Joey
New Member
Posts: 24 
|
Post by Joey on Apr 28, 2016 5:49:55 GMT -7
Out of the four training concepts (ARC, STRENGTH, POWER and PE) which should I attend most of my focus to? Arcing makes sense for movement on rock, and strength for the obvious crimp fest, however I am not sure how long to Train power or PE. My goal is to climb as much as possible in the upper 11's lower 12's and maybe project some mid 12's. I have been to smith before and had no trouble onsighting 10's from a to d, however its been about 2 years since my last time there. I have been training consistently since and this time around I really want to step it up. I plan to leave at the beginning of July which gives me about 10 to 12 weeks to prepare. So what is my best bet?!
|
|
|
|
Post by jonfrisby on Apr 28, 2016 6:41:14 GMT -7
I haven't been to Smith but I've trained for Shelf road. You're right, depending on the route PE may be less relevant. For power I focused on less steep angles, smaller holds, and shorter movements because the climbing (at least at Shelf) was less explosive and more about controlling your body on shorter, more tenuous moves. So for campusing I might use small rungs moreso than I normally do (with smaller movements) and for LB, I would focus on wall angles/hold types that fit my prior sentence.
|
|
Joey
New Member
Posts: 24
|
Post by Joey on Apr 28, 2016 6:55:16 GMT -7
Should I focus less on my Linked boulder sessions? I have about 2 weeks of arc, 9 hb sessions, 3 weeks of power and about 2-3 weeks of PE.
|
|
Joey
New Member
Posts: 24
|
Post by Joey on Apr 28, 2016 6:58:28 GMT -7
Or just make it a crimp fest on lets say 95-100 steepness.
|
|
|
|
Post by MarkAnderson on Apr 28, 2016 11:33:17 GMT -7
Do you have to go in July? It is possible to climb there in July, but it will be far from ideal.
Other than that, it really depends on the routes you want to try. There is a huge amount of variety (even on the same cliff). Chain Reaction and (full) Heinous Cling couldn't be much different and they're only 10 feet apart.
|
|
Joey
New Member
Posts: 24
|
Post by Joey on Apr 28, 2016 14:18:41 GMT -7
I dont have to go in July, however I plan on starting my next training session this Sunday and I figured the ideal time for performance would be around the end of June into July. Chain Reaction is on my to do list.
|
|
ericg
New Member
Posts: 42
|
Post by ericg on Apr 28, 2016 20:05:45 GMT -7
I agree with Mark. I went to Smith the last weekend in June once. I was moving out of the PNW with my now ex girlfriend and she had to go to Smith before we moved. We were able to get on about 2 routes a day by getting up at 5 am but it was brutal even in the shade. Can you take your trip in the fall? Otherwise, maybe go to Tensleep or Wild Iris? If none of those work maybe train with a heat lamp on you!
|
|
|
|
Post by erick on Apr 28, 2016 20:25:53 GMT -7
Like has been said, I personally would avoid Smith like the plague from May-October. Lots of good summer options in the NW.
But to your question, having just wrapped up a training cycle dedicated to smith climbing here are my thoughts,
For standard smith dihedral 5.12s (heinous cling, latin lover, wats tots) I would rank the four training focuses as
Strength, base fitness (especially if you don't have your smith vert skills on lock down), and PE/Power are about equal at the bottom
That being said, Chain reaction is a very different type of route and power will be key, for the steeper routes you will find in the gullies then your PE becomes very important.
But developing CRUSHING crimp strength will serve you well on everything
|
|
|
|
Post by jcm on Apr 28, 2016 22:54:31 GMT -7
I dont have to go in July, however I plan on starting my next training session this Sunday and I figured the ideal time for performance would be around the end of June into July. Chain Reaction is on my to do list. Two thoughts: 1. Conditions are more important than peak fitness when planning a trip: I find that I can have a fun trip and maybe even send some things when I'm not in peak fitness. On the other hand, being in Smith when it is 100 degrees is going to be heinous, not matter how fit you are. Time your trips with conditions as your first priority, and then organize your training around that. 2. If travelling a long distance to climb, there is no reason to go somewhere that is out of season. There will be a crag within a day's drive of any location in the western US that is in-season at any month of the year...you just have to choose the right destination for the timing of your trip. For a July trip, Smith is NOT the right destination. Why sweat to death there when you can have really nice conditions at an equally good crag elsewhere? In July, for techy vert climbing, consider Tensleep or the Fins. For steeper stuff, Maple or Rifle. For genuinely GOOD (cold) conditions in July, go to Canmore, AB. |
|
Joey
New Member
Posts: 24
|
Post by Joey on Apr 29, 2016 7:18:33 GMT -7
SO many decisions. Luckily my partner and I have not bought our tickets yet, so I will def put weather into consideration, (I do love hot weather even when climbing) However on the strength side of things, my main focus should be on crimp it seems.
Erick, you said strength then base fitness. Did you train in that order?
|
|
|
|
Post by MarkAnderson on Apr 29, 2016 8:52:18 GMT -7
As if there were an equally good crag! Where else can you find world class single-pitch trad, world class/legendary sport, top-notch multi-pitch, and ultra-classic routes in literally every grade from 3rd class to 5.14+? And then there's the scenic beauty and variety of climbing styles between basalt, rhyolite and tuff. In all my travels the closest thing I've found is the combination of Arapiles and the Grampians (about 45 minutes apart), but that was before the Taipan Wall--by far the best hard climbing in the region--was closed. |
|
|
|
Post by James_E on Apr 29, 2016 9:05:26 GMT -7
As if there were an equally good crag! Where else can you find world class single-pitch trad, world class/legendary sport, top-notch multi-pitch, and ultra-classic routes in literally every grade from 3rd class to 5.14+? And then there's the scenic beauty and variety of climbing styles between basalt, rhyolite and tuff. In all my travels the closest thing I've found is the combination of Arapiles and the Grampians (about 45 minutes apart), but that was before the Taipan Wall--by far the best hard climbing in the region--was closed. Squamish! Wait was that a rhetorical question? |
|
|
|
Post by jcm on Apr 29, 2016 9:51:25 GMT -7
As if there were an equally good crag! Where else can you find world class single-pitch trad, world class/legendary sport, top-notch multi-pitch, and ultra-classic routes in literally every grade from 3rd class to 5.14+? And then there's the scenic beauty and variety of climbing styles between basalt, rhyolite and tuff. In all my travels the closest thing I've found is the combination of Arapiles and the Grampians (about 45 minutes apart), but that was before the Taipan Wall--by far the best hard climbing in the region--was closed. OK, fine. How about "a reasonably adequate and more climactically favorable substitute crag." |
|
Joey
New Member
Posts: 24
|
Post by Joey on Apr 29, 2016 11:18:58 GMT -7
The problem for me is that smith is one of my favorite places to climb and I'm willing to do it in the heat. (I am a bit stubborn) Not to mention, my partner wants to see things on our rest days, some hills that are painted and what not. She has a thing for Oregon and has been begging to go.
|
|
|
|
Post by MarkAnderson on Apr 29, 2016 13:01:12 GMT -7
She has a thing for Oregon ...because she has great taste  |
|
