With the assistance of Ben Moon, our supplier of rock climbing clothing, we have pleasure in adding this “Introduction to rock climbing and bouldering”.

The main emphasis will be on the physical aspects of climbing because as with all sports the fitter you are, the easier and more enjoyable the sport becomes and in the case of climbing and bouldering, the more challenging the climbs you can tackle and beat.

We offer this purely as an introduction and we wholeheartedly recommend that all serious climbers, or those who want to become more competent and read about climbs done by some of the top climbers in the UK that you visit the Moon Climbing website at www.moonclimbing.com

This introduction to training for rock climbing is edited and reproduced with the permission of Ben Moon from original articles written by Rich Simpson, with the assistance of world-class climbers Malcolm Smith and Ben Moon. All can be read in their entirety by visiting Ben’s website at www.moonclimbing.com.

What is training for rock climbing?

Training for climbing is any activity where you intend to specifically improve your climbing ability with a goal in mind, e.g increasing fitness for a summer trip to Pembroke or the Alps.

This training constitutes anything from jogging 3 times per week, losing some weight, or very intense campus board sessions.

Obviously training is very varied, in terms of volume and intensity and can be anything from one day per week for a beginner to 5 days a week for a world-class climber attempting the hardest climbs in the world.

Why Train?

Whether it’s a classic VS, or desperate E10, that you inspire to climb, as mentioned earlier, it will be easier the fitter you are. Training will not only increase your physical ability for climbing but it will also increase your personal confidence and general well being.

The remaining sections in this introduction to rock climbing were originally written by Rich Simpson. These have been reproduced (including the photo’s), in an abbreviated form, with the permission of Ben Moon.

The importance of Goal Setting

If you have decided to start training because you want to improve, then you are half way towards that improvement but the other half is a bit more difficult to achieve

If you are happy to be of reasonable standard and have natural ability then training or climbing 3 or 4 times a week will see a gradual improvement to your fitness and techniques. However if you want to be the best, or at least get the best from yourself, then you must give more.

However it’s not enough to just train; as with training for any sport the time you put into training should be focussed on the achievement of set goals; goals that will ultimately lead to the achievement of you ultimate goal, whatever that is.

Goal setting
Goals help you stay motivated because they enable you to see improvements in yourself. But a cautionary note about goal setting, make sure they are realistic and take into account your other life activities. Don’t just focus on training to the exclusion of everything else in your life or life, and you, will become very boring. Also make sure that they are progressive and set yourself a timescale for their achievement.

Short term goals
Short term goals focus on small improvements in climbing, and should usually be set for periods of between 3 to 6 weeks.

Mid term goals
Mid term goals should be achieved within a period of 6-12 months and realistically should be set at about 2 grades higher than your current level. If for example your current level was French 7a, then realistically, within 6 months of effort, you would want to have achieved a 7a+ or maybe even a 7b.

Long term

Long-term goals should be set for no longer than 2 years, any longer than that is too long. They should realistically be set at about 3 or 4 grades higher than your current level. For example if you are currently climbing French 7a, you should set your long term goal at climbing a 7c 2 years down the line.

Obviously with goal setting you would set many short terms goals, throughout a period leading up to your mid term goals and you would also have several mid term goals leading up to your long term goals.

An example of good goal setting could be something like the following. This is taken from Rich Simpson’s personal training diary.

Example - My short term goals

December 2003
Within 6 weeks to achieve a 1-5-9 on the campus board.

Mid term goals
Within the next 4 months to consolidate myself within the 8c grade range.

Long term goals
Over the next 2 years to climb French 8c+ and 9a.

Summary
The most important things to remember when setting goals is to set a timescale for their achievement, be realistic and honest with yourself and keep a written note of what they are!

Also exposing yourself on a regular basis to this written set of goals will help keep you focused on their achievement. People often put them inside a regularly used cupboard door, I used to use the sun visor in my car, though with the weather in the UK you might not see it there very often ;-)

Appropriate links from above: Ben Moon website and Moon Climbing specific clothing