Page 56 - 2015 AMA Autumn

Training for Rock Climbing
by Paddy Snow
Authors note: this article is written from the personal viewpoint of someone training for indoor competition climbing. Although much of it translates to training for trad, there are clearly going to be other limiting factors to efficient improvement in this discipline, notably dealing with the ingrained fear of falling that most of us have. In addition, neither Kenny Geoghegan nor Patrick Snow is a sports scientist, carpenter or structural engineer; the discussion below represents our views and experiences rather than expert advice! If you really want to know how to train effectively and efficiently (or build a climbing wall) then I would recommend that you book yourself some coaching sessions or ask someone who actually builds climbing walls for a living for their thoughts...
As this journal goes to press, the Tri-Services Bouldering League (TSBL) will be drawing to a close (October – February) and the lead competition season beginning once more (April – July). The final bouldering events will be the Combined Services team gearing up for competing with their European counterparts at Bouldermania in Belgium (April 16), and pitting themselves against the international civilian climbing scene in the CWIF (Climbing Works International Festival). Although perhaps the word ‘competing’ is a little too strong for our efforts in the CWIF!
A perfect time, then, to take a look at training for bouldering. Two reasons: firstly, getting results from training takes time – waiting until September 2016 to start to develop your strength and power is unlikely to help you a great deal for the 2016/17 TSBL; secondly, bouldering is fundamental to rock climbing. Whilst endurance and power endurance are vital to getting up hard routes and can’t be developed overnight, the fundamental building block of climbing performance is one’s ability to complete moves. It doesn’t matter how long you can stay on the wall, your ultimate grade ceiling is defined by the holds you can hang on to and move between. That means having power, body tension and, “above all, strong fingers” (according to the eminent authority Jerry Moffatt1 and the less eminent authority, Paddy Snow). To quote another hero, Dave Macleod, “the most efficient way to get strong for climbing is bouldering...it’s hard to get strong fingers without the repetitive, maximal pulls on holds that are clocked up in bouldering sessions”2.
1 Revelations, Jerry Moffatt, 2009. An inspiring autobiography by one of the world’s most driven and outstanding rock climbers.
2 9 out of 10 climbers make the same mistakes, Dave Macleod, 2010. An excellent book to read if you want to get better at climbing (whatever the discipline) but are puzzled by how to get started or frustrated by your lack of progress.
Of course, to actually use this strength on pumpy lead routes, you will need to include some additional route-specific training (e.g. circuits on an overhanginging bouldering wall, 4x4s, and lead practice), but these are to allow you to exploit the climbing strength that is developed most effectively through bouldering training.
In this article, I have included two people’s thoughts and experiences of training: my own and that of Kenny Geoghegan.
Training with the GB climbing team coach!
(Kenny Geoghegan)
I started climbing when I joined the Army with a week of Adventure Training here and there. Two years later I entered my first bouldering competition at the Climbing Hanger, Liverpool. Completely out of my depth and having never competed against anyone before... surely I was merely there to make up the numbers?
I didn’t win but, to my surprise, I didn’t come last either! Maybe I should start training a bit?
Fast forward four years and I’m on the Army Climbing Team, I represented the Combined Services out in Belgium at Boulderma- nia last year (luckily for me, the stronger climbers were busy with work that week), and occasionally I get myself into the top 3 of a competition!
However, when I compare myself with some (all) of the top guys on the team, I am by far the weakest! I manage to punch above my weight somehow, with some fancy footwork and a bit of technique here and there, but ultimately, when the climbing gets big and burly, my game falls apart.
In October 14, I got an email offering me, along with five others, the chance to train with the GB Bouldering Team Coach, David Mason. After the initial surprise of being selected before so many other quality climbers, I thought that this was my chance to get strong and, maybe, push myself a little closer to the level I wanted to be climbing at. I was psyched to get started!
I arrived for the first of two sessions with David in October. Not sure what to expect, I warmed up and got started. It was a new experience, having someone critique my climbing, but I soon put it to the back of my mind. After being completely and utterly ‘beasted’ (for lack of a better word) we then moved to the pull up and finger- board area where my lack of strength became apparent. I was
54 ARMY MOUNTAINEER