You’ve trained hard in preparation for the bouldering season, and you’re itching to test your abilities against the competition. But before you go screaming into the woods to tackle that first comp problem take a few minutes to incorporate some basic tactics into your day. After all, you spent a lot of time over the summer refining technique and

The Triple Crown series demands a thoughtful plan.

building strength and stamina. Let’s apply those newly developed attributes in the best way possible. Many times the climber with the smart plan will outscore his less thoughtful opponent. Here’s how to make the best of your comp days. (more…)

Fall is right around the corner and along with crisp, dry air comes the bouldering competition season. Whether you’re competing in the Triple Crown or ABS or another series your preparation should center on several areas common to all the formats. Those common elements are maximum strength, power, and stamina; if you’re deficient in any one element compared to the others, your performance will suffer. Here’s a quick guide to get you started toward doing your best this fall.

Improving maximum strength

Bouldering is a high intensity, short time frame activity as compared to route climbing, similar to sprinting

versus running longer distances such as 5K. Because of this, maximum strength, or the ability to generate great force on a particular hold, is of paramount importance, and the development of that strength one of the primary determinants of your overall bouldering performance. (more…)

It’s competition season and with it come a rash of new competitors eager to showcase their climbing prowess. But even gifted climbers can fail to overcome their competition without effective comp strategy and tactics. In the helter skelter, pressurized atmosphere of a climbing

Climbing competitions are controlled chaos!

comp, it’s easy to get caught up in the action and allow it to control your day. To compete effectively you’ve got to prepare well, both mentally and physically, create a plan, and then execute on game day.

Types of comps

First things first. Let’s describe the different types of climbing competitions as each requires a somewhat different set of tools. There are a number of variations on two basic competition schemes: redpoint and on-sight.

A redpoint format means that you can make multiple attempts at the same route or boulder problem, but no points are awarded unless you complete the route from bottom to top without falling off, weighting the rope, or using an illegal hold or wall feature. You can usually choose from among all the routes available, try as many as you like, and watch your competitors’ attempts. Your final score is usually the total of your three, five, ten, etc. best scoring climbs. You will usually not be permitted to work a route or boulder problem, if you fall off you’ll be lowered to the ground where you’ll need to wait your turn in line for another attempt. Variations include specifying which routes or problems you can try, giving you a time limit to work and send each, and allowing you to work the routes. (more…)