UKC

Ok, so is it possible to climb 8b+ in a year. Heres the scenario: A climber who has been clibing two years, currently doesnt climb too much as is involved in a postgraduate course at university till september 2011. This 'hypothetical' climber is currently at consistent E1/E2 trad, has done the odd harder grade. Has bouldered V7 and could likely work V9 or higher. Hasn't done much sport climbing, say currently at 7B. The route to be done by december 31/2011 is Darwin Dixit (downgraded to 8b+, originally 8c-i believe). With heavy training from june till the end of the alloted time period, and currently two days training one off. September till december 2011 spent on the route, and others in locality. Would it be possible for this hypothetical climber to achieve this 8b+ in a year, with the conditions that have been specified. YES or NO answers preferable

In reply to LITTLE SAM: Too many variables!

In reply to Rob15:
Yes

In reply to LITTLE SAM:
No

In reply to LITTLE SAM:
I dont know, can you repeat the question?

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Have you done V11 yet?

In reply to LITTLE SAM: No, unless they are a freak.

In reply to TheAvenger: They havent yet

In reply to LITTLE SAM: so your first challenge was to do a V11, you haven't done it so now u are going for 8c sport route instead?

I am gonna go for no it won't happen in this instance but I think it is possible

In reply to LITTLE SAM:
Yes.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: YES, but only if he's a VERY gifted climber. (not the kind of pussy who can boulder V7 but only climbs trad E2)

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

He's hypothetical, so he can do whatever you want him to

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

I don't know for you. but in Spain a 17 year old went from having never climbed before to f8c in 6 months so I don't think its out of the question.

In reply to Quarryboy:

who was that then? I was aware of a guy going from never climbing to 8c in three years.. I forget his name. but in 6 months? that is hard to believe.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: Maybe if he is very gifted, is very determined and has good coaching. More likely to get injured than succeed trying to improve at that rate. I would advise him to give himself more time.

In reply to Dan_Carroll:

Sorry they got the info wrong on 8a

Jon Ander Bravo

1st year got to f8a

2nd year f8c

2 years its probs quite hard to beat that

I think Sharma got to 8b+ in 2 years though.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: Doing the level of training you need without getting injured will be a very good balancing act.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: Hypothetically, yes!
But in reality - No!
Firstly, "said" climber should be "tradding" a lot harder than (s)he is for boulder grade.
I would think a realistic target would be 8a by the end of next year if a lot of training is put in - to gain the necessary endurance/power endurance.

Good luck "hypothetically"

In reply to LITTLE SAM: ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE! No you realise how hard 8c is?

In reply to LITTLE SAM: Dave Graham climbed 5.14a within a year of climbing (Wikipedia). This is 8b+ according to the Rockfax conversion table.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Emphatically no

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Even taking 31 years to get to 8c would be nice but it ain't gonna happen . . .!

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Only E1/E2 trad but V7 and f7b?

In reply to Removed User:
I climb f7c and v8 but have only ever tradded e1. That might be cos I've only tradded a handful of times but still. If your focus is sport and bouldering there is no need to trad hard.
To the op. There is a big difference between 8c and 8a etc. The grade aren't linear. So you can get on an 8a and flail around and think it could go eventually but 8c is just in a completely different world. You would have to be able to boulder v10 or 11 easily and be able to do several in a row. And even then that probably would get you to the crux of the route.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Climbed 7b and consistent at E1/2 - they're underachieving tradwise!

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

hypothetically yes. but unless you're truly brilliant (which let's be honest you're not, or you'd already know by now - brilliant climbers don't get stuck at E1), then the answer for you specifically is no.

if you do it then i'd love to be proved wrong and will eat your old rock shoes as penance.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: heers everyone, good to hear your views, obviously the hypothetical guy is me! in my first year of climbing i aimed to do V11 in one year, i got V7. I then aimed to do E4 before a friend of kine did, i did too, they werent challenging E4's one i doubt to be E4, but agreed with the 6btech grade due to the bouldery start, the other just a run out E4 5c (just a ballsy pitch). Ive had relatively little trad experience hence the low grades. I also suffer from the problem of my locality, yes i am two hours from north wales, but i have no longer routes locally, as such very difficult to get training endurance. Hence the good boulder progress and poor trad performance. I hope i can achieve something hard, a quick trip to portland in new years may bring some results. But training at current is focused on winter climbing, my first season this year hoping for a grade V. i will take all the NO answers and use them to drive my ambition, all the YES answers have cemented in my mind it is doable. If i dont get 8c but get a good tick of 7c's and 8a's in my view im still the winner, ill still be climbing good grades after my third year on rock. CHEERS x

In reply to M0nkey:
The difference in grades is 8c-7b = is 8. Given that it's harder to make gains nearer your limit progress will not be linear ie one grade improvement every 7 weeks. The first few months you should expect to be improving by a grade a month if you are on track to reach your goal, anticipating slower progress in the second half of the year.
Realistic?

In reply to LITTLE SAM: No.

8b+/8c is a grade that relatively few climbers achieve, those that do generally take a few years to get that far. There are the odd cases, already highlighted, of climbers doing that grade soon after starting, but they are way outside the norm.

An 8b+/c route is likely to have a crux in the V8/9/10 range, with lots of hard climbing before and after. For example Unjustified (8c, Malham) is described as a 7b+ route into a 7b/+ crux into an 7c+/8a route. The climber in question hasn't even done a route equal to the first section, let alone the crux section or final section.

To improve that much in one year is asking for injuries. Lots of them.

Andy F

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

I guess if you are genetically gifted then the answer would be possibly yes...

However for the rest of us who are not like that then the answer is probably going to be no.

As someone earlier pointed out the grades are not exactly linear. Well maybe the grades are linear but, they won't feel linear as you get higher and higher up. Each grade progression will take longer and longer. Injuries will get in the way etc...

In your opening post you say: you have climbed V7 but could do V9. I am not sure I really understand that as you either could do V9 and have done or you haven't.

Also the difference between just 7b and 8a is huge. As for the difference between 8a and 8c that is (imo) even bigger again.

Anyway, enough negativity. Having a goal such as 8c will certainly motivate your training and give you a reason to get down the wall, hit the fingerboard etc...

Dave

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

I suspect the rate-limiting bits will be a) how hard you can train without getting injured, and b) how much you can get out on rock to develop the requisite movement and tactical skills.

Even assuming you are just talking about getting to 8a, let alone 8c, one year is not a long time, and if you then take away the first five months (why are you not starting training until June?) and the last four months (September to December when you will be on your trip and presumably doing routes intensively) you are left with 3 months to train, which is precisely f*ck all in training terms.

If you are serious I would start thinking about what you are prepared to sacrifice. (winter climbing? trad climbing? social life? studying? what can you do to rearrange your life to get out on rock every weekend? etc. etc.)

Basically you're setting yourself a phenomenally difficult feat but are then saying you want to do it in the time you have left over once you have prioritised X, Y and Z above it. Personally I think that is unlikely to be a successful attitude, but good luck.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

One of my friends has just hit F8b+ and he is rather talented and it still took him 5 years (and btw he had onsighted 8a multiple times before acheiving this!). So 8b+/8c is really hard!

I have been climbing longer than you but maybe have similar achievements in the past (boulder V6, flashed 7b, trad E3). The thing to realise is that if you work really hard to bump yourself up a grade, you will have to work a lot harder than that to bump yourself up the next grade. I got to F7a+/F7b (r/p) just by climbing a lot, started training and got to F7b+ then trained *a lot* and got to F7c. At this point I realised that I probably wouldnt ever climb 8a let alone the upper 8's, but I had climbed a lot of amazing routes in amazing places in coming to this decision. My point is being psyched is good, enjoy the journey but dont ruin the experience by pre-occupying yourself with grade based goals.

In reply to plexiglass_nick:
And whether you have the God-given genetic capacity for building that level of strength allied to the movement skills/technique needed. Most people just don't have it. It's like asking whether you could start serious running, having done a bit of jogging round the park and one 5k fun run, and within a year win a 10,000m at regional championships -or some other equally daft ambition.

For the climber to attain 7c+ within the year by sieging one particular route might be a more interesting question.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

First of all, are you talking about climbing a F8c, or climbing Darwin Dixit (F8b+)?

Secondly, have you seen the route in question? This route and most of the routes on this section of the laboratory are quite specific. They're not your bog standard sport routes. And don't let the video of Dave Mac pissing up it kid you into thinking it's easy.

Darwin basically involves climbing maybe 7-8m across a totally horizontal roof on spaced finger jugs (with some incredibly powerful clips thrown in), to a huge jump/'driveby' move to a jug. Effectively* one arm on this jug, then effectively* one arm on a good but scary & painful mono (crux) to some (relatively speaking) decent pockets. From here it's still maybe F7a+/7b to the top.
*I say effectively because there are footholds, but they may as well not be there.

So this route I guess is one that you could train for relatively easily indoors, as it's just an extended boulder problem really (I guess somewhere in the region of V11? - but I don't know). Concentrate on pockets, monos and campusing across a horizontal roof. But I fear you would have to do such intense and specific training that you would more likely just end up with an injury or two before your trip.

But don't let this, and all the other negative replies, stop you. If you train these qualities specifically you'll still have a great time in Margalef and get loads of other (much better) routes done. Just be careful with your training!

In reply to ali k:

Forgot to say - on the plus side you don't need to waste time gaining technique/experience climbing outdoors etc. building up to it before you try. You just need to get b*stard strong!!!

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

It's hard to take this seriously with comments like that! This will not help your cause one bit and will probably do the opposite with all the time taken away from rock climbing and proper training.

Don't get me wrong; I love winter climbing and getting into that would be a great goal in itself, but it's not as if any training is really required for grade V anyway, other than getting some hill fitness and climbing a few IVs.

In reply to ali k: The real goal is Darwin dixit, picked for all the reasons you listed. It is likely to fit where my natural style of climbing is leading, powerfull fingery moves. sorry the topic title is misleading. just so people dont get confused the goal is just to climb the route, i can siege it, staying there for a few weeks working move by move. I still feel i can doi it even after the majority of people disagree. Many of whom i feel are putting themselves into this situation as oppoed to the criteria of the hypothetical climber outlined in the first post. this whole discussion had been helpfull for me, cheers everyone. But dont stop posting, any more route info training techniques etc willl be most appreciated. cheers.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Prove us wrong! Go siege it like Sharma, siegeing works for him.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Okay in direct answer to your hypothetical climber post.

No because climber in question is on the evidence not genetically gifted enough. V7 in a year of climbing may be decent but is nowhere near enough to hit 8c the next year. As Andy F said earlier the crux is likely to be much harder than your hypothetical climber's current power levels. So to even get strong enough to just boulder out the moves on a route like Darwin Dixit would in itself be a massive achievement.

Said, hypothetical climber would need to jump 4 bouldering grades in strength plus attain very high levels of power endurance.

However if the hypothetical climber has a last name of Ondra, Sharma, Graham etc... then my answer is yes!

To be honest I reckon if you do 8a then that would be a great achievement.

Dave

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Cutting through the 'a hypothetical climber'* bullshit...

Why not set yourself a realistic goal. Yeah, with luck on your side, a move to Spain and a 6month+ near daily siege you may in some weird luck filled fantasy world tick that one route. More likely you'll get nowhere near, injured and despondent.

So you climb 7b now and let's assume charitably that is have climbed a handful of 7bs, not just sieged one. What is a realistic goal for 3-6months quality training which is realistically what you're looking at in the timeframe described? Your climbing bio sounds similar to mine though it sounds you have to put in less work to get there. What would I consider a reasonable one year goal were I to throw myself into it...

As is now but staying keen: 7c+/8a
No job but funds, partners and psyche: 8a
As above but more psyche + a move to Spain: 8a+/8b

All assuming I could keep myself injury free and therein lies the crux of the matter... how much can your body take. Mine is frail!

Good luck but your goals are so far the wrong side of realistic you're having a laugh.

jk

*and yes, there will eventually be someone who does it but we could be waiting a while.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Should be fairly straightforwards, assuming that you "actually try"

British people suck at sport climbing, too much trad.

It took a German mate from a town near frankenjura to make me see this.

Try an 8a and approach it as a series of boulder problems. It's linking it that is hard.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Lots of bouldering, pullups, fingerboarding, campussing, power endurance training and stay injury free (good luck!).

My advice is aim low(er)... achieve! Then reset your goals month by month as you hit them and focus your training to suit your aims.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: The jump from 7b to 8b+ is massive, so good luck. Speaking as someone with some experience of sieging a route I'd recommend training specific moves (in this case lots of pocket moves on a very steep roof) in the run-up to actually trying it. Also, find a similar route of easier difficulty to build up the engrams and work that at the same time. Trying one route to the exclusion of all others is mentally very taxing and can be psychologically very draining.

Andy F

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

so you missed out by a massive amount?i did V8 in my first year,13 years later and ive still not done V11!!

In reply to beastofackworth: same here.
Op: an e4 6b which is not e4 and an e4 5c? Sounds like some one has been to the roaches for a guess?as for doing 8b+ in a year.no chance by your past form.you are better of having realistic goals not unreachable stars,eh that's an idea for you.unreachable star at curbar.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:
Are you Disabled in any way?
If not then the answer is deffinetly yes.
The only thing holding you back from your goal is your mind.
Asking the opinion of closeminded people will only further close your mind to the possibilty of achieving what you want too.
People are to quick to tell you what you can't do, Don't listen, you can do it if you work hard enough.
My two pieces of advice are....Do it for the route not the grade. E.g enjoy the journey not the destination.
secondly...Be careful who you take advice from.

In reply to Dave Searle: you are wrong.its nothing to do with closedminded as you put it,its being realistic.there was a time when I wanted to climb hard things but could never get past 7c,I'd be at the wall or climbing most nights.some (most) people will never climb 8b+ and its nothing to do with not wanting to

In reply to Dave Searle: cheers dave, this has me psyched, ive never listened to what anyone says they think i can do, and all the people saying i cant do it are usefull for giving me the right mentaliity to do it

In reply to mark s:

You were doing something wrong then, or you just didn't train hard enough.

I think most people when born probably have the physical potential to climb f8a in there lifetime, given the right training and not being phisicly impaired.

If you want to climb something badly enough providing you have the time and motivation there is a good chance you will do it.

In reply to Anonymous: ooo anonymous...
my climbing isn't part of this topic,
This is the kind of close minded thinking im talking about. Just because it hasn't been done yet does not mean that it can't be done.
thats the mind set that the best climbers in the world adopt when opening new routes. if a average climber is to adopt that mentality then who knows what they can achieve?

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

This won't work i'm afraid. You need to go there being much stronger than the route and try to do it quickly. If you siege it for weeks on end you'll just end up ripping your fingers to shreds climbing on the same holds and tearing the skin in the same places. You'll eventually be having more rest days than actual climbing days just to recover the necessary skin and therefore get weaker and weaker on it. Believe me. I've experienced this myself when trying particular routes for extended periods at the exclusion of all others. And I've also witnessed this happening with a friend on the route you want to do (several times now as it happens...)

And that's not to mention the massive psychological effect this repeated failure and backward progress has on you.

It's way more fun to do lots of routes quickly (on-sights and fast redpoints) than it is just to climb one route because it has a particular grade!

In reply to LITTLE SAM: glad to help man. I don't listen to people telling me what i can't do.....because it just somebodys opinion in the end of the day, not actually fact.
just stay focused on your goal and realise it.

In reply to Dave Searle:

What exactly are you basing this on?

Yes some extremely gifted individuals such as Dave Graham, Chris Sharma, Rich Simpson, etc... have made incredibly quick progress and could easily have made the jump in grade that the op is wanting. However those are the very gifted few.

Little Sam: Don't really understand why you have posted as you don't actually want to listen or talk about it. You just say that you will do it anyway!

In reply to davo: Gifted? or motivated and openminded?
He posted because he wants some support, which it seems only im giving him!

In reply to Dave Searle:

No - he posted because he wants some advice and honest opinions. Which people are giving him!

In reply to Dave Searle:

If you are talking about Sharma and Graham. Then those guys are all 3 that you have mentioned. They certainly aren't brilliant at climbing just because they are open minded. They have phenominal talent combined with dedication.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: i want support but also genuine views, its all usefull to me, i can take the negative to push me towards it, i get really psyched and driven by people telling me i cant do things. The barriers people are identifying are helpfull, even if they dont think i can do it the problems with injury and specific training they are highlighting is usefull information. I do want people to discuss this, i am not saying i am not going to listen i am listening i just may noit agree or believe in your views, your still entitled to them all the same. Dave i just think i have a similar midset to you.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

let's be realistic, this isn't a yes or no thing. There are probabaly a handful of guys worldwide who could climb 8c in 2 years, and you might be one of them. You're probably not.

As for the positive attidue thing, sure this will help massively. But it isn't just a case of being in the right mentality. I know a couple of guys who have sacked off everything: alpine, trad, job, girlfriend, friends, to focus purely on climbing. None of them have achieved anything remotely close to 7b to 8c in a year.

They've ticked some 8's though, and had a good time doing it.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

then why did you ask people's opinion on here?

am sure it is possible, the question is do you want it enough? - the answer to which will only be clear as, when and if you do it

good luck

In reply to Etak:

I agree. Go to a forum where the punters have a clue what they're talking about...

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell: Any suggestions as to which one that would be andy?

In reply to LITTLE SAM: The one where there are people who have climbed 8c.

Andy F

In reply to LITTLE SAM: no idea but sounds like an interesting project - let us know how it goes - blog etc?

In reply to mark_wellin:

Sounds more like 9c to me! I think you could expect the crux on a bouldery 8c to be around V10 with maybe 8a+/b climbing either side of it.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

if you want support and genuine replies then;

1) You've no chance. If you had the genetic talent to improve that fast, you'd have climbed at least Font 7c in your first year of climbing. In my first winter of bouldering I climbed 7C-ish. It took me 5 years or so to get to Font 8A, and another 10 or so to get to route 8c. Of course, I didn't get my training right, so

2) At least you've given yourself some chance by choosing a specific route that plays to your strengths. If you want to do it, you need to work on open hand (pocket strength) and one-arm pullup strength.

The one-armers you can go for with gusto. Use as much assistance as you need (a pulley and harness is best, a theraband will do) and do one-arm pyramids: 3x1 pullups, 2x2 pullups, 1x3 pullups. Reduce the assistance as rapidly as you can until you can do them unassisted. That's the kind of one-arm strength you could do with.

The pocket strength is going to have to be trained gradually and CAREFULLY. Start with deadhanging (I find reps of 20-30seconds with 20-30secs rest optimal, other opinions are available). Find a hold you can deadhang (IN COMFORT) with two fingers, fully open handed. Gradually, over the course of a year, reduce the hold size. When you're deadhanging two-fingered from a first-pad edge then start doing campus excercises, again fully open handed but with three fingers. Start with ladders and have about 1min rest between reps.

Do that for a year and you'll definitely get up an 8a/+ at Margalef. Maybe even Darwin Dixit, although it would surprise the hell out of me.

Your training goals for success; if you can deadhang a half-pad two finger pocket for 20s, 1-4-7 with 3 fingers, open hand, on small rungs and do 2-3 one-arm pullups, you'll stand a chance on Darwin Dixit.

You'll probably break.

In reply to midgets of the world unite: In reply to midgets of the world unite: cheers man, good sound training advice, last x mas i trained on finger board a lot, and by the end i was doing two armed one finger pull ups on the smallest holds, however a summer job removed me from the climbing world completely and i lost this strength. I have regained most of it since september but no access to a finger board has made it hard. This christmas i will be back on it, hopeing to return to same strength and half as much again (achievable). I can lock of on jugs and lower down at almost any select speed, cant go the other way just yet, but its something im working on!! Some more info on me if helpfull for this thread, i live on west coast of wales so mosy of my training is short boulder problems, working on finger strength and general muscle endurance in a small local bouldering wall, im 21, just under 9 stone and have about a 27inch waist, i train two days on one off at cureent. ive just had a week of as twisted my knee (slightly, drop knee, small hold) on a V9/V8+ problem.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: youtube.com/watch?v=ZkACQ-35Jio&
THE ROUTE IN QUESTION

In reply to LITTLE SAM:This is a great forum you’ve started Sam, even I’m learning from it.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: just under 9 stone and a 27 inch waist?? What's your name ?samantha

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Depends how good a climber they are.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Ok, so this hypothetical climber can do V7 which means that they are capable of the odd move of English 6c tech grade.

An 8c route would have sustained sequences of 6c/7a moves with the crux sections being English 7a/7b depending on if its an endurance route or a bouldery one (Darwin Dixit looks pretty bouldery), e.g. Hubble (8c+) was originally given E9 7b.

In a word NO, but good luck to the hypothetical climber.

In reply to Richard Hall:
I might have hyperbolised a little.
I know it's in a different league again but isn't biographie a 8B boulder into an 8c route with another couple of 8A boulder problems at the top? What I said is much easier than that isn't it? Couple of 7C+ boulders to an 8A+ crux. Having never climbed any of that I wouldn't know

In reply to LITTLE SAM:


WTF, this has to be a troll! I can barely do a solitary 3finger/2arm on the first joint holds of my board. What on earth are you doing climbing at just V7/7b?


Locking jugs up?


Why not drive up to LPT and climb instead, see where you're actually at rather than formulating plans to do pullups.

You have my sympathy, I currently have a knackered back from coughing a bit while getting out of the shower on a cold day (VB/V0-).

More climbing, less excuses and you might just get somewhere near your goal or at least into the 8s.
jk

In reply to Huw Cropper: yeah its turned into a bit of a monster.....good though great to see everyones views coming across honestly. I am genuinely learning from it

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Just a little note from someone who has learnt the hard way (me). If you're going to be training lots try to devote some time (maybe on your off days) to working antagonist muscles to prevent muscle imbalances which can lead to elbow/shoulder problems.

In reply to Eagle River: cheers, ill take a look at this, got any more information?

In reply to jkarran: Locking jugs up?. was reffering to doing one armers!!

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

Antagonists are the muscles opposing the ones you're using. So work on triceps, chest, shoulders etc. Also look at doing wrist curls to strengthen forearm muscles/tendons, eric horst's training site has info on those (which is linked in the link below)

Lots of info on training can be found on this thread:

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,16421.0.html

That should keep you occupied for a while!

In reply to LITTLE SAM:


Where?

Anyway... I still think if you're anywhere near as strong as you claim and your grades are what they seem then you'll make big real world gains by getting good at climbing rather than stronger. Taking your posts at face value you are literally worlds ahead of me strength wise. Why are your grades so similar? Mileage? Tactics? Experience?... I'd certainly not be getting too hung up on getting stronger. Climb, get good. Train specifics when you have a better idea of where you're at and where you want to be. There's no point getting hurt training like a beast to climb then not actually getting round to the climbing bit!

None of that is meant to be harsh, I guess I'm just puzzled by your approach and the thread in general.

jk

In reply to Eagle River: cheers, that website will be a great help im sure, ill have a read tonight after ive finished my massive assignment.

In reply to jkarran: mileage is definetly my issue, at current academic work as well as location makes it difficult to get out on rock. In particular decent length rock! but i have planned a few trip over xmas, ten or so days of climbing in a couple of areas, that should help to getting some more mileage, hopefully i can continue it after x mas

In reply to Eagle River:

I find reverse curls really helpful. You don't need weights; clenching the fists/forearms gives an almighty pump. The only 'problem' with this exercise is that it's so easy... that I don't do it until elbow pains force me back.

Prevention - some day I'll get the hang of it!

Mick

In reply to LITTLE SAM:

What V7's have you climbed Sam? Your logbook only goes upto V4 and that appears to be a problem of yours anyway? All the others are V2ish....

Positivity is great, but I think you'll struggle with this far more than V11 in a year, as it's like climbing V11 in a year, plus getting some endurance on top.

Sorry, but maybe a 7c/8a might be a better target, which would be very cool in itself in only 2 years. I wonder if the grading at your wall is a bit skewiff perhaps...

In reply to LITTLE SAM: the best thing for you to do sam is team up with Chad H,go on his board and learn to 1 finger campus up 5 beastmakers

In reply to LITTLE SAM:good luck! i have a mate who is pretty talented (V10, E7 ground-up, 7c redpoint in 2 years) he reckons he'll get the '8s' this coming year font 8a, french 8a and E8, he climbed similarly as hard as you in his first year i think, though potetially consistently harder, im not really sure, maybe aim for what he got in his 2nd year?

training isnt really the answer until you think your movng perfectly even then technique is mega important, and real rock is the best way to train this.

good luck matey, but you might be setting yourself up for a fall?

Duncan

In reply to Duncan Campbell: hold up this has to be a troll....when on his first weekend of outdoor climbing on his first v4, sam almost fell but his ear caught on a small pebble....blimey i wish i could use my ears like that!

In reply to Duncan Campbell: Seems like your mate in under achieving in sport.

In reply to Richard Hall: yeah, I don't think he did much sport until last year. maybe he's overachieving in the others?

In reply to Duncan Campbell: How can you overachieve?

If he can boulder V10 then he is being a wuss with the sport climbing, simple as that.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: it was a joke!! im not going to argue about this, as it has nothing to do with either of us really, he was simply an example! Its simply because he hasn't done that much sport.

Incidently, how can you be a wuss at sport?? ;-P

In reply to Richard Hall:

You can be strong but have absolutely no fitness/be scared of heights!

In reply to Duncan Campbell: I'm not arguing. Just saying he could be a lot better at Sport if he wanted to be.

In reply to Duncan Campbell:


You can not try hard enough.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: no offence but i reckon you have zero chance but wish you good luck with your efforts.

on a related but slightly tangential note i would question your motivations: are you seeking to do this to climb Darwin Dixit or 8c or what? it isnt the most inspiring route (though i have no doubt its utterly satisfying to climb). so what if you did actually manage to do it: its one route of a very specific style and might leave you well-placed to do more of the same but not a rounded climber (or maybe i have this totally wrong and youd crush everything at 8b or below with your new found strength)? maybe you dont however care about being a rounded climber, in which case fair enough.

i would however bet youd have a far better and arguably more worthwhile time pursuing lesser, but still challenging, goals that contribute to your long-term development as a climber. Darwin Dixit isnt going anywhere...

In reply to Dave Searle: i am totally open-minded (well, most of the time) and believe strongly in the power of the mind / mental aspects of performance, in any area of life.

you cant however go from 'nothing' to 8c using the correct attitude alone. it may however help you to learn and get there more quickly than you otherwise would.

In reply to Quarryboy: providing you have the time - exactly! 1 year (or rather less than that as it turns out) simply isnt enough time

In reply to LITTLE SAM: Surely this is a joke?
You have no chance basically, aim for 7c/8a. Its more realistic.

In reply to LITTLE SAM: anybody know what grade Dave Graham climbed in his first year of climbing, i remember someone telling me it was some high 8 number

In reply to Rob15:

8b+ (if you read the rest of the forum you would have known

In reply to LITTLE SAM: just wondering,why darwen dixit?

In reply to Quarryboy: thanks, too lazy!

In reply to LITTLE SAM: As a kind of reference, I'd point to profile of Szymon Dziukiewicz, one of coaches working with Neil Gresham

http://www.climbingmasterclass.com/coaches.asp

"He made rapid improvements during the early stages of his climbing, reaching 7a+ onsight and 7c redpoint within 2 years"

I think it can be translated from "7c in two years from scratch". IMO, it's a quick.

In reply to LITTLE SAM:
No.
8C is really hard. not that I've been on any, but still. Like even 8a in 1 year would be a fantastic effort. You'd have to be a naturally gifted climber and be a crazy gymnast or somethin, and then have a whole bunch of free time to climb and train. Having somewhere local to climb too, like a limestone crag just to siege! And a shunt so you can just get out there on your own if needs be. Maybe go get on an 8c just to get an idea of what youve got in store too.
Just be sure you enjoy what you do on the way though ey.
And get on some more bloody trad you puss :-D