Climbing

What are your top sport climbing and trad/adventure climbing crags or destinations and why?

Discover the Top Climbing Destinations: Flatanger, Profile Wall, and Shower Rag in Norway

Okay, what am I top sport? Climbing, Trad, climbing, and Adventure climbing Crags. So I can give three here and they're going to actually or be Norway because this is where I am based these days. So the first one sport climbing obviously it's got to be flat anger because it's just amazing Rock and you have all grades right from. You know the low ends up kind of fives and 6a's all the way up to you know the hardest route in the World. So yeah, amazing Rock grades in every single range and the holds are really nice. So when I've been there, you haven't had to worry too much about skin and this kind of stuff. It tends to be more like your body and muscles that, give out before the skin. So yeah, really really good climbing area for Trad climbing again. In Norway I'm going to have to say the profile wall. I think it's probably my favorite place to track a single picture. To pitch our climb over the last, like two to five years, but I would say about that Crag. If you're not climbing 7, B, plus 7c, tried climbs and above then is going to be pretty hard. I would say and then the final one sort of like Adventure Trad climbing, I think really good place which I've been climbing. Recently is a cliff called shower rag in Norway. It's really convenient. It's big. You can still have an adventure and there's great on all ends of the spectrum. So those three really good.

Flatanger in Norway is great for sport climbing, the Profile Wall is a great spot for Trad climbing and Shower Rag is perfect for Adventure Trad climbing.

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My top sport climbing, trad climbing, and adventure climbing crags or destinations would have to be in Norway, where I am currently based.

For sport climbing, the top choice is Flatanger. The rock quality is amazing, and you can find routes of all grades, from easier ones to the hardest routes in the world. The holds are nice, so you don't have to worry too much about skin issues. It's a fantastic climbing area.

When it comes to trad climbing, the Profile Wall in Norway is my favorite. It's a place where I've enjoyed climbing single and multi-pitch routes over the past few years. However, it's worth noting that if you're not climbing 7B+ or 7C trad climbs and above, it might be challenging.

For adventure trad climbing, I recommend a cliff called Shower Rag in Norway. It offers a convenient location, a sense of adventure, and a wide range of great routes for climbers of all levels.

These three destinations in Norway stand out for their quality of climbing and the variety of experiences they offer.

Do you have one arm you favor in climbing?

The intricacies of arm strength in climbing revealed

So I don't think I do have one arm that I favor in climbing, but I think it's probably normal that most climbers have certain strengths and weaknesses within each side of the body. So, for example, I know that on my left hand, this particular finger-strength grip is better than on my right hand, and on my left side, I know that if I'm doing this particular move, it is stronger or weaker on the left side than it is on the right side, for example. And I think, yeah, each different body position each different grip do have subtle differences on each side. But I wouldn't really say it's something you take notice of when you're doing projects and actually climbing, but it is something which you could take notice of if there's a big difference in the strengths of either side of the body. And you might factor that into your training program when you're doing it.

I don't think I have a favored arm in climbing, but I do recognize that there are subtle differences between the strengths of each side of my body. I use this to factor into my training programs when creating them.

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I don't believe I have a specific arm that I favor in climbing. However, it's common for climbers to have strengths and weaknesses on each side of their body. For instance, I may have better finger strength on my left hand or find certain moves stronger or weaker on one side compared to the other. Different body positions and grips can have subtle differences on each side.

While it may not be something I actively notice during climbing projects, significant differences in strength between the two sides of the body can be taken into account when designing a training program. Overall, it's important to be aware of any imbalances and adjust training accordingly.

Striving for Perfection: The Impact of Being Hard on Yourself

Have I ever been too hard on myself? I would say, I am always really hard on myself because I always want to things to be done as best as they can be done. And if something isn't right or something doesn't go right, that doesn't necessarily mean in climbing but in just really in everyday life. Even, I remember being at school, in lessons and even lessons that I didn't like, if I didn't do something well then I was always disappointed with myself. So I would say, yeah, in life and in climbing, I'm always generally pretty hard on myself because I want it to be doing good. Have I been too hard on myself? I don't think I've ever been too hard on myself. I think it's, yeah, I think it's good to be hard on yourself because then you make a good job of it in the end.

Yes, I have been too hard on myself in the past because I always want to do things as best as I can. However, I don't think I have ever been too hard on myself since it is important to push yourself in order to reach the best results.

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Have I ever been too hard on myself? I would say I am always quite hard on myself because I strive for excellence in everything I do. Whether it's in climbing or everyday life, if something doesn't go as planned or if I don't perform well, I tend to be disappointed with myself. This has been the case since my school days, where even in subjects I didn't particularly enjoy, I held high expectations for myself.

However, I don't believe I have ever been too hard on myself. I think it's important to hold oneself to high standards because it pushes me to do my best and achieve great results in the end.

Be kind, supportive & give your all: the keys to a rewarding life.

Single best advice in life from me. That's a really hard question. I'm going to give to the first one is I think try and be kind and helpful and supportive to all the people that are close to you and around you as much as you can. And the second for the things that you're doing, put as much effort as you can into those things. And I think you will, your then reap the rewards out of that.

Be kind and helpful to others, and put as much effort into your activities for the best results.

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My single best advice in life is to prioritize kindness, helpfulness, and support towards the people who are close to you and those around you. Additionally, dedicate yourself to putting maximum effort into the things you do. By doing so, you will likely reap the rewards of your hard work.

Mastering Forearm Grip: Endurance, Strength, and Power Training

So, how can you strengthen your forearm grip? This is quite a broad question because we can have a really high-end kind of finger strength for on grip or we can have the lower end endurance, e, forearm grip. And you know how much lactate can you take. I'm going to look at the lower end because I already did a question on finger strength. So if we look at the lower end, we can break this into kind of like three training exercises. So the first training exercise would be very, very low end for from endurance. And for this, I would do really long lengths of climbing. So I'd be climbing for 10 to 15 minutes on a low end route. Maybe about 10 to 10 to 20 percent of your maximum. So you're not getting very pumped at all, but it's mainly like a recovery based exercise. Then we have mid-grade endurance. And for this, I would be looking at doing something called four by fours. So you take a route that is Maybe around 60% of your Max and you climb it once then. Take a minute, rest twice minute, rest three times minute, rest four times, and then you take 15 minutes or 20 minutes until you recovered, and then do the same thing again and you repeat this process for X. So four by fours, and then at the higher end of the endurance type scale. You moving more into Power endurance here but I would go for something that Is 10 to 15 moves about 70 to 80% Max on the kind of first set. And I would do that bunch of moves, however, long that bunch of moves takes then I would have that amount of rest, and then I would repeat that three times. And then, after the third set, your probably about 90 to 100 percent of Max. So you could be failing, right? The end, then you would take Half an hour to 40 minutes rest and then I would repeat that three times. So there we have low-end endurance, middle endurance, and more parents.

To strengthen your forearm grip, you can do a variety of low-end endurance exercises such as long lengths of climbing at 10-20% of your max, four by fours (climbing a route at 60% of your max four times with 1-minute rests in between each set), and power endurance exercises (10-15 moves at 70-80% of your max three times with rest periods in between).

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To strengthen your forearm grip, there are three training exercises you can focus on. First, for lower-end endurance, engage in long lengths of climbing for about 10 to 15 minutes on an easier route, aiming for about 10 to 20 percent of your maximum effort.

Next, for mid-grade endurance, try a training method called four by fours. Choose a route that is approximately 60% of your maximum difficulty. Climb it once, rest for a minute, then repeat this process two more times with a minute of rest in between each climb. After completing the three climbs, take a 15 to 20-minute rest before repeating the entire process.

For higher-end endurance or power endurance, select a route with 10 to 15 moves at around 70 to 80% of your maximum difficulty. Perform the set of moves, rest for the same duration as the climbing time, and repeat this three times. After the third set, you may be close to your maximum effort. Take a rest of about 30 to 40 minutes before repeating the entire process three times.

By incorporating these exercises, you can target different levels of forearm grip endurance and gradually strengthen your grip over time.

Any tips on how to pack climbing gear when taking it on a plane to keep it safe?

Keep climbing gear safe: Pack boots in hand luggage!

Okay, how to pack climbing gear when you are traveling? I think the most important thing about this, the thing I always do is to make sure that you put your harness and boots at least two pair of boots in your hand luggage because that's the luggage that you have with you all the time and they're the two. Most important things when you go on a climbing trip, definitely boots, boots, boots, boots. Most important thing is what you do want to do is be borrowing some of these boots when you get there and then all the other stuff you can put in your Main Luggage. Each and with all the other things is going to be like hardware and things like that. And most of the time that isn't going to be a problem with getting damaged. So I never really have a problem with Hardware. The only thing which potentially could get damaged and I've seen before is like some of those helmets and stuff if the bag is just getting thrown around. So just making sure that you packing that properly but the best advice I can give for traveling with climbing gear is making sure you put your Boots in your hand luggage so you have them when you get to the other end in case your bag gets lost because you can always borrow something else. But a pair of shoes is really specific to you as a climber

Put your harness and boots in your hand luggage so you have them when you get to the other end. Make sure all hardware is properly packed in your main luggage and be aware that helmets can potentially get damaged if the bag is thrown around.

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When it comes to packing climbing gear for travel, there are a few tips to keep in mind. The most important thing is to pack your harness and boots, especially at least two pairs of boots, in your hand luggage. These are the essential items for a climbing trip, and having them with you at all times ensures they won't get lost or damaged.

For the rest of your gear, such as hardware and other equipment, it can be packed in your main luggage. Usually, these items are less prone to damage during travel.

One thing to be cautious about is protecting helmets from potential damage. Sometimes, if bags are thrown around, helmets can get damaged. So, make sure to pack them properly to minimize any risks.

The best advice for traveling with climbing gear is to prioritize your boots by keeping them in your hand luggage. This way, even if your main luggage gets lost, you'll still have your essential footwear. Borrowing other gear is possible, but having your own shoes, which are specific to your needs as a climber, is crucial.

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Traditional Climbing

Professional Rock Climber:
Ascents of the world's hardest Trad climbs.
First solo/freesolo ascents of multiple big walls.

Pete Whittaker