Climbing

Decoding bouldering routes: From holds to sequences

How do you read a bouldering route? The first thing I do is try and identify all of the potential handholds and footholds and then I try to notice the direction and the shape of the hold, how I might grab it, what order would make sense to grab the holds in order to reach to to the top and where my feet might be. When that happens if you are by yourself, sometimes it's helpful to touch the hold stacked pads, feel them all out. Imagine the sequences. If you have a group of friends collaboration is key. And if If all else fails, you can always search the internet, YouTube, Instagram, and, and see if there's any videos of someone else trying, and maybe try and incorporate some of their beta.

Identify hand and footholds, feel out holds with stacked pads, collaborate with friends, search the internet for beta.

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To read a bouldering route, the first step is to identify potential handholds and footholds. Pay attention to the direction and shape of the holds, considering how you might grab them and the logical order to reach the top. Visualize where your feet might be placed as well. If you're alone, it can be helpful to touch the holds and feel them out, imagining the sequences. Collaboration with friends is valuable, as they can provide insights and suggestions. If all else fails, you can search the internet, including platforms like YouTube and Instagram, for videos of others attempting the route. Incorporating their beta (information on how to climb a specific route) can be beneficial.

Expert climber shares top tips for stronger fingers

There are many different ways to increase your finger strength and because I've been climbing for 20 years, my mind might not apply to everybody, but I like to incorporate a mixture of small Edge, hangs at my maximum capacity and also using larger edges with wait in order to increase the strength of my fingers. I think it's important to also take rest days, listen to your body, doing things on smaller edges, can lead to injury, especially if If your body isn't prepared for that. So just be careful and have fun.

Increase finger strength by using a mixture of small Edge, hangs at your maximum capacity and also using larger edges with wait. Listen to your body and take rest days for safety.

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To improve finger strength, there are various approaches you can take. Keep in mind that my experience is primarily in climbing, so these methods may not apply to everyone. Personally, I like to incorporate a combination of small edge hangs at my maximum capacity and using larger edges with added weight to challenge my fingers and increase their strength.

However, it's crucial to prioritize rest days and listen to your body. Pushing yourself too hard on smaller edges without proper preparation can lead to injuries. So, it's important to be cautious and ensure you're having fun while working on your finger strength.

How do you deal with not being successful all the time, what keeps you focused on achieving your goals?

Embracing Failure: The Key to Climbing Success and Motivation

How do you deal with not being successful all the time? What keeps you focused on achieving your goals? I think this is really good question because so much of climbing is about failure and falling and learning and trying again and without those moments, our successes and our sons wouldn't be as meaningful or as valuable to us. So I think keeping that perspective in mind is really helpful, just really recognizing that failure is part of the process. And the challenge is why I love climbing so much. Much and whether that challenge be figuring out a sequence, figuring out how to train for a roux or just physically working really, really hard. I think that's important. And sometimes I think it's also important to take a step back, if you feel like you're mentally, not ready. And then coming back with a fresh Outlook, or a fresh perspective, and more energy and motivation.

I think the key to dealing with not being successful all the time is to keep perspective and recognize that failure is part of the process. It's important to take a step back when needed to come back with fresh outlook, energy, and motivation.

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Dealing with not being successful all the time is a challenge, but it's important to keep perspective. Failure is a natural part of the process and actually makes our successes more meaningful and valuable. Embracing the challenges and learning from them is what makes climbing, or any pursuit, so rewarding.

Maintaining focus on achieving goals is crucial. The love for climbing and the constant challenge it presents keeps me motivated. Whether it's figuring out a sequence, training for a route, or pushing myself physically, the challenge itself is what drives me.

Sometimes, it's necessary to take a step back if I'm not mentally ready to tackle a particular goal. Taking a break and coming back with a fresh outlook, renewed energy, and motivation can make a significant difference in achieving success.

How do you handle academics with pro climbing as well as personal life?

Pro Climbing, Academics & Personal Life: Balancing Act of Priorities

How do I handle academics with professional climbing, as well as having a personal life. I get this question a lot and the answer is never as straightforward as people would like, but it's definitely a balancing act, any given week or month. I need to prioritize things like exams in school or maybe a trip outside somewhere and that means that the other areas might take a little bit of a dive and that's just something that I have to be okay with you know sometimes my climbing isn't going to be my top priority which means my Since might suffer a little bit, but I'll be doing really well in school. As far as my personal life. I'm lucky to have many friends in climbing, which makes it easy as well as in school. And it's just the things that are important to you need to learn to make time for and sort of accept that you can't be the best at all areas of your life at once.

It's a balancing act and I need to prioritize things like exams. I'm lucky to have friends in both climbing and school, which makes it easier to manage. I need to make time for the things that are important to me and accept that I can't be the best at everything all at once.

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Handling academics, professional climbing, and personal life is a constant balancing act for me. It's not a straightforward answer, but it requires prioritization and acceptance that certain areas may take a backseat at times.

Depending on the week or month, I need to prioritize things like exams or climbing trips, which means other areas may temporarily suffer. It's important for me to be okay with that and understand that my climbing won't always be my top priority, which may impact my performance in competitions.

In terms of personal life, I'm fortunate to have friends who are also climbers, which makes it easier to balance both worlds. Additionally, having a support system in school helps me manage my personal life effectively.

Ultimately, it's about identifying what's important to me and making time for those things. It's important to accept that I can't excel in all areas of my life simultaneously. Finding a balance and being flexible is key.

Dynamic and adaptive warmup routine for optimal climbing performance

My warmup largely consists of climbing but I do start with a few off-the-wall exercises, some light stretching, maybe a few hangs and then really easy climbing some stretching while on the wall and I work my way up to my max level over a period of 30 minutes to an hour. And I think it's key when you're warming up to really listen to your body, you might not need the same thing every day, as in my experience.

My warmup usually consists of light off-the-wall exercises and stretching, followed by some easy climbing with stretching on the wall. I listen to my body and adjust the intensity based on how I feel that day.

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My warmup primarily involves climbing, but I begin with a few off-the-wall exercises and light stretching. I may also do a few hangs and engage in easy climbing while stretching on the wall. Gradually, over a span of 30 minutes to an hour, I work my way up to my maximum level.

It's important to listen to your body during warmup and recognize that your needs may vary each day, based on my experience.

Discover the Climber's Secret: The Power of Smearing

What is a smear? This is the climbing technical term for a foot placement while you're climbing. Smear is typically when you put your foot on a part of the wall where there isn't already a foothold when you're in the gym or when you're outside if it's just flat and there isn't an edge to stand on. Smearing is a technique used to get a little bit higher in the absence of a foothold and you can still put some of your body weight through your feet instead of all being on your hands.

Smearing is a climbing technique in which the climber places their foot on a part of the wall without an existing foothold, using the friction to gain elevation.

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A smear, in climbing terminology, refers to a foot placement technique used when there is no existing foothold on the wall. This technique is commonly used in both indoor climbing gyms and outdoor climbing scenarios where the wall surface is flat and lacks an edge to stand on. Smearing involves placing your foot on the wall surface to gain height or stability, allowing you to distribute some of your body weight through your feet instead of solely relying on your hands.

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Michaela Kiersch is a professional climber and studies bioscience. She is also coaching a competitive climbing team for kids (ages 5-19). The rest of her time and energy is dedicated to climbing, both as a competitor and an outdoor climber. She started climbing when she was 7 years old and instantly fell in love with this movement based sport. She is extremely competitive by nature and the fact that there are endless challenges in climbing excites her.