How soon to expect progress?

I just started climbing. I mostly boulder. How soon to expect progress especially on sighting? What is the best shoe? How often should I train per week?

I'm looking for a mentor/coach. Is it too soon?

Welcome to climbing! My suggestion is to not worry too much about progress. Alex Lowe once said that the best climber is the one having the most fun. For me, stressing about grades is not fun. Just climb stuff that inspires you.

As for help onsighting, no one is going to be able to tell you how you can improve without seeing how you climb. But footwork can almost always be improved. And climbing (or at least trying) hard stuff can really expand your repertoire of skills and make it easier to onsight your normal stuff.

If you are just starting, I would suggest worrying more about your footwork and strength than "the best shoe". There is no one best shoe ever. And if there was one, it would not make up for having poor technique. Also when you are just starting, you tend to eat up your shoes pretty quickly. So buying the most expensive one is usually not a good idea. All of that being said, a down turned (or more aggressive) shoe is usually better for bouldering. If you go to a gear shop and tell them you want a bouldering shoe, then can help you.

I have heard that climbing 3-4 days per week is optimal, but again don't let "optimal" get in the way of the first rule (have fun!).

A mentor can be a great thing. But maybe don't look for an "official" mentor. Bouldering is very communal and there will often be other people around you can watch/learn from.

Really most of this could be summed up as "Just climb and have fun!"

Re: shoes... Definitely go with something on the more durable and cheaper side. You are going to trash your shoes until you master footwork.

As for the rest of it. Climb. Watch better climbers climb. Don't overdo the climbing thing. You will be more injury prone as you get into it than you will be after a while. If you don't have a good cross training regiment, I'd suggest doing some strength and core work, along with some cardio. Being fitter will help.

Seth Webster wrote:I have heard that climbing 3-4 days per week is optimal

That is FAR FAR from optimal for a new climber. Finger pulley injuries and other injuries are common for people who progress too fast to early. Muscles strengthen much faster than tendons and ligaments.

For a conditioned athlete then 3-4 days training a week is pretty appropriate for most athletic endeavours if you are wanting to maximise improvements.

Savannah23 wrote:How often should I train per week?

As often or as little as you like. Surely climbing is about fun? But like I said above. Be careful about getting strong quickly. I've heard of too many people being getting finger injuries like that.

Welcome to climbing! In addition to limiting your frequency and having good rest periods between climbing days I would also recommend oppositional training. Most of climbing involves muscles that allow you to pull so do some push-ups and exercises that involve triceps and shoulders. Don't overdo it! I fell in love with climbing not too long ago but because I didn't rest enough and climbed so frequently I suffered some moderate tendinitis in my elbow. It ultimately set me back a month or two because I had to rest and let it heal. Have fun climbing!

New climbers have big jumps in progress caused mostly by improvements in technique so I suggest you focus on technique as much as possible. There is a book out there specifically for bouldering. Then there will be plateaus where you work very hard and gain nothing. I suggest you start a workout routine at home to help break through plateaus. Pull ups and core workout are a great place to start because most of you difficult plateaus will be related to strength, grip strength core strength, pinch strength any time you become aware of a weakness begin to train away that weakness.

Here is my take on beginners progressing.

You are going to work and work and work, mainly ending your sessions because your arms are pumped out. And then one day something is going to click and you are going to figure out how to use your feet, and just like that, you get a big jump. Not 3 grades or anything like that, but stuff you were struggling on all of a sudden gets much easier.

After that, it is all work again. You get one big jump. From there, it is hand strength, learning more advanced technique, betting more comfortable on smaller holds...

As for the rest of the stuff, it all depends on you. If you are strong and young, you can train 5 days a week, doing some climbing, some weights, and some cardio, and get strong fast. If you have a family or school or a job, or are starting out overweight, it will take a lot more time.

Wear shoes that are comfortable but not going to sacrifice performance. I climb in the 11s and refuse to wear painful shoes. If I need to cram my foot into a shoe a size too small just to redpoint something, I am going to skip it.

[quote]That is FAR FAR from optimal for a new climber. Finger pulley injuries and other injuries are common for people who progress too fast to early. Muscles strengthen much faster than tendons and ligaments.[/quote]

Truth.

I started at the gym in Jan. First injury was finger tendon when my foot slipped off a hold and loaded my fingers while they were in too small a pocket hold. Then the tendinitis in left elbow as I practiced clipping into quick draws in preparation for leading. I am now leading 5.10 routes in the gym but have a back injury (and elbow still) that have me completely off the wall and in a lot of pain.

Go slow...progress stops when you get hurt and can't climb at all :(