http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm news from our website http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4989  On May 16th, Daniel Woods made the first ascent of The Purge, 8B+ in Elkland, Colorado. Here is the video. http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4989 Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4954  Eric Horst has been climbing since 1977; he is know across the United States for his more than 300 first ascents and his contribution to the development of New River Gorge, WV, in the late Eighties, but also for his publications on training for climbing. And lately, he has made the headlines again, or better; his two kids have made the headlines, by reaching the grade 8b+ at the age of 11 and 10. It is not always easy to be the parent of a promising young climber, and Eric tells us about his whole family’s climbing life, and about the balanced approach he is teaching to his children.   Training kids: is it something that you grew interested in once you realized your own kid's passion for climbing, or were you studying it even before? I've been studying and writing about training since the late 1980s, so of course I've read up on youth sports training. However I didn't get into it in depth until the past decade as my boys got into climbing.   How did your kids start climbing?  We have a nice home gym and climbing wall, so it was natural for the boys to play on the climbing wall soon after they learned to walk. Of course, they didn't really climb on it too seriously until around age 4 ...when they understood the concept of doing a "problem." From there, they advanced quickly...doing toprope climbing outdoors at age 5… Both boys did their first (easy) sport leads the summer before their 7th birthday. The rest is history as they have both climbed extensively around the country (sport and trad), including trad ascents of Devil's Tower, Indy Monument, and several shorter routes in Yosemite. Cameron went on to led 5.13a at age 9 and 5.14a at age 11. Jon bested that by doing 5.14a at age 10 and 7months...likely making him the youngest climber on the planet to led 5.14a!   What are the main differences in training adults and kids, as far as motivation and techniques are concerned? It's quite different - you cannot train a kid as a smaller version of an adult - their bodies and minds are vastly different. I've writing extensively on youth training. In general, the best approach is to focus on developing technique and good footwork up through ages 10 or so--no need for any strength training outside of climbing. There's a unique skill window for neurologic development at this age, when hyper learning occurs. There's a similar "window" of opportunity for strength/power development ages 11 - 14...but you must train the kids carefully as they enter the growth spurt years, so as to avoid injury.   How complex is it to train one's own kids? Is there the risk of projecting one's goals on the children? I'm sure that could be a problem with some parents--you certainly see that play out on soccer fields and football fields, etc. In my case, the boys are very self-motivated and have learned to set and train for their own goals. Of course, I guide their training...to keep it safe and maximally effective. In fact, the biggest thing I do is make them climb LESS than they want to! As youths fall in love with climbing they often want to do it daily...and year-round. This is unhealthy and dangerous! So I limit my boys to 3 or 4 days per week, and they take a climbing offseason in the Fall when they both play tackle football for 3 months. A parent should be strong and not let the kid quite everything else so that they can climb more.     How do your kids train? Do they work together or each has his own routine and gym friends? There aren't any youth climbers near our house, and the nearest large commercial gym is an hour away. So outside of a few wintertime visits to this gym, we train exclusively on our home walls....my wife and I and the boys. I do have well-planned and periodized training programs for them (and me), so we follow a fairly fixed schedule that prepares us for our outdoor trips. But the boys also do 2 or 3 football workouts per week--these are lifting workouts that train the pushing muscles and legs for strength and speed. These sessions work well as antagonist training for climbing, so I believe there's a double payoff to these workouts. We also do outdoor football drills a couple days per week--passing and catching--since Cameron is the starting QB on his team.   What would be your advice to the parents of kids with a talent for climbing? Hire a good coach! There are good and bad coaches out there, so they must do their research...and determine not only the track record of success of the coach, but also whether any of the coaches youth climbers have been injured (growth plate, etc)...since this is a warning sign they might be using inappropriate exercise...or overtraining the kids.   If you had to say, how much of one's performance is due to sheer talent, and how much to training and determination? Genetics and mental disposition certainly play a role in performance, however proper training, discipline and desire play a huge role too! In terms of becoming an elite climber (say 5.13), I think that's mostly a matter of proper practice, training, discipline, etc. However, become one of the very best--in any physical endeavor--demands you have the right genetic traits. Whether it's being "the best" basketball player, sprinter, or climber, you must have everything line up right to get there....   http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4954 Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4942  Adam Ondra has onsighted the 15th 8c+ route of his career, by sending Chambao, in Baltzola, Spain. According to 8a.nu, the Czech postponed his essay on the 9a due to the humidity, that would have compromised his chances. Source: 8a.nu   http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4942 Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4927  Jordan Buys has sent Rainshadow, a 9a set up by Steve McLure at Malham, UK. The route was freed in 2003 and repeated also by Adam Ondra, who declared it to be one of his best climbs. Jordan Buys agrees, and considers the day of the send "Best climbing day of my life so far!!!" Steve McLure commented thus, on 8a.nu: "A great effort. Jordan has really put the time and effort in, and totally deserves to get the ascent. He's been trying it a lot and was shut down last year by a terribly wet season with awful conditions. I’m really glad that at last a Brit has climbed one of my 9’s – hopefully more will follow [...] Source: 8a.nu http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4927 Sat, 04 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4919  After Getu Valley, which we got to know through the images of the Petzl Roc Trip, here's a new video that reveals a different facet of climbing in China. Yuji Hirayama, Matt Segal and Cedar Wright are among the illustrious participants of the China Trad Festival. http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4919 Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4909  James Pearson has made the first trad ascent of A denti stretti, 8b+ at Balma1, at the Simplon pass, Switzerland. The crag had been equipped in the 80s for some easy trad lines; in the 90s, Alessandro Marini bolted some of its hardest routes, including A denti stretti and Profondo Rosso.  Profondo Rosso was trad climbed for the first time in 2011 by Yuji Hirayama.   Source: blog James Pearson http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4909 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4895 Climb the CASSIN boulder and win a climbing day with the legendary Ottavio Fazzini! A judge will be present at the CASSIN boulder (area VISIDO, block TENDINE DELLO YETI, line “FESSURINA CON BIDITO”, grade 6a+) on Saturday 4th May from 10 am to 6 pm! Among all competitors that complete the boulder, CASSIN team will draw the winner of a climbing day in Mello's Valley with Ottavio Fazzini, who climbed several new routes in this area. A photographer will make an amazing shooting of the climbing day! The winner will be drawn on Sunday 5th May 2013 during Melloblocco award ceremony. Ottavio and the winner will decide together the route and the date of their climb. Ottavio Fazzini (born 1963) is one of the most important actors of Masino-Bregaglia mountaineering history. From 1985 to 1989 he climbed a lot of legendary new routes: Ringo star, Jumar Iscariota, Diretta del popolo on Pizzo Badile, Le corna non fan peso, Divieto di sosta, Carretera de la cocia, Pejonasa wall on Precipizio degli Asteroidi, La spada nella roccia on Qualido, Il deserto dei Tartari in Mello's Valley, Vuoto senza ritorno on Mongolfiera, Chi cerca trova on Punta Allievi and Giulia Dream on Costiera dell'Averta.   http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4895 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4878 The norwegian Magnus Midtboe has accomplished a feat that only a few climbers in the world can take pride in. In the Piscineta sector, in Rodellar, he onsighted an 8c+, Così fan tutte. Midtboe spent a good part of his stay in Spain trying Neanderthal, a 9b whose key tufa was almost always wet. He did not make the final progress on his project, but for sure put in enough training to make the big hit in Rodellar.  More details on Norrona blog http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4878 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4866 The american climber Alex Puccio has won, for the second year in a row, the Tierra Boulder Battle, a bouldering competition held in Sweden among the six best female boulderers of the moment.  Puccio proved unbeatable exactly like in the previous edition, sending all the problems - after work - at her first go. Behind her the swedish Matilda Soderlund, and the brit Mina Leslie-Wujastyk. Here's the ranking: 1. Alex Puccio, USA, 6 tops 2. Matilda Söderlund, SWE, 5 tops 3. Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, GBR, 4 tops 4. Mélissa Le Nevé, FRA, 4 tops 5. Therese Johansen, NOR, 3 tops 6. Anja Hodann, SWE, 1 top Fonte UKC   http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4866 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4849  On Facebook, Nalle Hukkataival reports that he has sent Bügeleisen, a boulder opened in 2001 by Klem Loskot, and graded 8B+. Here are Hukkataival's comments: Just topped out Bügeleisen!!!! YESSSSSS!!! Probably the most epic battle I've ever had with any boulder! Conditions ranged from bad to utter shit and I got sick for several days.. So HAPPY I managed to pull it off at the very last moment!!!!!"     http://www.up-climbing.com/en/index.htm?guid=4849 Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000