The Importance of Vision.
Ok, obviously it's important to be able to see, though some would rightfully argue that idea. Regardless, that isn't at all the type of vision I'm speaking of. What I'm referencing is having the ability to "see" moves that you can't even imagine. To attempt sequences that you couldn't possibly dream up.
How?
It's actually pretty simple. I realized not long ago, about the time I started taking my power training seriously, that it was quite difficult to set problems for myself that were at or above my limit. Never mind ones that forced me to learn new techniques... those were fairly impossible to create. I climbed at a gym that (at the time) had very little (and even less good) bouldering. I was setting the hardest problems, so I was essentially banging my head into a ceiling I had created. After much sulking, I hit upon two easy solutions that have each in turn given my power big, noticeable boosts.
1. It's Laughable.
When you're rooting through your hold buckets for the perfect crimps for your next amazing project, there is one criteria the holds must fit. They must make you laugh. By bolting holds onto the wall that I'm sure I can't even begin to hold onto, I've created several problems that ended up feeling like benchmarks for me when they went down. Not every hold needs to make you cackle... use your discretion. At first just put a few nasty holds into the mix, and no doubt pretty soon you'll be wanting to laugh at more problems.
2. Study Hard.
One of the best things that happened to my climbing this winter was that my gym, Rockquest, built a new boulder, The Anvil.
Sure, having an amazing new topout boulder is great, but that isn't the whole reason I'm psyched. The Anvil brought in something our gym didn't have... boulderers. Several of the strongest in town began frequenting Rockquest, and I've been eager to learn. Lately I've been sessioning with local strongmen Dan Rush, Aaron Schneider, and Kory Cooper-Fenske, along with motivated Rockquest regulars Justin Riddell and Ben Cassel. Some of these guys are around my ability level, some are miles ahead of me. They all have unique styles and strengths that allow them to set unique problems that I would never come up with on my own. I often see Aaron do moves that I can't even fathom, but I try them. Once in a while I surprise myself, but always I get a glimpse into what the next level feels like.
There are aspects of climbing outside that lead us into learning specific things that we don't necessarily find as easily indoors.
Watching Will Bosi and Aiden Roberts work on the Burden of Dreams replica is fun, but is it valuable for the rest of us?
Our very own coach Jess West provides valuable insight as to how setters can smartly and safely train for their goals.
Kris and Nate sit down to discuss some of the perks and pitfalls of climbing in today’s modern mega gyms.
Kris sits down with shaper and setter Roy Quanstrom, of Tension Climbing to talk about his latest holds and more.
Andy Leung believes in setting for growth of the community.
Deciding to get a home wall is easy. Deciding what to get is much more complicated.
Ravioli Biceps is a Moonboard legend: the only person to complete every Benchmark on the 2016 set.
Australian climber Anna Davey has big goals, and the dedication to get there.
We live in an age of fast food bouldering. Gym boulders are turned over more frequently than ever before. You can try 2,500 different V7’s on a Moon Board before you have to move on to V8.
Ayo Sopeju is a competitive climber, head setter at The Minneapolis Bouldering Project, and an artist who takes the utmost care with his work.
Don't get us wrong... we LOVE gyms. And if your only goal is to be as good as you can in your gym, then you can skip this episode.
Shaper/setter Tonde Katiyo has put quite a bit of thought and care into his craft. He approaches it with both a pragmatism and creativity that often don't exist together.
Nate and I sit down to discuss how we feel about climbing gym grades. Do they matter? Should they be taken seriously?
Pressure. No matter if it's a comp, a project, self-inflicted, or external - we all feel it.
Prepare yourself; this isn't your typical bouldering video: it's indoors.
Professional setter Chris Danielson is the absolute go-to guy for any big comp or gym consulting project.
I've been friends with, climbed with, and offered training advice to Yasmeen Fowler for several years.
Adam said: ...my gym sees a very minimal effort in route setting. Do you have any suggestions as far as conquering these stagnant plastic doldrums?
I realized not long ago that it was quite difficult to set problems for myself that are at or above my limit.
Want to dive deeper into setting difficult boulders? Check out our Boulder Builder course!
A climber since 1994, Kris was a traddie for 12 years before he discovered the gymnastic movement inherent in sport climbing and bouldering. Through dedicated training and practice, he eventually built to ascents of 5.14 and V11.
Kris started Power Company Climbing in 2006 as a place to share training info with his friends, and still specializes in working with full time "regular" folks. He's always available for coaching sessions and training workshops.
There's a time and place for using beta videos, but in the gym?