Crag Survival Handbook by Matt Samet

Author:Matt Samet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Mountaineers Books

FLOW

The final component in improvement is flow, or how smoothly you link moves. Like a gymnastics routine, a rock climb is one continuous sequence. If you place your foot poorly on that traverse, you might juice yourself, becoming slow and jerky on the next crux. All moves are linked, with each sequence informing the next; thus good flow is an outgrowth of maintaining a consistent tempo and sequencing accurately.

Tempo

We all climb at different paces; there is no “correct” tempo. Some climbers are speed-demon dynamic hares, while others are static, methodical tortoises. What tempo really translates to is: Are you climbing at a consistent speed that’s fast enough to optimize efficiency and at the appropriate speed in the appropriate sections?

Every climb has its unique cadence, its particular mixture of gallops (cruxes), canters (power-endurance sections), trots (middling-hard sections), walks (easy sections), and halts (rest stances). Analyze your project in terms of cadence: Where do you want to be efficient, where should you put your mind in neutral, where will you be playful, where will you calm your nerves, where will you fight for every last move, and so on? Draw a diagram or beta map showing the different speeds if it helps you to conceptualize these ideas.

The gym is a great place to work on cadence, because the routes are set with a consistent difficulty and thus flow best with consistent pacing. Try this drill to become quicker and smoother:

1.Recruit a buddy to watch and time you.

2.Have your friend time you as you climb a route un-self-consciously at your normal pace. This figure is your ballpark “normal” pace.

3.Now climb the same route at a deliberately faster pace with your friend timing you. Focus on moving quickly. Ask your buddy to let you know if you start to look harried so that you can then slow down.

Compare the two times: Did you get more or less pumped climbing quicker? Can you pick things up and still be smooth and efficient—or even more so? What should your new normal pace be? You can even have someone video each lap so that you can evaluate it later. If you notice jerky, choppy, or staccato movement in the video, you’re pausing where you should be flowing. You’re missing a beat, and that’s poor, inefficient flow. You want to be like a metronome (tock-tock-tock-tock-tock-tock), without any unnecessary pauses or hesitancy (hiccups).

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