RRC Archives

I started thinking the other night about what it is about some people that just makes them beautiful climbers to watch. I'm not talking about Meadow's and Artsay's fabulous figures, but that supreme control and grace that some people have. Seems to me that this would also be a much more efficient way to climb instead of my usual throw-to-eccentric contraction method. For the sake of my technique and my ego, anybody have any ideas on what makes these people so smooth looking and how someone can develop that sort of beauty?

Lots of climbing. That static movement comes with confidence.

Strength and very practiced gross and fine motor training.
Watching Dave Hume climb was like watching a tree sloth- really. Totally calm, slow and almost anitclimatic, on 13+.
They say climb on routes well below your top end to wire this motor skill.

It doesn't necessarily mean you're a better climber though if you climb smoothly. Ever seen Jerry Moffat crank? He looks like he's trying to smash somebody's head in with each move he makes.

has anyone watched the SCIN "DAWG" climb? of course by SCIN "DAWG" i mean the well-known Ray ellington, THE NEW GUIDEBOOK AUTHOR! sure he looks all cute and cuddly in that faggoty ass bio picture in back of the NEW GUIDEBOOK! but he is really quite mean. he has a tattoo of a man burning frogs across his back and i have witnessed him molesting little girl dogs at the crags. he climbs like old people fuck though...slow and sloppy. but he fuckin gets to the top of some of the HARDEST CRACK CLIMBS IN THE EAST!

an excessive amount of power can lead to a very nice style of climbing. there are a number of climbers who use the pull the hold down to the waist and lock off and then reach up and repeat style. they look very smooth.

Horatio Felacio wrote:has anyone watched the SCIN "DAWG" climb? of course by SCIN "DAWG" i mean the well-known Ray ellington, THE NEW GUIDEBOOK AUTHOR!

YES!!! I felt like I was watching Swan Lake when I saw Ray ascend the rock. So graceful!

I think it's more of a head issue - being calmed and relaxed, as though you had just smoked something or taken some valium.

They must have taken ballerina lessons. But seriously, I watched two ballerina people do a 5.13 slab route in Yosemite. I was completely amazed at the grace and ease they moved up the wall.

Technique, more than power make people look graceful.

Take Flex (everyone knows Flex right?) for example: When he started climbing he could power his way up mid .11s. But it wasn't pretty. As his technique got better he became a much more graceful climber.

technique without power is not as graceful as technique with excessive power. that forms its own technique

but that is just what I have seen.