RRC Archives

Yeah, as you get older you only get more weird. I was always in the send mode when I was younger. Now I have to work more for it. The one thing that does get me into a send mode though is an FA.

Bottom line... If it aint fun I aint climbing it.

I have climbed some stuff that just kicked my ass up one side and down the other and loved every minute of it. I have also done some easy routes that I just hated. If I am working a problem and I stop enjoying the challenge I stop trying the problem. My time in the woods it too valuable to me to just waste it on something I do not enjoy.

I've heard that periodized training really helps. In fact Climbing just did an article on it. Sounds like it might work!

it is always fun for me. I am looking for peak performance on the first days I am down. generally towards the end of a trip my body is so shot that the harder (or even intermediate) redpoints are rare. however, sometimes i send hard late into a trip as well.


When you are actually trying to send there is a lot written on the best stratagy. According to eric horst (who i suspect captain has read), is that you should "favor onsight to redpoint at a 2 to 1 ratio" for maximum improvement.

Man I can't keep track of all these ratios and periods. I just feel lucky if I can talk someone in to going to a crag that has a route I'm wanting to try. You're never going to obtain peak performance anyway so just go climb till you rip the skin off your fingers or ankles or shoulder blades then go home and drink beer.

man, that's why i like you danny.

He has proved that works for him but he made light of the fact that he's very inspired about the routes he wants to get on. My biggest problem lately was inspiration. Theres a couple squezzers I spotted that might change all that.

I get inspired everytime I put my harness on. What I'd like to do is onsight every 5.8 trad route at the Red and work my way up from there. Just being able to climb is pure enjoyment for me. But when I get stuck on moves and can't get any higher for say.....15 or 20 minutes and get pumped out of my gourd......then I'm not having fun anymore. It's like beating my head against the rock. But that's exactly how I led a 5.10b down at the New that was way beyond me.....I hang-dogged my butt off, but I finally got that bastard!

For redpoints it sometimes seems I either have to get pissed at the route and/or myself to motivate for the send. Fun or not, it's all worth when you clip the anchors or top out. Anyone who says you cannot reach peak performance either just doesn't have enough experience or needs an attitude adjustment.

tsparks, you should take an entire year off and just hang on your damn climbing board five days a week. What else would need?