It was a long, hot summer on the Colorado Front Range, so after a seemingly interminable climbing drought the family was fired up to head north and check out the latest rage that is Ten Sleep Canyon. We’ve had lousy luck when it comes to Ten Sleep. I first bought the guidebook in the Spring…
Tom brought up a couple of questions which I will start to address here: tom on July 25, 2012 at 2:35 pm said: “you brought up two very interesting areas i hope you will discuss in detail: a) being aggressive in climbing – what’s the mindset, how do you turn it on? how do you…
“ARC” is short for Aerobic Restoration & Capillarity training. This training method was first described in the legendary Performance Rock Climbing. If you are unfamiliar with ARC training, you can get the rundown here. Many climbing periodization plans call for massive amounts of this training; as much as 90+ minutes per workout, with several workouts…
This question comes up quite a bit, along with the more specific, ‘when should I start hangboarding?’ Obviously this is a personal decision, and for many climbers (perhaps the vast majority) the answer is ‘never’. For that reason it makes sense to start with the question, why train at all? A few reasons can be…
Intensity is simply a matter of how much effort you put into a given training activity. In other words, how “hard” you are trying. You may already be performing the perfect training activity, but if the intensity is wrong, you won’t get the proper results. After observing many climbers in their natural habitat its clear…
“There is no ‘right’, there’s only what’s ‘right’ for you.” -Coach Beloit, The Jericho Mile John Steinbeck (author of The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, and many others) has long been one of my favorite authors. His novels paint a vivid picture of the human condition, and in my experience, provide…
Part I discussed the importance of goal-setting for climbing and provided some basic examples specific to the realm of mounaineering. Part II will discuss some more specifics on goal-setting for rock climbing. The subject of goal-setting in general life has been covered by countless self-help books and seminars. Two fantastic resources specific to climbing are…
Goal-setting has been an essential tool in all athletic pursuits for decades. You could make the argument that it is an essential tool in all human endeavors. Even chipmunks set out every Fall with the intention of gathering enough acorns to make it through the winter. Goal-setting is just as important in climbing. Goals create…
When I started climbing, I was pretty much a regular bumbly. I went through season after season of little to no improvement, without really understanding why. Every time I flirted with a breakthrough I wound up injured and right back where I started. I assumed that all those people climbing 5.12 or harder were simply…
The Rock Climber's Training Manual 