The skis are waxed, the air is cold and in this part of Idaho it’s hard to keep climbing with any regularity through December and January. There have been times when I was absolutely defiant to the idea that climbing season was over (see skinning into a crag in Alaska here) but no longer. Nowadays I figure it’s a good time to use different muscles explore the mountains and take a good healthy break.
2015 was our most ambitious climbing year yet. Ben got us started on the Rock Climber’s Training Manual (RCTM) and we vowed to stick to it – so we did. From February on through early October we were on a periodized training schedule that focused on different muscle groups, techniques and stamina. So how did it work? Was all the time and effort worth it? Will we continue next year? The answer to all is YES!
The top of Hallett Peak. Rocky Mountain National Park, CO.
The boxcar boulder in Wild Basin, CO.
Sending Sterling Coach (5.12a/b). In my opinion, the best route on a stacked wall. God’s Crag – Engineer Pass, CO. Photo: Nate Liles
Getting my Bosch-on. New anchors on Sterling Coach. God’s Crag – Engineer Pass, CO. Photo: Nate Liles
Cruxing on the send of Zootie Head (5.12d/5.13a) at the Creamy Salmon Wall – God’s Crag – Engineer Pass, CO. Photo: Nate Liles
Moving, and loosing EarthTreks as our climbing gym cut our training a bit early but we are already planning and scheming about our next training cycle due to fire up in January. In the meantime we are working on full body fitness and olympic style lifting. We got a three month membership to Bigwood Fitness and head over there every couple of days. This should help us strengthen our legs for ski season and also keep us motivated to train, even if it isn’t for climbing.
Part of the RCTM is record keeping and goal setting. I set some goal routes, and also created a route pyramid which helps you visualize the number of routes you send at each grade. If you crush forty 5.11a’s and only ten 5.11b’s maybe it’s time to try some harder routes!
My left hand blowing off a crimp as I prepared to lunge through the last move guarding the chains of Blue Light Special (5.13a/b) in Ten Sleep Canyon, WY. Redemption on our trip as we moved back to Idaho was so sweet. My proudest send of the season.
2014 sends of 5.12b or higher. Last year I had a large base of mid-5.12 sends and only a few 5.12+ or greater. A goal for this season was to challenge myself on harder routes.
At the start of the season this pyramid was all green to signify my goals. As I sent a route at that grade I slowly turned a good portion of them white. The limited number of 5.12c routes this year was likely due to striving for more 5.12d and higher routes. This season, if I want to “try hard”, I would focus on 5.12d or harder and 5.12c got left out.
A log of sends 5.12c or harder that were included in my 2015 pyramid.
Hangboarding is a main phase of our training and I kept track of my weight and how much of my body weight I could hang from while dangling on different grip types. Under 100% means less than my weight and over means I have weight hanging from my harness as I do the workout. The codes on the right refer to the grip. For example “LE” means “large-edge” and “IMR 3F” means “index-middle-ring, 3 finger pocket”.
Graph of hangboard grip weights as a function of bodyweight. My grip strength went up as well as my weight (by about six pounds) throughout the year. The long downward trends were breaks from hangboarding.
Different hangboard grips as a percentage of my body weight. My performance on the hangboard was slow in the first (winter) season, but increased rapidly in the second (spring) season and ultimately was best in my short third (fall) season.
All smiles before the best epic of the season in Eldorado Canyon, CO.
In the redpoint crux of My Generation (5.12d). An early season project and the one that got away. Maybe someday! Shelf Road, CO.
Spearhead – Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. Our route ascended the middle of the steep main face into the dark “sickle” shaped overhang near the summit. My largest objective of the year.
This year, although particularly successful in strength and harder sends was also incredibly fulfilling in more important ways. Robyn and I had the great fortune to climb at a number of new and beautiful crags, started bolting and cleaning some of our own routes, and even climbed a random alpine route and alpine peak here and there. It was a very well rounded season and we never felt climbing “burn-out”. The obvious key to our most successful season yet were the people. We had such an amazing local climbing crew in Colorado and of course Team Try Hard On (TTHO) to look to whenever adventure was calling. We shared psych, belays and innumerable beers around campfires in some stunning places. It’s this clan of folks that will keep us stoked to do another workout or give our project one more go. And it’s these folks that will have us looking forward to the challenge, the goals and dreams of what we might be able to attain again next year.
Being awkward.
Making it official. Trishare-a-hops (5.12c). Deep Creek, CO. My first “First Ascent” gifted to me by Nate.
Après climbing chips and beers along the canyon rim. Shelf Road, CO.
Now that is some cute shit right there, Danni..
Chillin in Epic Brewing Company.
River North Brewing Co. Yum. Matt, Adam and myself enjoying some samplers.
Team Try Hard On in Ten Sleep Canyon, WY. For Robyn and I, this was our third year back in the canyon for a week to celebrate Ben’s birthday and hang with great friends. Video in the works! Maybe as stoke for the new training cycle?
Moon-set over Engineer Pass, CO.
Fire time. Shelf Road, CO.