UKC

Been climbing trad for just on a year now (mostly on lead). I live in Sussex so have to travel a long way in order to climb. Have been reasonably lucky with weather this year and have had a couple of trips to the peak (absolutely loved it). Climbed mostly at Swanage (which I love) but don't get to climb more than a couple of times a month (on average).
Did some indoor wall over last winter (at local micro wall - adur). Started going to the gym (weights) this year and have got a bit stronger and less chubby (which has done my confidence good - knowing that if I go for hard moves I'm likely to be able to hang on).
Have taken a couple of lead falls and started to get much more relaxed with height/leading.
Gear placement and commitment on lead also coming on.
Started leading VS in April and bagged my first HVS lead on sight a couple of weeks ago.
Ideally I want to get totally dialled on VS HVS next year, and bag a few E1's.
Any suggestions from your good selves as to the best way to improve (bearing in mind my circs)

Cheers

In reply to Ciderslider: Also need to add that I'm 50, and whilst by no means proper old, am still mindful that I won't be able to crank it like a 20 year old !

In reply to Ciderslider: I'd say, predictably, climb as much as you can, indoors and out.

If like most people, you've got decent access to indoors but not out (same for nearly everyone in winter), I guess the question is what to do with that time indoors. I personally think that at to get from VSish to E1ish, technique is usually the biggest hurdle (plus the elusive and experience dependent confidence factor). It's pretty rare that at those grades you actually need much strength, endurance or power endurance, as with good technique you can climb efficiently, get loads of rests, and sneak through moves without using too much muscle.

So, maybe the question is, 'what's the best way to improve technique without much access to rock?' in which case, I'd probably say, do lots of indoor bouldering. Moves that are hard enough that you have to climb them well to climb them at all are what you need to be doing to improve your technique. Also, over the winter, if you could get a few trips to real boulders (Peak, Southern Sandstone, Font?) that would certainly help.

In reply to Ciderslider:

I think your plan of getting VS/HVS dialled is the way to go - I'd be suggesting consolidating at the grade (on may rock types) and avoiding getting too carried away with E1 ambitions at this stage unless you found the HVSs a *complete* path.

It took me (& everyone I know) several years of leading to get slick at good gear placement and I would say that it's at HVS/E1 that you really begin to rely on that skill. It's the sort of grade that you can climb yourself into trouble (in my experience at least!).

I'd also be suggesting hitting some HVS 5bs 1st (like Behemoth, Thunder Groove at Swanage since it looks like you don't mind it steep).

I should point out that I'm a pretty cautious type who took about 3 years to get to HVS so YMMV.

In reply to Ciderslider: It sounds like you're doing something right already - nothing to HVS in a year is pretty good going.

I'm going to assume (as previous posters did) that you can't get outdoors more often. Otherwise the advice would be to do that!

If you can get to indoor wall more often - do it. In either case, putting some more thought into what you do there will be beneficial for making the most of the time you do have. Think about your weaknesses and how best to target them. Given your relative inexperience (and as Jon suggested), technique is probably the thing to be working on. Watch the more experienced climbers at the wall, maybe ask them for tips. Variety is also key: can you get to other indoor walls, even if only once a month. One of the biggest obstacles may be getting used to the way the routes are set at your local wall, thus getting good at a specific style of climbing. This is great if your project is of the same style, but not so good for your climbing in general!

A note about weights: I've read in a few places that it won't do your climbing that much good. Have you considered getting a fingerboard at home? Or even some rock rings ( http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/rock_rings.html ) to hang off the pullup bar at the gym? This may not help you much in the short term as strength probably isn't your limiting factor at the moment, but it be a good investment further down the line.

As you can see, I've made a few assumptions in the above, but the main message is specificity: target your weaknesses. Identifying them can sometimes be hard of course... Maybe it would be a good idea to ask some of the more experienced climbers at your local wall to belay you and observe. Climbers are generally friendly!

In reply to Ciderslider:

Get in Mileage below your limit to get your head and experience in the right place. Train indoors to build stamina, boulder more to work technique. Second better climbers on extremes (avoid likely targets :-O). Don't hang around too long consolidating at HVS.. if you spot an E1 you fancy, that is safeish, go for it.

In reply to Ciderslider:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=2648

In reply to Ciderslider: Hi Mark,
I climb at a similar level to you and I know the things that push me up a grade. When I have led HVS it has been when:
1. I am climbing twice a week indoors to maintain finger strength, including a mix of bouldering (for hard moves at my limit) and routes (for mileage/endurance).
2. My weight isn't heading for rhino proportions, I'm about 15st 12 now, but know when I am 15st (like after my last Alpine trip) I climb harder.
3. When I am doing some harder stuff outside (and consequently having to work on technique), usually this means seconding someone better than me or doing some Sport routes. The Sport is better at Portland than Swanage if you want to use this option.
At the kind of level we are climbing at doing these things will make quite a difference, the benefits of a carefully structured training programme will only kick in if you are climbing harder and have more time to put loads of hours in.