Stuck at leading 5.10! How do I improve leading past 5.10?

Move to a place with more rope climbing and climb as much as possible. Nuff said.

Climb more and climb for longer durations. Do laps. You probably are struggling from getting pumped or not having the endurance in your grip strength to chill at a stance and clip. This probably also affects your head game because if the clipping hold is bad, you fear falling while clipping due to grip giving out.

If my guess is right you are probably a powerful climber who liked to move fast. Work on climbing slower, more efficiently and using your feet more. Learn how to rest on good holds... But if that's not the kind of climber you are.... I don't know maybe your "V6s" are slabby/technique intensive and your lead climbs are overhung jug hauls. Who cares though just man up and make it happen. It will if you make it.

I posted this elsewhere recently, but I think that much of it may still be relevant to you:

What you need in order to improve past your current level of ability is mostly practice and confidence. Getting mileage, focusing on technique, and working on your mental state will help your climbing a lot. Some steps include:

-Climb more. Get a lot of mileage; but still make sure to rest adequately as well. Outside is good, but the gym is good too.

-Travel. Climb on a diverse array of rock types, angles, and styles. Every climbing area has different things to teach you. If you always climb at the same area, in one style of climbing, you will have weaknesses that hold you back, but that you don't even know about. Going to another area may make those weaknesses very apparent.

-Push yourself. You claim to be plateaued at 5.10. Are you sure about that? How often do you actually try to climb a 5.11?

-Climb with people who are better than you, and with a variety of partners. If all of your partners climb 5.10, and all of you think that 5.11 is too hard, you will probably never progress pass 5.10. If you climb with people who climb 5.12, you will see that 5.11 really isn't hard at all, and it will become an attainable goal. Plus, those more-skilled partners will help you learn new trick, techniques, and tactics that will push you forward.

-Deliberate practice and coaching. Lets continue to talk about those more-skilled climbing partners that you find. Ask them to look at your technique, and see what you are doing wrong. As a 5.10 climber, I would guess that there are serious gaps in your set of techniques. Do you generally climb square to the wall, with weight on inside edges--most 5.10 climbers do. John Long once said that the main skill that separates 5.10 climbers from 5.11 climbers is a good understanding of how to use backsteps (outside edge of the shoe). Learn to backstep, to drop knee, to flag. Learn to put more weight on your feet, and to find no-hands rests.

-Self-assessment. What are you weak at? Figure this out, and work on those weaknesses. Sometimes partners are better at recognizing your strengths and weaknesses than you are.

-Confidence when fatigued. This is the one bit of training-type thing that I would recommend. Learn to climb through pump. ARC-style endurance traversing helps here. Learn to recover on a jug. Traverse around a slightly overhanging wall until tired, then pause on a good hold and try to recover. It sounds like a simple skill, but most sub-5.12 climbers are generally really bad at knowing how to rest properly.

-Belief. Generally the biggest factor holding back a climber is their belief in what they can do. In my experience, the most important step in climbing a new grade is developing the belief that you can climb that grade.

+1 for Rock Warrior's Way.

The `Self Coached Climber` and `Redpoint` have a good recipe for training up through the grades.

Excellent reads, if you learn by reading.

Your problem sounds all mental.

I have been at the 10a level my whole life and I've been climbing my whole life.

For me after around 10c the risk gets to much for the benefit and I start thinking about my family and all sorts of things I shouldn't be thinking about when I'm climbing.

That's why(and a love for the mountains) I got into alpine ice and rock, you can do allot leading 5.9 alpine.

If you want to climb harder, grow a pair and accept a new level of risk in your life.

Where ever you decide to land, remember the point is getting out there and enjoying life.

Holy thread bump Batman! Wait, so you decided to climb alpine/ice instead of 10's presumably near your limit to reduce the risk?

@Ori0n yeah your comment doesn't make any sense, risk doesn't go up with the grades, climbing a 12a on good gear is more safe than climbing a 10a with an PG13 rating.

and alpine ice and rock seems way way more dangerous to me than pushing up through the grades, especially if it's just sport climbing

Burk,

I just moved passed the exact thing your talking about.

1. You need to learn it is OK to fall on a lead route, hence all the "man up comments". If you can't finish the route, place a bail beaner and leave a challange for the next person who will walk up and see the bail beaner glimmering in the sunlight. \
If your not willing to go for it and accept the fact that you might take a 20 foot whipper outside then you will never be able to climb harder.

2. If you have never sent a V6 outdoors then you do not boulder V6.

3. I would suggest changing your diet. Every lb,ounce,gram counts when hanging off the edge of your finger tips. I lost 5 lbs as a part of my plan to lead 5.11 which helped dramatically.

4. Stop top roping! Lead everything!

5. Plan your pre climbing nutrition strategically. What you eat and drink before and after could change your whole attack at it.

6. Dont kill yourself trying to accomplish this and make sure your still having fun and climbing for the same reasons you started climbing. Example:Because you love it and it makes you happy.

Matthew

Sometimes people forget that going from 5.9 to 5.11a is a 5 grade difference not 2. don't stress the process. climb consistently. starting and stoppig will be a crutch in improvement. above all, having fun is the purpose for most people. if you're climbing harder but getting frusterated, take a step back and reevaluate the goal set.

Seems kinda odd, V6 is way way way harder than 5.10. Must be mental.

The original date on this thread is 2012... I doubt the OP even remembers his log in anymore

Likely endurance / fear.

I can climb alot harder in boulders than i can on rope because there is very little mental in bouldering (yes there can be but you can find tons of really safe V5 / V6 problems). It is also an endurance problem on my part because I can climb really hard routes with alot of small ledge / breaks but sustained 5.12 moves after a long 5.10 / 5.11 sections kills me.

You also have to factor in the fall that holds you back when you have to do a hard move with a possible ledge fall below you. (maybe that is just NC with 30ft between bolts on a well protected route).

I know 5.11 routes that i can TR np at all but on lead I struggle because the crux doesn't have a friendly fall and is after some moderate sustained climbing. Alot of times on lead i end up just hanging and taking a break at the bolt before the hard section. I have always heard it is good to climb until you fall and not to just drop but still hard to force yourself to do it.

I'm at a somewhat similar plateau myself. A challenge I'm having related to this plateau is available climbing partners. I live a couple hours away from you, but on the dry side. My regular areas are Tieton & Vantage. I also frequently try to get in trips to Smith & Trout Creek. If you're wanting to escape the rain and climb some great areas, gimme a shout. I'm pushing my envelope, too and really want to break through the 11's straight into the 12's!

Leif E wrote:The original date on this thread is 2012... I doubt the OP even remembers his log in anymore

Leify Guy wrote: @Ori0n yeah your comment doesn't make any sense, risk doesn't go up with the grades, climbing a 12a on good gear is more safe than climbing a 10a with an PG13 rating. and alpine ice and rock seems way way more dangerous to me than pushing up through the grades, especially if it's just sport climbing

I see what you mean, but I mainly climb old shit in Yosemite that is sketchy as hell, and the lower grades (bigger holds, less steep) you have less chance to pitch off of. True, a steep sports climb is safer than ice and alpine. 

Epic bump.   

Jason Kim wrote: Holy thread bump Batman! Wait, so you decided to climb alpine/ice instead of 10's presumably near your limit to reduce the risk?

haha, yeah I guess that's what I did. These days I just climb in the gym over a huge pillow, feeling pretty safe ;__)