UKC

Hi guys,

So I've been bouldering around eight months now and I've just broke F7a. I'm a little short but really light, and my finger strength and technique have come on massively since changing from once-a-week at Xscape to 3-times-a-week at TCA Glasgow.

My issue is that after such a short burst of improvement since I first touched a climbing wall, I feel my progress has really started to slow down. I can comfortably flash around F6b (we'll say F6b+ with beta) and regularly push top-end 6's, although I recently thought I had sent two 7a's which after a quick natter turned out to be likely quite overgraded.

In a nutshell:

1) Should I expect every improvement from now onwards to be very, very slight?

2) Does anyone have any tips for improvement heading towards breaking 7's?

I'm not a grade hunter but I feel that it's a personal goal I would like to surpass within my first year of bouldering. I've been recommended not to hangboard within my first 18 months and focus on lock-off, stamina, technique and strength training for now.

Thanks for reading,

Zen

In reply to Zen:

Seems like decent progress so far but with plenty of room for further improvement. Plateaus are inevitable.

It's more or less impossible to suggest what you need to do to get better without knowing why you fail on things at present. Coaching, advice from more experienced climbers (paid for or otherwise), would be very helpful before heading off on a training wild-goose-chase.

Ask the same question on UKB. http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?action=forum
The signal to nose ratio is generally more favourable for this type of question.

In reply to flaneur:

Thanks for the help, I'll head over there and see what everyone says to it. I'll be sure to ask some of the TCA staff or better climbers there if they could pinpoint areas they recommend that I work on.

In reply to Zen:

It's natural that the pace of grade increase slows as the routes get harder.

- Generally the harder the route, the fewer the number of ways there are to do that route so each route takes a little bit more time to figure out.
- Harder routes tend to become more specific. For example a 'crimpy' 6b and a 'crimpy' 7b will be totally different animals... the former being a jug fest with a few crimps ... the latter being a crimp fest with a few jugs. If you've not got the specific skills (be that crimping, jamming, smearing and so on) you'll struggle.

My advice? Just keep climbing and keep trying harder lines. Eventually you'll break through. To climb 7a you don't really need to do any specific training ... climbing lots is enough. You'll get there.

The next big milestone from there is 7b+ which is a world away from 7a again. This will require a fair bit of dedication... maybe some power endurance training as most 7b+s tend to be long.

From there... 8a. For me at least... I had to train for this... campus, finger boards, core strength and good fitness were key.

In reply to Zen:
I assume you're talking about font grades! When you're starting out the common pattern seems to be to make fairly rapid improvements, and tick the odd outlier that suits you (I did a couple of 7Bs whilst still failing regularly on 6C/+s). The thing that takes time, and IMO marks out a good all round boulderer from a one trick pony is consolidating at a grade so that you can climb any problem at that grade, in any style on any rock type.

I'd really recommend getting as much variety in your climbing as possible - it's more fun and it'll make you a better climber. The grades will just follow naturally with time!

Cheers,

George.

In reply to Zen: When you sent the two 7a's did you get a receipt from the Post Office? Where did you send them to?

In reply to GridNorth:

When you did your E5... I hope you wore a condom

In reply to GridNorth:

The joke that never wears thin...

In reply to GPN: Forgive me, I'm relatively new to the forum and climb with lots of other old farts. I hadn't previously heard either the expression or the joke. IMO however it sounds a bit silly as well as making no sense whatsoever gramatically. I assume it's yet another Americanism that we are allowing to corrupt the language.

In reply to Zen:

There are three basic ways to climb harder problems:

Get better - Improve your technique and tactics to make use of the strength you have. You can do this alone though it's easier done with others (or a coach if that suits better). There's no real downside to this one except it takes time and work and you may need to build some specific strengths. Worth tackling this one from the outset to develop good habits.

Get stronger - Specifically stronger fingers but also with an eye on developing on good core stability. Self explanatory really, pull harder, reach further off poorer holds and on steeper ground. Downsides are it can mask poor technique and it carries an injury risk.

Play the odds - Try more hard problems and you'll tick more hard problems. To begin with it'll be the softer ones and those that suit but it's still satisfying and all the time you're learning and getting stronger. If you enjoy this type of climbing the only real downside is the injury risk.

The best bet as usual is a combination of all three taking care not to over-do it.

Which will pay off quickest is down to exactly what's holding you back currently. For what it's worth 7A in a year is pretty good, personally I'm pleased with 7A in a decade!
jk

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

Sorry that's far too subtle for my limited intellect.

In reply to Zen:

If you've ever actually been to Font, you know that the grade doesn't matter nearly as much as the style. I can flash 7a there, but I will also fall off a few 6bs in the same day.

If you want to tick hard numbers, do routes that suit your style. If you want to get better, do everything, enjoy everything, rest enough and don't worry (or talk) about grades.

In reply to Zen: It doesn't matter - just enjoy yourself. Having climbed for a few years now I have learned that the best climbers are the one who enjoy themselves the most. That is not to say that you shoudn't want to climb harder, it's natural, but concentrate on having a good time and you will reach your destination with a bigger grin on your face. Hell yeah!

BW

In reply to Zen:
Start including bouldering into your climbing routine, hard problems will teach you technique and control whilst your strength catches up.

In reply to Zen: I've been climbing for a few years now whilst I hadn't climbed much I've bouldered a lot more.

If you've only climbed for a year you're doing pretty well.

I've recently discovered that I've probably settled quite well into around 7A/+ and haven't really done any specific training for it.

Best thing to do would be to boulder at lots of places, and boulder a lot of different problems. Also try harder things but as said it carries an injury risk and you'll just have to listen to your body. If it tells you not to crimp, then don't.

Decent recovery between sessions is probably the best thing; good food, sleep and probably less booze. Take a week off every now and then and forget about climbing for that week, you'll be surprised what a rest can do to you.

If you can, factor in an outdoor bouldering session regularly.

In reply to Zen: Indoor 7a? hmmm.. Its maybe worth getting in some mileage outside, it will improve your technique massively(footwork) and (generally!) its less tweaky on your body which I'd say is important in your first year as your muscles and tendons will be adapting to the new stresses.

In reply to Zen:

If you want to break into harder problems outside then climb outside more.

Since moving to outdoor sessions as my primary bouldering and using the wall only about once a week I have seen a grade improvement of two grades. This has been without any climbing specific training - just press-ups and core work most days.

Thanks everyone for the advice, much appreciated and I'll be sure to follow up on whether I manage my goal within the next three months.

Cheers!