Hi, I’m Hayley. I write things, and I also climb things. I’ve recently gone from redpointing 5.10a to 5.12b in the space of a year. And I’ve learned a lot on the way. I’ve found that the things that have helped me the most are things that I haven’t been able to find on the internet. So I figured I’d try and change that for you. Let me explain.
You know the difference between beta and microbeta? You can tell somebody the crux beta of your project quite quickly, right. It might sound something like: right-hand gaston, high left foot, throw to the chalked ledge. But the microbeta is far more complex. That right-hand gaston has a sweet spot exactly where you place your hand. And once you place it, you pull it into your shoulder to place your left foot – and hook with your toes, pulling your hips in – and then down to gain maximum reach. The gaston feels really bad, and the throw to the ledge is always a thrutch.
What this blog is
The concept of this blog is to provide the experiential microbeta of climbing harder things. I want to talk about what all of this feels like, and the small things that I did and didn’t do to get from 5.10a to 5.12b – and beyond. Everything that I have found valuable that doesn’t fit within standard training and isn’t widely available, I will put here. Note the “experiential” part: these are just my experiences. I’ll be telling you what worked for me.
What this blog is not
There are plenty of great resources available that cover pretty much all physical training. Most climbers can easily access a strength and conditioning program, and a hangboard protocol. Most climbers can also read mental training books. You will not find those things here. You won’t find “How To Climb XYX here” either. My goal is to fill the gap in what’s currently available – and these things are well covered.
This is for you but it’s also for me
I feel like my brain is exploding with all that I’ve learned this past year. I believe that the best time to pass information on is soon after you’ve acquired it: when your gains are new, you know exactly what the good stuff is. That clarity fades as time passes.
Think of a V5 boulderer and a V10 boulderer trying to help a V3 boulderer send a project. The V5 boulderer will have their finger much more on the pulse of what the V3 boulderer is lacking. For the V10 boulderer, V3 is irrelevantly easy, so it’s much harder to pinpoint exactly where the V3 boulderer is going wrong.
I’m the V5 boulderer. And I want all of this useful information to get actual use – and to leave my head. I’m a writer. For me, there’s no better way to clear my head than writing. And hopefully, we can both benefit from this.
This blog might just give you the in-between bits you need to help progress your climbing
Welcome to 5.12 And Beyond.
Photo credit: Ryman Wiemann