BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: The Florida Climber’s Plight

By Kaleigh Bush

Florida gives rise to a fairly ubiquitous vision: flat sandy beaches mopped by the broken waves of the Atlantic; highway medians adorned with strips of sweeping palm trees; and toe headed, heat intoxicated sunbabies riding their ocean Cadillacs to shore dressed to the nines in sunburns and wetsuits. The vision does not yield mountainous terrain. Nor does casting this landscape likely fortify the climber’s penchant for brisk arid climate and good friction. I’ll also go ahead and assume that the last thing you’d reasonably anticipate from the balmy swamps of Florida is the emergence of a laudable rock climbing community fit to foster the kind of dude whose dexterity on a rock face can hold a candle to that of the most championed climbers on an international scale. But chances are if you’ve visited just about any crag or boulder field in the US and maybe even worldwide, you’ve probably met a handful of Florida climbers. There’s even a good chance they were kind of strong. Maybe not the prized heifer at the county fair, but, arguably, we’ve generated a couple of those as well.

BRG's own (and FL native) Maxim Zoltukhin making an embarrassing spectacle of himself (but crushing none the less) at ABS nationals.

Nick Sherman is from Orlando, but now resides (and kills it) in Boulder, CO.

I was born and raised in Gainesville which is located in north central Florida where, ironically, I started climbing three years ago. It’s worth noting that, less ironically, my loosening ties to Gainesville and the beginning of a disparaging relationship with my home town simultaneously erupted inside of the Gainesville Rock Gym which still stands more than a decade after its inception. The gym is located on the outskirts of downtown within close reach to the bulk of the University of Florida’s student population inhabiting the nearby historic district. Before I started climbing, Gainesville catered almost perfectly to me. Now, I’m hoisting my sails after uniting with a throng of peers who anticipate more enriching locales in the foreseeable future.

It’s no surprise that Florida flaunts several quality climbing gyms, though, because the great enabler for Florida climbers is plastic as there is literally no real rock actually fit for climbing anywhere in the state. Tornado Alley is all the flatland rage, but Florida is in fact the flattest of all the fifty United States. It’s PANCAKE FLAT. The peninsula’s mean elevation is a negligible 100 feet (the highest point being 345 feet at Britton Hill, located near the Alabama border). The closest thing we’ve got in Peninsular Florida to real rock aside from the limestone bedrock that we’re founded on is some naturally occurring limestone exposures just west of Gainesville where privately owned quarries feature some gorgeous walls masquerading as climbing potential. Unfortunately, this limestone makes for second-rate climbing because its quality has proven to be poor and too chossy to scale seriously.

FL native Randy Hill on ABSOLUTION (v12) in Idaho.

Tomfoolery as Gainesville, FL climber John Reger takes the 1st place in Men's Advanced at the Triple Crown Bouldering Series

Matt Segal is from Miami. But is now a well-known climber, North Face athlete, and is pushing the limits of hard trad climbing out in Boulder, CO.

The impossibility of local Florida climbing aside, climbing is habit-forming regardless of where the skill is honed be it outside or indoors. But the general consensus among climbing enthusiasts is that the chief purpose of the climbing gym is its utility as a training implement; the concept is appealing in that it lends climbers a facility for training when the option of climbing outside isn’t available due to adverse weather, being too hard-pressed for time by school or work to spend a day at the crag, or whatever. But I’ve climbed outdoors and indoors enough to realize that the rigid dichotomy between the two environments is as apparent as the contrast between the fibers of plastic and of stone. In the face of this realization, reconciling with the fact that I have to drive for at least seven hours to get my hands on some quality sandstone or granite is quite the cross to bear. Consequently, us Florida climbers who are passionate about what we do are left feeling like salt water fish in a fresh water aquarium when we’re giving it the ol’ college try with nothing at our fingertips but a decent training tool. And when we do get to rock climb, our callouses are sturdy as brick houses but quick weekend climbing trips are too fleeting for our tender fingertips to restore any previous durability. So more than a few good burns on an ultra-crimpy problem and our tips are left pink, shriveled, and nearly deprived of sensation. I won’t even get into the dilemma, regardless of how substantial it may or may not actually be, of how indoor grades stack up against outdoor grades as a system for measuring progress. Is it precise to call yourself a V4 climber if you’re a solid V6 plastic climber but have only topped out V2 outside? Or are indoor grades entirely null and void since indoor climbing is barely even comparable to rock climbing? The debate is probably as contrived as the concept of climbing grades to begin with.

So how do we Floridians satiate our appetites for climbing, then? We train hard inside for brief weekend respite fit for voyaging to the prominent southeast boulder fields and crags that rally flocks of climbers from all over, performing at all different levels of difficulty, most notably during the three months that encompass the popular Triple Crown bouldering series. But the unrelenting desire to touch real stone doesn’t subside during the off-season which is a truth that remains self-evident in climbing documentaries like SubtleSqueeze’s Summer Sessions series. Aside from Horsepens-40 (Steele, AL), the Stone Fort (previously Little Rock City, located in Chattanooga, TN), and Hound Ears (the private boulder field open to the public one day a year for the Triple Crown competition), we’ve got an adequate supply of other options available to us within reasonable distance. (The main difference between the Florida climber and anyone else is probably the concept of a “reasonable distance” for traveling to climb, I suppose.) Rock Town is located nearby in extreme northwest Georgia between Atlanta and Chattanooga. A recent favorite to a crew of Florida climbers is Rumbling Bald situated near Chimney Rock, NC which flaunts the best winter climbing in North Carolina because of its perfect southern exposure. Also, there’s a plethora of boulder fields and crags supplying the climbing community with plenty of first ascents that have yet to be achieved in and around Chattanooga, which largely remain locals-only hotspots for now. But the crown jewel of the climbing season for me and my friends is the annual new year’s pilgrimage to the bouldering mecca of the US that is Hueco Tanks located outside of El Paso, TX. My first year as a flatland climber, I was unfit for the approach into the boulders that Hueco accessibility demands. I wasn’t prepared for my first plunge into the sheer western beauty that is Hueco until last year. This indian reservation cradled by its own delicate history is littered with countless perfect boulders crafted from unusual rock formation and is nothing like anything climbable anywhere I’ve yet to visit on the east coast (pseudo-primitive desert camping in a three season tent was reminiscent of Florida when I woke up covered in sand following every blustery night, though). Floridians faithful to this tradition drive for almost twenty-four hours to the border city of El Paso every year, unless they opt to fly. This trip, to me, is a significant source of motivation for inspiring another long year of gruelling indoor training and a handful of familiar southeast climbing excursions.
So, there are rock climbers in Florida. There are definitely surfers in Colorado. We’re undoubtedly among the unorthodox and would probably rather be somewhere else more conducive to our respective lifestyles, but we all get by finding a way to do what we love. And we love climbing as much as the next guy. I would also argue that being a Florida climber and having friends locally who are pivotal in the greater climbing community fosters a unique brand of pride that emanates from all of us who know what it’s like to have to set aside entire weekends for climbing in order to rock climb at all. Most of us either put climbing on the back burner when real life kicks in at the onset of real adulthood, or we move out of Florida and build our lives around climbing as a priority. Regardless, one day I will move out of Florida and build my life around climbing as a priority, which speaks volumes about the powers of passion. And my parents’ ceaseless wonder about where the hell they went wrong.

TRAINING FOR AEROBIC AND ANAEROBIC FITNESS

By MATT MCCORMICK

Over the last 4-5 weeks I’ve been following a plan to prepare for a week-long trip to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. For those of you unfamiliar with the Red, the climbing is most often characterized by monstrous endurance and resistance routes.

Jonathan Siegrist on his recent sendfest in the Red

Climbers who perform at a high level in the Red possess an amazing balance of aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Below I share a quick explanation of the difference between aerobic and anaerobic as well as sharing the plan I’ve been following for the past several weeks. We’ll see how it goes!

A quick explanation of aerobic and anaerobic energy production…

Aerobic: This is the body’s most efficient energy production mode and can be sustained indefinitely because the body is able to use oxygen in the energy production process. The body can only sustain aerobic energy production at steady, sub-maximal levels of exertion. Ie. A route that you don’t get pumped on at all and that has no moves that are difficult for you. Another great example is going for a long steady run.

Anaerobic: At a certain level of exertion (this is different for each person and called the anaerobic threshold) each person’s body will no longer be able to supply the necessary energy using the aerobic system. At this point the body begin to supply energy using the anaerobic system which does not utilize oxygen and can only be sustained for 1-3 minutes. Anaerobic energy production is inefficient in producing long-term energy because of the build up of lactic acid that it produces. This lactic acid buildup seriously inhibits muscle function and results in that all too familiar pump. The anaerobic system is good at producing energy for short bursts of high intensity exertion. Ie. A crux on a route or a boulder problem. Climbers can train to increase their body’s ability to function well with a high build-up of lactic acid. This is called anaerobic endurance.

Here’s the catch! In climbing, unless you specialize in one-move-wonders, you need to train both systems.

Climbing, more than most sports, is extremely complex and difficult to categorize. Over the course of a route or long boulder problem, a climber will draw energy from a both aerobic and anaerobic systems. Moving through cruxes at their limit the climber will utilize the anaerobic system for energy and then at rests and through easier sections the climber can recover because his energy is being drawn from the efficiency of the aerobic system.

Check out this video of Sharma on Pachamama in Spain. The routes Sharma is doing, you know are amazing performances of anaerobic endurance.

The Red River Plan

The plan I followed over the last several weeks focused on building anaerobic endurance as well as building finger strength, power, and aerobic endurance. Here it is…

Day 1

Hangboard – (Absolute finger strength): Why this for the Red you might ask? Think of the V13 boulderer who goes to the Red and onsights 5.13+ in the Madness Cave. He may not have the best aerobic endurance but the moves are not hard for him and the holds feel easy to hang onto.

Pick 4 grips on the hangboard. Train your weaknesses!

Perform 3 sets on each of the four grips. You’ll need a stopwatch right in front of you for this. One set = Seven 7 second hangs with 3 seconds of rest between each hang. Rest 1 minute and repeat 3 sets for each grip. Rest  2 minutes between each grip. If you can complete One set without dropping off the board, increase the weight 2-5 lbs. For the sake of your tendon pulleys, use an open grip rather than full closed crimp grip.

Open Grip

Closed (full crimp) grip

Traverse into Boulder Problems x 5:

Create a 30+ move traverse at sub-maximal level (ie. if you boulder V7 create a V4 crux or cruxes in the traverse split up by rests). Have the traverse end at the start of a boulder problem slightly below your max (For the V7 boulderer V5/V5+ would be perfect). The goal is to recover on some good holds before the final boulder problem. Crush the boulder problem and then rest 1 minute before repeating or repeating into another problem. Do this 5 times.

Cool Down: Aerobic Recovery Capillary (ARC)

15-20 minutes of traversing. The goal here is to stay in the Aerobic zone (just slightly below your anaerobic threshold) for the entire 20 minutes. You’ll be able to tell this by staying just below the point where you’re getting really pumped but still at a level where your getting fatigued. Kind of like going for a long run or bike ride. This exercise will increase your local endurance as well as build more capillary density in the forearm muscles. Capillaries move nutrients to and from the muscle and help speed recovery.

Core: Complete 15 minutes of core exercises of your choice.

Day 2:

Campus Board: (Power)

Ladders and Touches

Perform one ladder up and down. Rest 1 minute and then perform one set of touches doing 2-3 touches with each arm without stepping off the board.

Here’s a great site with some video of these 2 exercises:

http://www.nicros.com/archive/archive15.cfm

Repeat this 4 times.

Boulder Pyramid: This is an excellent anaerobic endurance exercise!

Pick 6 boulder problems and arrange them in a pyramid as below.

V3,V3+,V4,V4+,V5,V5+,V4+,V4,V3+,V3

Complete this pyramid 4 times moving between problems as quickly as possible. Rest 2 minutes between completing each pyramid.

Cool Down: Aerobic Recovery Capillary (ARC) (See above)

Core: Complete 15 minutes of core exercises of your choice.

Rest Day: Think about doing some aerobic exercise for 30-60 minutes. This will accelerate recovery and help build general aerobic fitness.

Day 3:

Repeat Day 1…

TRAINING STRONGER

Matt on Zabba (5.13a)

My name is Matt McCormick and I am a teacher, climber, guide, and trainer from Burlington, VT. My climbing career started at the BRG while growing up in nearby Sudbury, MA. and quickly spread to locations all over the world.

With a degree in Physical Education, I’ve focused my knowledge of exercise physiology on my own training for climbing and have seen some tremendous gains. I offer personalized coaching and training consultations through my site at mattmccormickclimbing.blogspot.com. Check it out! Feel free to email me with any questions or feedback at matty.mccormick@gmail.com.

This is the first in a series of blog entries on my training ideas and concepts. I hope that you can take a bit of each entry and apply it toward your own climbing goals. My goal is to present an overarching concept each week and then give some examples of exercises and workouts to apply that concept in your training.

I will be offering a series of training workshops at the BRG in the near future that will go into greater detail and provide a hands on opportunity to learn more ideas on how to improve your own climbing fitness. These will include a personalized training plan that I will write and email to each participant after the workshop based on their goals, ability, and motivation. Keep your eye out for these workshops!

This first entry provides THE foundation for effective training and is an important starting point for future entries.

Principles of Training

When planning workouts for athletes, exercise physiologists form their plan based around a set of core principles referred to as the Principles of Training. Here they are… When reading these, think about what you do to try and improve your climbing fitness and whether or not it meets these principles. Below each principle I’ve briefly outlined how this applies to climbing-specific training.

Overload: In order to see gains in muscular strength, endurance and any component of

fitness for that matter this principle must be applied. Our bodies are

extremely adaptive will adapt to the demands placed on them. Only if we load muscles to a a point not previously encountered will they gain strength, endurance, and or power.

Do you purposefully keep track of your progress by writing down your workouts or at least keeping mental note and then increasing the intensity in following workouts? Do you find ways to specifically overload certain muscle groups, movements, grips,  and fitness components such as power or strength?

Progression: While it is crucial to overload the muscles in order to see the gains we

strive for, it is equally important to follow a logical and planned progression

of resistance. Effective training is not reactive but pre-planned and

thoughtful.

The closest that most climbers come to meeting this principle is that they try harder and harder routes and problems in the gym and outside. This is most often done in a rather haphazard manner rather than being pre-planned. Many climbers do not build a solid foundation of routes at say a V5 level before spending infinite sessions projecting V7. Additionally logically pre-planning your workout and sticking to that plan is at the core of this principle.

Specificity: It is important to realize that fitness for climbing should be viewed as several different components that must be targeted specifically in order to be improved. I’ll go into each of these in greater detail in a later post but the major components are strength, endurance, power, and anaerobic endurance. Exercises must be specifically chosen to target the components which you want to improve.

Do you plan your workouts with specific exercises to target specific things such as crimp strength, power, anaerobic endurance? In order to practice this principle you must have a pre-set goal for each session and pick specific exercises to target that goal.

Individuality: Each individual has unique and ever-changing needs and goals in their

training. It is crucial to honestly assess your needs fitness wise and set goals in

line with those needs. It is also key to keep in mind that some exercises that may

work great for one person will not work well for you. This is something I always

keep in mind when coaching and training.

Be flexible to try a variety of methods of training as long as they meet the above principles. Honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses and target those weaknesses. If a certain method of training does not work well for you, be willing to try something else!

Lastly… Keep these three in mind to pull together your overall plan.

Frequency: How often do you come into the gym or hit the crag? How many days a week do you have available to train?

Intensity: In weight lifting intensity is judged by the weight. In climbing it is vastly more complex (more on this in the future…) Intensity can be judged by difficulty of moves, # of moves, rest time between burns, number of problems/routes climbed, and a variety of other ways which I’ll discuss in the future.

Time: How much time will you spend during each session training. Some people spend several hours in the gym accomplishing the same amount that could be accomplished in  one hour. Are you making the best use of time?

These principles are the foundation of any effective training plan. I encourage you to take the time to reflect on them and whether or not you’re applying them to your own goals!

Next I’ll be talking about aerobic strength vs. anaerobic strength and will share the training I’ve been doing for an upcoming trip to the Red River Gorge…