RRC Archives

I wish I had the time to commit to being a stonger climber in general, much less climbing 5.12.

Meadows - great quote!

This brings me to my next instructional book: How to get stuck at 5.10. Here's the breakdown.
1) Make sure that, when you are climbing, you don't ever fall.
2) Don't toprope, its for sissies.
3) Always climb with people who can't pull as hard as you. It makes you look good, and you can talk about how that move, where you put your one foot on the giant ledge, and then, move it up to the next giant ledge, was sooooo sick.
4) Wax nastolgic about passive gear placements, and about how its worth 20 minutes of dicking around so that you don't have to carry a bunch of cams.
5) Don't climb in the gym. Its expensive and you have to listen to bad music. plus its for posers.
6) Don't do any other type of training. To get better at climbing, you should climb.
7) Just climb a few routes a day.
8) Only climb straight-forward routes. Don't get on anything that looks chossy, weird, or unusual.

Since 2002, alexis and I had a bet: if one of us redpointed a 5.11 trad route, the other had to buy them a chocolate cake. Due to my strict adherance of these special rules, I have not gained any wright due to pigging out on chocolate cake.
If you also want to be stuck in 5.10 land, follow all of these guidlines, they should not fail you.

To climb 5.12, one of the biggest problems I think is staying healthy because you are asking a lot from yourself both mentally and physically. Injury prevention has to be considered. Diet,rest,stretching, working the opposition/cross training, should all be considered to give you the edge. This is especially more important for older um I mean time challenged folks. Building the pyramid is also pretty key I think, don't just work something that is way too hard for you because most likely many of your body parts won't be ready for it. Would you rather send one 5.12 so that you can spray and be plagued for injuries for months/years to come or be patient and send scores of .12s when you are ready for them? Also, as it's been said a lot you will miss out on some great climbs if you skip a lot of 10's/11's just to redpoint that magic # 12. The best advice to climb 5.12, if you can do it, is climb as many RRG 10's and 11's that you possibly can.

Huggybone I loved your comments.

I've been "stuck" in the 11's for a while now but i think alot of that is because i used the heat of summer as an excuse for me getting on hard routes. i've gotten a couple soft 12a's but thats it because I don't like to work routes. i figure if i don't have a chance of getting a route clean, i'm not going to get on it. climbing with people who climb harder than me helps that alot though, they believe in me more than i do. that and they are able to clean the draws on routes after i failed to get to the top

Lateralus, I think you are posting word for word how NOT to climb 5.12 at the RRG. It sound to me like some injury has really rattled you.

Point#1:"Don't work something too hard for you."
Counterpoint: Isn't this what bouldering(practice climbing) revolves around. Working something too hard for you is exactly how to get strong enough to send 5.12. Does this mean work something that causes pain? No.

Point#2: "climb as many RRG 10's and 11's that you possibly can."
Counterpoint: This sounds nice but I really don't think you will be much closer to 5.12. (See point and counterpoint #1.) Will benchpressing 100 lbs. 10 times allow you to bench 200 lbs.? Not likely. I think Wes has much better ideas on how to climb 5.12. Not only is he the owner of Climbing 5.12 for Men he is a recipient.

Climb alot, have fun, don't let go.

lots and lots of masterbation, trust me!

JR,
No I was speaking from more of a how to climb 5.12 and stay climbing 5.12 perspective.

Can you show me where I said don't boulder?
I generally try to periodize my training power/power endurance/ endurance
which includes bouldering ( because I have no other choice in winter time) but like i said if you can go to the Red and climb a lot that is the best way to prepare for 5.12. And if you can't climb 5.12 well it's not rocket science that you are going to have to climb a bit lower than that to achieve that level.

I'd wager pretty much any sum of money that climbing a ton of 5.11's at the RRG will prepare you for the 5.12's better than any work out routine in existance, including bouldering on plastic/rock. Since we are talking about the Red, when did a hard move spit you off a route at the Red? 9 out 10 times you will fall off because you don't have the stamina to get to the anchors, not because you don't have the power to do a move. How does repeated dogging improve stamina? I agree it's good to get on routes that are too hard for you occasionaly to get motivated and see how far off you are,etc.. but if dogging routes that are too hard for you is your "training regimen" good luck with that

pawilkes wrote:Huggybone I loved you..

i've gotten.. soft.. but thats it because I don't like to work.. i figure.. i don't have a chance of getting.. get on it.. with people.. harder than me helps that alot though. they believe in me more than i do. that and they are able to clean.. after i failed to get [on] the top

watch your back, huggy..

Oh! Also on the Road to 5.fucking whatever, don't forget to have fun. Try climbing a variety of routes from slab to vert to overhanging. Get on the jug hauls...get on the tech routes...get on the dicey routes. I guess all-in-all it helps to have a good base of fitness, but it's not the end-all. People often forget to work on the mental aspect of climbing and focus entirely on brute strength. When you pick routes to climb that may be above your limit or if you're going for a hard onsite, know that you are capable of doing it. Just don't put a lot of pressure on yourself and if you do fall, learn from it.
Huggy-don't climb on plastic? Yeah it sucks, but you can get way strong(music is usually bad).Only climb with harder climbers? Are you kidding me? I would much rather climb with a bunch of 5.7 climbers with positive attitudes than a bunch of jaded dicksnot 5.12 climbers.