How fast should I be progressing?

I just started climbing about 2 years ago and was just wandering how fast other people progressed when they first started. I do mainly gym climbing and have been outside a few times (which is kind of hard because I live in Texas and the closest climbing is 2 hours away). I am currently bouldering about V7-8. Please say wether you climb inside or outside, how often you climb, and how old you are. Thanks for the responses!

Sorry, but I refuse to play.  Everyone progresses at their own rate. It's the same in all demanding sports.

Don't should on yourself. There is no "should".

Every individual is different. Some people progress very quickly and keep progressing. Some people progress very quickly and then plateau with no improvement for years. Some people don't progress quickly, but over time continue to progress and will often be stronger/better climbers than the super quick progression/plateau climber. Progressing to solid v7 or v8 in a couple years is good. I'm also assuming you're talking about rock climbing and not gym (which doesn't count even a little bit).

Sharma was leading 13's in ~3 years. One of my partners has climbed 45 years and led his first 5.9 last year. Both are happy. Shouldn't should, enjoy joy.

faster

or slower

or the same

one of the three

Muscrat wrote: Sharma was leading 13's in ~3 years. One of my partners has climbed 45 years and led his first 5.9 last year. Both are happy. Shouldn't should, enjoy joy.

Dave Graham sent 5.14 his first year of climbing so this is a good comparison of difference in progression. I think Chris Sharma started younger though...

Some people are just happy to climb. Some can never live up to themselves.

if i were you, i'd bag it and take up delivering for Caviar or antiquing.  If you can't climb V10 on plastic in your first year, you'll never get invited to purchase Friction Labs at a slightly discounted price, let alone a pro-deal on Evolvs.

Easy!  (A-B)/[(C-D)/E]*[log(100-F)^G]*H

A: goal
B: status
C: current grade
D: start grade
E: time climbing
F: age
G: mean days per week climbed
H: shoe size

Forrest Carver wrote: Easy!  (A-B)/[(C-D)/E]*[log(100-F)^G]*H

A: goal
B: status
C: current grade
D: start grade
E: time climbing
F: age
G: mean days per week climbed
H: shoe size

I feel this should somehow include the variables I and J where I = average number of beers drunk per day and J = average number of tacos eaten per day. 

Hey Max!

I started climbing 6 months ago and was able to climb all of the 5.6’s. Now I can climb all the 5.9’s.

Im 26, have been climbing for 10 years. Never climbed a V8 before. 

I started climbing when I was 536112000 seconds old. Now I am 946080000 seconds old... I can climb at V(a=4+1^{2(12^3)/562})

Albert B wrote: Hey Max!

I started climbing 6 months ago and was able to climb all of the 5.6’s. Now I can climb all the 5.9’s.

ALL the 5.9's and 5.6's?!?!?! Dat's a lot 

Gunkiemike wrote: Sorry, but I refuse to play.  Everyone progresses at their own rate. It's the same in all demanding sports.

I guess I was just hoping for a way to predict what I will be able to climb in a few years but thanks anyway for the response!

It's not predictable in any way. You can probably hit 13+/V10 in your lifetime (I think most people can, but this is just an opinion I hold, not some immutable fact), but how long it takes to arrive there, and how much work it will take, is WILDLY variable

Maxwell McGaffin wrote:

I guess I was just hoping for a way to predict what I will be able to climb in a few years but thanks anyway for the response!

A better question is "what's a good way to progress quickly and enjoy the process?"
Not calling your question bad, but I'm definitely in the camp that you might sell yourself short if you get fixated on number based goals.

If you're already climbing 5.9 that opens an immense number of trad and alpine climbs which will take you to scenic spots most people will never get to see!
While knocking off those routes you can work on getting stronger climbing sport routes.  Whatever is hard for you now is fine, keep trying things that are a little harder and don't tell yourself that you're not doing well because your project is easy for someone else (regardless of how long they have been climbing etc.)  To give an example, I grew up climbing in a gym, doing comps, and at least one of those kids on my team is a well known pro climber now.  It's too easy to compare yourself to others, but you're really missing the point if you do that.  See above regarding classic 5.9 trad climbs.  (Go do Fairview Dome or Epinephrine)

Probably most important is to find people to climb with who are somewhat better than you, friendly, and safety conscious.  You can learn so much and progress incredibly quickly climbing with people like that.

I wouldn't say "seek a mentor" because the best coach needs a solid belay too and it helps if you come with at least enough experience to provide that.  Then they will be really excited to help you progress in exchange for your patient belay on their project.  Put effort into learning how to be a good belay because that takes time too.

i think climbing to see progress is a valid reason to climb.

about 80% of all climbers i've ever met stopped climbing at v6..8 due to injury. i think this is really the crux of why people progress differently.
a lot of it depends on time spent. if you have access to a nearby gym (available in any weather) and you spend 2 years (3 days a week) without injury or breaks, you should be able to project double digits occasionally. i've met about a dozen or so v10 climbers whom i climb with regularly that took about 2 years. they all had the mindset to try hard every session and climbed consistently. all of them had easy access to training and the mindset to make use of it consistently. it's not linear either - once a week makes it impossible to improve. less than once a week results in lost progress.

 

Aweffwef Fewfae wrote: i think climbing to see progress is a valid reason to climb.

about 80% of all climbers i've ever met stopped climbing at v6..8 due to injury. i think this is really the crux of why people progress differently.
a lot of it depends on time spent. if you have access to a nearby gym (available in any weather) and you spend 2 years (3 days a week) without injury or breaks, you should be able to project double digits occasionally. i've met about a dozen or so v10 climbers whom i climb with regularly that took about 2 years. they all had the mindset to try hard every session and climbed consistently. all of them had easy access to training and the mindset to make use of it consistently. it's not linear either - once a week makes it impossible to improve. less than once a week results in lost progress.

 

I climb in Denver/Boulder area...in my experience very few people are actually climbing at the V6-V8 level consistently. Most are well under than and almost everybody is well under V10. This is in Denver/Boulder where it seems like nearly everybody climbs. Are you talking about gym grades? Keep in mind they don't count even a little bit.