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| Comp wall EICA (Photo: Fraser Harle) |
I have found that getting on a route which is at your maximum bouldering capacity during say the end of a strength or beginning of a power phase of a training block really tunes your muscles and can deliver a high intensity session. I went on a tough 8b+ at the EICA main competition wall to test my current finger and upper body strength on the moves of a route which is way above my current red point standard.
The moves that I did felt like hard font 7a+ or V6/7 (up to the 8th bolt) with lots of power being required to take allot of body weight on big moves between small holds. I love getting on hard routes for the experience of trying to understand what I will need to be capable of to complete my goal of on-sighting an 8a.
So why go on an 8b+? For me, I am convinced that I will need that kind of power endurance, capable of red pointing an 8b or even 8b+ to succeed on an 8a on-sight. Red pointing an 8a is obviously allot easier than on sighting one and the physical effort required to manage and compensate for on-sight route reading errors, tensions, pressing etc, is in my view the same as red pointing a much harder route.
And it is easy to say these things but another thing to actually put yourself up there and try way above your goal...
But the aim of this is to increase physical capability of climbing hard on a route as opposed just trying to simulate it through other tactics like bouldering. Getting on the 8b+ is for me a BIG step forward in educating myself on what needs to happen...FACT!
" I was never more certain of how far away I was from my goal than when I was standing right beside it...." (cant remember who said this - but I like it!)
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| Gurning the moves on 8b+ (Photo: Fraser Harle) |
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| (Photo: Fraser Harle) |
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| EICA Session score card |
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