working on increasing this time to 5 seconds or higher, maybe up to 8 or 10 seconds max.
Combining one hand hangs with attempts to maintain a fully locked off position is very effective at developing resistance against sagging on holds and therefore maximizing reach. Again work through different grip positions so that you have equal or at least
Constantly try out different grips for weaknesses and you will find your ability to deal effectively with all kinds of holds and moves considerably improved.
For a sample fingerboard workout visit Moon Climbing's School Room area
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Chalk Review
Ever since John Gill introduced the use of gymnastics chalk to the sport back in the 1960s, chalk has been a part of the sport for the vast majority of climbers. In bouldering chalk is a crucial piece of equipment since poor friction can easily negate the strongest effort.
Over the past six months I have been trying out various chalks sent by manufacturers or purchased by me to see what if any differences there are between brands. In part this was prompted by some encounters with uneven batches of Metolius Super Chalk last year that had me wondering whether I was using something that was actually hindering my climbing.
I sent off emails to various manufacturers and received samples from Black Diamond, Metolius, So Ill and just recently received some product from my sponsor Moon Climbing. I also purchased some chalk under the Bison, Wild Country and Asana brands. My testing protocol is anything but systematic, involving trying the stuff out on various rock types including local sandstone, RMNP gneiss and plastic holds in various gyms.
According to information supplied by Metolius Climbing, chalk comes from mining deposits of limestone and dolomite which is then "processed into a variety of products, one of them being climbing chalk or magnesium carbonate." The chalk is purified, dried, and crumbled to a climber-friendly consistency before being packaged for distribution and sale. Metolius continues, "Depending on the manufacturer, some additives to aid in moisture absorption can be added to the chalk prior to packaging. Metolius additives are a food grade product."
When I started climbing the only choices were various forms of block chalk, most famously that marketed by Frank Endo. By the late 1990s designer chalk had emerged, most famously Metolius Super Chalk. At present there are at least the brands mentioned above as well as Petzl, and no doubt many more, including liquid chalk. There is more than an even chance of branded chalks leaving the same factory under different labels but surprisingly, differences between certain brands did emerge.
What am I looking for in a climbing chalk? Two primary qualities stand out: texture, especially a frictiony feel, and drying capacity. Texture is a subjective quality but there is a tendency in some chalks to have a smooth talc-like feel, something which I find is detrimental to a confident grip on the holds. The chalk should have just a bit of grit to it, in my view.
Then there is drying capacity. Chalk is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water from the atmosphere and from your fingers. This gives your fingers better adherence to the rock, but only up to a point. It may seem counter-intuitive but chalk should not entirely dry your hands out. Ask around and you may find that climbers will describe conditions that are too dry, where fingers suddenly snap off from holds in what is commonly called "dry-firing." For fingers to adhere well to rock, they have to have a little bit of give on the surface and hard glassy finger tips can be a liability. You may want to lightly dampen your tips and sand down any callouses for a better grip on cool dry days, especially if your fingers are naturally dry as mine are.
Chalk that is too dry or contains drying agents may actually be counterproductive in these conditions. More and more I find that manufacturers are opting away from drying agents and offering chalk that is 100% magnesium carbonate. The criteria I use for judging chalk quality are "hand feel," consistency, and moisture content. A good chalk in my view should have a slightly gritty feel, be reasonably chunky in consistency, and be just a bit moist. For bouldering in very dry conditions, such as are typical in Colorado, these characteristics are desirable. For bouldering in Alabama in June, a drier chalk with a drying agent may be desirable.
So which chalks were the best performers? For me, there were three standouts. Black Diamond White Gold Loose Chalk was excellent, a bit dry but with very good texture and consistency. The refillable canister is a sensible idea as well. I was also impressed by the feel of the Wild Country Pure Chalk which seemed to coat my fingers well with an initially damp layer that dried quickly to a sticky finish. Moon Climbing's Moon Dust seemed to sit between the two, with an excellent consistency and dry gritty feel, though softer than the Black Diamond brand.
Less desirable to my mind though still reliable were the Metolius block chalks and Super Chalk. These, the Asana White Dirt and So Ill's Prescription Chalk tended to have a more soft talc-like feel and did not adhere as well to my skin during problems. The least desirable of the chalks I tested was Bison Chalk which had an almost slippery feel to it, reducing friction compared to the other varieties.
My advice is to try out a number of different brands and see if they work well for you. The statement that "chalk is just chalk" is not exactly true.
I should add that I did not test the chalk ball options that are available as I have never liked them. A thoughtful and careful approach to applying loose chalk can reduce any extraneous dust issues. Some gyms require them but given the propensity for kids to throw them at each other, I am not sure that rule actually pays off.
A final thought. Chalk should be used sparingly and only to get the skin prepared for climbing. There is a point at which chalk becomes detrimental, interfering with the contact between skin and rock, so do not simply pile chalk onto holds. Never apply it to footholds. And please erase your tickmarks and scrub the holds clean after you are done with a problem and bring the rock as close as you can to a natural state.
Thanks again to the manufacturers and sales reps who assisted in providing product and information!
Over the past six months I have been trying out various chalks sent by manufacturers or purchased by me to see what if any differences there are between brands. In part this was prompted by some encounters with uneven batches of Metolius Super Chalk last year that had me wondering whether I was using something that was actually hindering my climbing.
I sent off emails to various manufacturers and received samples from Black Diamond, Metolius, So Ill and just recently received some product from my sponsor Moon Climbing. I also purchased some chalk under the Bison, Wild Country and Asana brands. My testing protocol is anything but systematic, involving trying the stuff out on various rock types including local sandstone, RMNP gneiss and plastic holds in various gyms.
According to information supplied by Metolius Climbing, chalk comes from mining deposits of limestone and dolomite which is then "processed into a variety of products, one of them being climbing chalk or magnesium carbonate." The chalk is purified, dried, and crumbled to a climber-friendly consistency before being packaged for distribution and sale. Metolius continues, "Depending on the manufacturer, some additives to aid in moisture absorption can be added to the chalk prior to packaging. Metolius additives are a food grade product."
When I started climbing the only choices were various forms of block chalk, most famously that marketed by Frank Endo. By the late 1990s designer chalk had emerged, most famously Metolius Super Chalk. At present there are at least the brands mentioned above as well as Petzl, and no doubt many more, including liquid chalk. There is more than an even chance of branded chalks leaving the same factory under different labels but surprisingly, differences between certain brands did emerge.
What am I looking for in a climbing chalk? Two primary qualities stand out: texture, especially a frictiony feel, and drying capacity. Texture is a subjective quality but there is a tendency in some chalks to have a smooth talc-like feel, something which I find is detrimental to a confident grip on the holds. The chalk should have just a bit of grit to it, in my view.
Then there is drying capacity. Chalk is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water from the atmosphere and from your fingers. This gives your fingers better adherence to the rock, but only up to a point. It may seem counter-intuitive but chalk should not entirely dry your hands out. Ask around and you may find that climbers will describe conditions that are too dry, where fingers suddenly snap off from holds in what is commonly called "dry-firing." For fingers to adhere well to rock, they have to have a little bit of give on the surface and hard glassy finger tips can be a liability. You may want to lightly dampen your tips and sand down any callouses for a better grip on cool dry days, especially if your fingers are naturally dry as mine are.
Chalk that is too dry or contains drying agents may actually be counterproductive in these conditions. More and more I find that manufacturers are opting away from drying agents and offering chalk that is 100% magnesium carbonate. The criteria I use for judging chalk quality are "hand feel," consistency, and moisture content. A good chalk in my view should have a slightly gritty feel, be reasonably chunky in consistency, and be just a bit moist. For bouldering in very dry conditions, such as are typical in Colorado, these characteristics are desirable. For bouldering in Alabama in June, a drier chalk with a drying agent may be desirable.
So which chalks were the best performers? For me, there were three standouts. Black Diamond White Gold Loose Chalk was excellent, a bit dry but with very good texture and consistency. The refillable canister is a sensible idea as well. I was also impressed by the feel of the Wild Country Pure Chalk which seemed to coat my fingers well with an initially damp layer that dried quickly to a sticky finish. Moon Climbing's Moon Dust seemed to sit between the two, with an excellent consistency and dry gritty feel, though softer than the Black Diamond brand.
Less desirable to my mind though still reliable were the Metolius block chalks and Super Chalk. These, the Asana White Dirt and So Ill's Prescription Chalk tended to have a more soft talc-like feel and did not adhere as well to my skin during problems. The least desirable of the chalks I tested was Bison Chalk which had an almost slippery feel to it, reducing friction compared to the other varieties.
My advice is to try out a number of different brands and see if they work well for you. The statement that "chalk is just chalk" is not exactly true.
I should add that I did not test the chalk ball options that are available as I have never liked them. A thoughtful and careful approach to applying loose chalk can reduce any extraneous dust issues. Some gyms require them but given the propensity for kids to throw them at each other, I am not sure that rule actually pays off.
A final thought. Chalk should be used sparingly and only to get the skin prepared for climbing. There is a point at which chalk becomes detrimental, interfering with the contact between skin and rock, so do not simply pile chalk onto holds. Never apply it to footholds. And please erase your tickmarks and scrub the holds clean after you are done with a problem and bring the rock as close as you can to a natural state.
Thanks again to the manufacturers and sales reps who assisted in providing product and information!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Another Spot Clinic this Wednesday
I am giving another clinic this Wednesday evening at the Spot from 5:30 to 6:30. The last one was booked solid and I expect a similar turnout again.
As the weather starts getting warmer, I am looking forward to returning to the alpine sites of Evans and RMNP and if you are looking to get the most out of visits up there, this might help. Call the gym at 303 379-8806 to get on the signup sheet.
As the weather starts getting warmer, I am looking forward to returning to the alpine sites of Evans and RMNP and if you are looking to get the most out of visits up there, this might help. Call the gym at 303 379-8806 to get on the signup sheet.
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