Negotiating opposites: My Climbing Cheatsheet
“On the rock, climbers try to live intensely but not haphazardly… Pushing yourself to your mental and physical limits on a Saturday afternoon demands a temperament of opposites.”
- Ron Fawcett (Quote from his book: Fawcett on Rock)
We encounter many opposites when we seek progress in climbing.
Specificity / Variability
You can’t learn anything deeply without dedicating time and energy. But the essence of climbing is variability. Every move is different and every climb is unique.
How to focus on one element without losing touch with the variety of skills that make up most of climbing?
Intensity / Complexity
Bodyweight exercises can be complex but are essentially low load. Weighted exercises can be high load but have to be relatively simple movements.
How to be strong without being rigid?
Stability / Mobility
Be stable but don’t get stuck. Keep moving but don’t fall off.
How to pursue both whilst climbing?
Balance / Momentum
Each is characterised by the absence of the other. Like notes and pauses in music, balance and momentum form the rhythm of climbing. This is a question that lies at the heart of climbing technique.
When to use which and how?
Intuition / Reason
Intuition is the gateway to both flow and bias. Reason is by definition rational, but it is slow and cannot help but interfere with freely flowing movements.
How to be intuitive without succumbing to individual bias?
How to analyse whilst responding to the real-time demands of climbing?
Conviction / Open-mindedness
Acceptance / Irreverence
Learning from those who came before us can be like standing on the shoulders of giants. But history is written by the few and advice that is widely circulated was shouted by the loudest.
When do we listen and when do we question?
Motivation / Discipline
The passion of motivation is rousing and energising. It has highs and lows. Discipline can be drudgery but it is reliable.
How to be passionate without being inconsistent?
Preparation / Adventure
Meticulous preparation doesn’t deliver us to our goals. There will always be the inconvenience of the unexpected. An adventurous spirit rolls with the punches, but play recklessly with fire and you will get burnt.
How to prepare for your goals without developing an aversion to the unexpected?
How to cultivate a sense of adventure without putting yourself in harm’s way?
There are many common themes in these puzzles:
You can’t seek compromise, for the middle ground does not exist.
You can’t do both at the same time, for they are opposite in nature.
You require both to climb well, for they are complementary.
It has taken me 15 years of climbing to uncover these puzzles. Thankfully I have also found a way of solving them:
Time.
When to use which quality? Pick the right moment and everything falls in place.
These are some answers I have encountered thus far.
Specificity / Variability
How to focus on one element without losing touch with the variety of skills that make up most of climbing?
Different day different goals.
Learning deeply takes more time than maintaining competence in a variety of skills.
Say you climb 3 days a week. Use 2 days to focus deeply on 1 element. Use 1 day to maximise variety. On non-climbing days keep moving in random ways - walk, cycle, dance, jump. It doesn’t matter what it is or how much - just move!
Intensity / Complexity
How to be strong without being rigid?
In a workout:
Use bodyweight skill based exercises for your warm up. Change these up regularly.
Do intense loaded exercises for the main section of your training. Here, there is nothing wrong with repeating the same simple exercises.
Stability / Mobility
How to pursue both whilst climbing?
Alternate these pursuits during a climb: Stable - move - stable - move… this is the base rhythm of climbing.
Find stability in a position before moving from it. When you reach the next contact point, regain stability before moving again.
Balance / Momentum
When to use which and how?
This is a branch of stability-mobility conundrum. Seek balance when you are moving more than you wish. Seek momentum when you need to move through greater distances. Follow your attempts and the demands of the climb.
Intuition / Reason
How to be intuitive without succumbing to individual bias?
How to analyse whilst responding to the real-time demands of climbing?
Intuitive movement whilst climbing. Analytical reasoning pre and post climb on the ground.
Conviction / Open mindedness
Acceptance / Irreverence
When do we listen and when do we question?
Listen to everything and question everything. Take on board only that which makes sense. Conviction now arises from critical thought. Accept that everything you think today, you might disagree with tomorrow. Accept with humility that everything you hold to be true may turn out to be wrong.
Motivation / Discipline
How to be passionate without being inconsistent?
To pursue lofty dreams, fuel it with passion. Hold yourself to minimum standards and let discipline hold you accountable.
Preparation / Adventure
How to prepare for your goals without developing an aversion to the unexpected?
How to cultivate a sense of adventure without putting yourself in harm’s way?
Fix a deadline to your preparations, for you can never be as prepared as you hope to be. Do your best within these limits. When the deadline has passed, change your perspective completely and hit the road. Embrace the uncertainty that lies ahead.
Are these the right solutions? Only time will tell.
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For more difficult questions and attempted answers on climbing and training, check out my Patreon Page (it’s a little more specific and instructive there. This blog I like to use for late night musings :P)
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