UKC

I have been climbing around 6 years and I've always believed that if I just climb I will steadily progress, even in the absence of a specific training schedule.

Right now I boulder around 2-3 times a week for about an hour. Nothing specific, just start with a warm up and see how far I get - currently that's around V4 or sometimes the odd V5.

I have started to mix up some routes recently, I onsight around the 6c or 6c+ mark and can probably redpoint a little harder than that.

Ideally I would like to see an increase in grades there to getting up to climbing up to V5/V6 on a regular basis.

My ultimate climbing goal has always been to climb outside better but I have found I have stalled at around the 5.8/9 (VS/HVS) mark mainly because of being scared but also because I find gym climbing doesn't set you up very well for the kind of outdoor climbing I do, which is mainly crack and slab (I live near Squamish, BC).

So please help me come up with a training schedule!

I have a hangboard but haven't really gotten into it, I did a few hangs and they were pretty hard, I think finger strength is keeping me back a lot of the time with bouldering.

For outdoor progression, maybe fall practise? Books about the mental game?

Any help appreciated!

In reply to supafly:

For mental training, the Rock Warriors Way by Arno Ilgner is good. Also Dave MacLeod's book, 9 out of 10 climbers is generally good.

Fall practice is probably useful for most climbers, so that's worth considering. Start with slumps, then bolt at feet, below feet, etc etc. Build it up and bear in mind it may easily take 100s of falls (or more) to get really comfy with it.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1838 - fall practice article.

This UKC article might be handy:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=3924

I'm in much the same position, climbing around V2, 6a, VS onsight. Bit harder for redpoints, probably about 6b+ish. I'm planning on doing 2 sessions a week with a fingerboard session. I'll spend a month on technique, a month on endurance, a month on power etc. All bouldering, so it'll be 'easy' technique session or a 4x4 endurance session or a try 'stuff I can't do' session. Roughly. Don't have the time to do routes at the wall really.

In reply to mattrm:

Yeah thanks for the links, I'll take a look.

I did actually get my hands on the rock warriors way but I couldn't stay focused on it long enough to glean any useful information

I might just be terribly lazy.

In reply to supafly:

Some of your goals are not related, as you have acknowledged (indoor and outdoor climbing)

You should probably specify your goals, so you are more transparent about what you can improve. Fingerboarding will help your bouldering but not your crack climbing. If you can only climb indoors during the winter, then by all means get really strong, as long as you know it won't improve your trad straight away.

I would say go for it lots outdoors. Second harder routes if possible to get more fluent at the rock type. If you're climbing f6c then you are more than fit enough for a 5.10, so get yourself on some 5.10's and go for it.

In reply to Daniel Heath:

>If you can only climb indoors during the winter, then by all means get really strong, as long as you know it won't improve your trad straight away.

That is the crux of the matter, climbing in the gym hasn't had much of an effect on climbing outside, which is what I really want to get good at. The problem is I only get so many days in the summer climbing, winter is generally taken up with ski touring but also for the most part.. rain, rain, rain.

Maybe I should get a crack in my cellar like the Wide Boyz..

In reply to supafly:


Oh noes poor you, having to spend all winter ski touring. You have my complete, total and utter sympathy.

Seriously tho, if you have the space to build your own training board, do it. And if cracks are your thing, then build some into your board.

In reply to mattrm:


Ha! You're right, I probably shouldn't complain too much