We live in an age of fast food bouldering. Gym boulders are turned over more frequently than ever before. Hop on the Moonboard and you can try 2,500 different v7’s before you have to move on to v8.
Read MoreIn this episode, in the midst of a gym tour, Nate and I sit down to discuss how we feel about climbing gym grades. Do they matter? Should they be taken seriously?
Read MoreIf we look for something to complain about, we’ll find it. We try something in the gym, it feels awkward or harder than we think it should, and so we write it off as a "bad problem" and move on.
Read MoreWhen you do a rock climb, no matter what grade you give it, or what grade the guidebook gives it, the difficulty of said rock climb does not change. It's exactly the same amount of challenging for you no matter what number anyone attaches to it.
Read MoreHow often do you give 100%? REALLY give 100%? I make my living coaching climbers, and I seldom see a climber try their hardest. Myself included.
Read MoreIf you want to be physically prepared for rock climbing, you need to concern yourself with the following components:
Read MoreLet's face it, there are some really bad ideas out there. Myths that people cling to. New methods of "training" that just aren't thought through. Trends that are fun to jump into, but really aren't helping you.
Read MoreWhen someone who has been climbing half as long as you is performing as well as you would like to be, do you write them off as being "a natural?" Or, do you take an honest look at yourself and admit that maybe you haven’t been putting in the work necessary to become the climber you want to be?
Read MoreWhat if wanting to be a better climber is the reason you aren’t improving? What do you value in good climbing? What does being a "better" climber look like?
Read MoreOf course, there are two types of "Beta Sprayers." Those with good intentions, and those who just want to hear themselves sound smart. You know the latter. Ignore them. But the ones with good intentions might also be harming you.
Read MoreAround here, we like to use the hashtag #webuildmachines. However, I'm acutely aware that you could just as often substitute with the hashtag #webuildmonsters, and I don't mean that in a positive way.
Read MoreIt's the new buzzword that's been around forever: sandbagged. "This is WAY harder than the other two 13a's I've done, so it MUST be 13d! At least!" Funny, I never hear, "That 13a felt pretty hard to me, I guess I should actually work on slopers for a while."
Read MoreFact is, I train hard. I train smart. Most of the people I work with do the same, and I'm not shy about telling them that if they are taking shortcuts, they are only hurting themselves. But here's where it goes wrong...
Read MoreRecently "Rock and Ice" posted a video from Daniel Woods and The North Face and like everyone else, I watched. At first I just dismissed it, but the more I thought about it, the more I needed to rant a little. There are loads of pro-climber "training" videos that are, at best, silly, and at worst, irresponsible.
Read MoreHere at The Power Company, we don't often talk about the differences between climbers who choose to mostly climb on routes and those who choose boulders. I'll go ahead and call that neglectful on my part, because there are some fundamental things that are different about the two.
Read MoreIt's the new buzzword: "training". Everybody and their mom wants to train, has training advice, and can give you a 3 minute video depicting their training. This may sound like a plus, particularly for someone who sells training programs, but that isn't necessarily the case.
Read MoreIf you're cross-training for fun - because you like it or want to excel at it - or because it simply makes you feel good, then by all means keep doing it. If, however, you do it because you believe that you'll become a better climber, keep reading.
Read MoreDanger is everywhere. I’m not talking about the kind of danger that we as rock climbers put ourselves into. I’m talking about the kind of parasitic danger that searches you out. There are two main types that thrive in the chalky environment in climbing gyms: The Lurker and The Exspurt.
Read MoreThere are three components you must have if you expect to improve your climbing. There are lots more you could use, but without these three, none of the others will mean a damned thing.
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