Climbing goals for 2026

I added 7x repoints of 5.11- sport routes in the SLC area this year in bit of a step forward for me. So I want to sustain this (modest) success. My (sport and bouldering) goals are:

- 5.12 redpoint 2x or more

- 5.11 redpoint 10x+

- V5 Send

- At least one long fall while trying to Onsight something hard for me

How I am going to prepare:

- Climb 2-3 times per week at the gym, volume or hard redpoint attempts. doing 20+ pitches in a session to try to solidify footwork and tension while very tired. 5.12 a/b/c redpoint attempts. Limit bouldering and/or climbing every v4 and v5 in the set to broaden skills.

- Onsight attempts of hard climbs that end in falls instead of takes will be considered successful learning.

- Twice weekly hang boarding and additional lifting and other exercise to raise my available total capacity.

NOTE: I would be open to feedback on the prep, this is my third year with 5.12 as my goal so I am willing to try to do things differently to get there.

This year I'm going to focus on trying to build finger strength without getting injured. Plan is to focus on max hangs and some bouldering.

-Send V8 again on the kilter

-Send at least 2 V6s outside

-Send 5.12 on gear

-Climb 5 new 5.12s

-Flash 5.11 on gear

Stretch goal 

-Get on whiskey a go-go and get in a position to send next year 

Alrighty I think I’m sure enough to share my 3 for 2026

• The Triplet - a new free climbing linkup that’s going to be very much at my limit but something super exciting I’ve been developing for a while now 
• The CUDL - summer
• 4 grade VI walls in a day (24 hours) - Fall in the valley. We have 2 potential options for this, both of which will be quite a lot more work than the original quad but I think it can be done

Really stoked for this next year. After the Goliath I wound up catastrophically burnt out and marginally broken physically so I took most of the rest of the year off. Fortunately that down time has helped a lot and we’re already chomping to get back to work. Always more to do!

Tanner Jameswrote:

Alrighty I think I’m sure enough to share my 3 for 2026

• The Triplet - a new free climbing linkup that’s going to be very much at my limit but something super exciting I’ve been developing for a while now 
• The CUDL - summer
• 4 grade VI walls in a day (24 hours) - Fall in the valley. We have 2 potential options for this, both of which will be quite a lot more work than the original quad but I think it can be done

Really stoked for this next year. After the Goliath I wound up catastrophically burnt out and marginally broken physically so I took most of the rest of the year off. Fortunately that down time has helped a lot and we’re already chomping to get back to work. Always more to do!

Wow, the mythical Grade XXIV Hour Linkup. Crazy work on the LASD this week! 

These goals are wildly flexible depending on how where I'll be living this coming year (still to be decided) once I'm done bumming at my parents and move somewhere. But I'm psyched on all of the goals below so whatever ends up being viable I'll chase that!

• Don't die and don't get hurt too badly
• pass the SPI exam - just took the course this month!!
• volunteer with local climbing orgs (hopefully where the new home will be)
• maintain a finger training and log it for at least a few months (I've been terrible at any regularity with training)
• Train my wrists so they stop hurting when I do sloper boulders
• 5.11 on gear (flash/onsight would be a big bonus)
• 12c at the new (or wherever)
• Put in some serious burns on something really hard that could be a long term proj (12d-13b??)
• find an outdoor boulder project and work it (something I've only done once)
• Try ice climbing
• Learn aiding, hauling, and few big wall systems (potentially do a big wall if things work out right)
• Climb with my good friends and make cool new friends

For my 53rd year of climbing I have the same goal as always: Climb more, Climb better and visit places that are brand new to me.

• Learn to be a better team player.  I accidentally ditched my partners on the approach and descent from a couple climbs last summer and I don’t feel good about it.  I think I need to literally practice hiking with a slow group, and also come to terms with some of the front country stuff that’s driving my desperate hunger for the mountains.
• Work on my trad lead head by doing bounce testing and by taking more practice falls.
• Keep building aerobic fitness for long approaches and full days using the methods from Training for the New Alpinism.
• Climb any of Matthes Crest, Eichorn Pinnacle Direct, or Third Pillar of Mt Dana

-Don't get injured 

-Actually sport climb/project/fall (this one is kinda dumb but you've gotta do it. I sent my first 12 this year but only after top roping and going bolt to bolt. Never whipped. Didn't feel very satisfying)

-Climb the rest of the main fisher towers (cottontail, Oracle, river tower)

-NIAD or RNWF

-Solo a route on el cap

-ZIAD??

Looking ahead to 2026, I’m putting together a moderate trad goal focused on the high-quality, crag-oriented routes in my region. An emphasis on classic lines and clean execution rather than pushing grades. I guess a few routes on my list have a second pitch, but no long multi-pitch adventures, so the longer routes at Looking Glass, Linville Gorge, or Seneca aren't on the list. Looking forward to just lowering off chains.

The routes below are either some of the highest-rated classics on Mountain Project or lines that stand out to me as especially aesthetic. Many are also in areas I haven’t climbed before, which is a big part of the motivation.

I’ve got a list for 5.7's and 5.8's.

5.7

Zoo View, Moore’s Wall, NC -AND- Fruit Loops, Rumbling Bald, NC

Easily Flakey, New River Gorge, WV 

Roadside Attraction, Red River Gorge, KY

Jaywalker, Tennessee Wall, TN

5.8

Comatose, Rumbling Bald, NC

Fantasy, New River Gorge, WV

Cheaper Than a Movie, Red River Gorge, KY

Passages -AND- Prerequisite for Excellence, Tennessee Wall, TN

Always open to suggestions for other must-do 5.7–5.8 trad classics in the Southeast. Maybe 2027 will be the 5.9 list!

Thanks for starting this Fritz. These always inspire me and I love to see what others write.

• Move to a climbing area in 2026
• Ice climb in Ontario with Chris
• Climb the Grand Teton with Jake
• Climb in Spain or Italy with Tobias
• Become a confident 5.10 trad leader
• Send my first 12a sport route 

Similarly to the last couple of years, with a super strong kid climber in the house a lot of my general goals are helping him with his, but there are some personal ones in here, too:

- Get more days in.  This past year I got tons of indoor time, not nearly enough outdoor.  Along the same lines: tag more summits, small or large. 

- Climb in at least two new places.  First Yosemite trip would be top preference, and maybe one overseas location with a European vacation planned for spring. 

- At least two good alpine rock trips.  Finally hitting the Enchantments or Whitney lottery would be pretty nice. 

- Help my son keep progressing on single-pitch sport leading (5.13 maybe?!), and take first steps into single-pitch trad and multi-pitch sport climbing.  

- Son's first double digit outdoor boulder.  Finding the right one locally is tough, especially with our wacky seasons, but find one and put the sessions in.  

- Help coach son to nationals. One of the youngest in his age group, so this would be pretty awesome for him to make happen. 

- Grade goals: find a couple 5.11 projects, sport and trad, don't need to send them but need to take some whips.  

- Keep dialing LRS system on sport and trad single pitch, progress to multi-pitch

- Get more efficient at jugging lines. This is probably a decent part of my future if my kid gets into hard multi-pitch climbing..   

Also took up some development this past year, so some goals there: 

- Finish three routes already partially equipped; one dozen new routes by fall, one multi-pitch

- Explore three more potential crags in the same area and start cleaning if appropriate. 

- First FA! Have finished or helped finish a few routes now, but haven't actually been first to clip any chains.  Seems fun.  

Miscellaneous maybes: 

- Gym operator could be a fun new sidequest

- Help introduce new hold/volume lines to the US gym scene.  Recently shut down my own business and have been struggling to find something that would bring me some joy along with income, so opportunities in the climbing space would be pretty awesome.  

Aaron Jeffersonwrote:

• Learn to be a better team player.  I accidentally ditched my partners on the approach and descent from a couple climbs last summer and I don’t feel good about it.  I think I need to literally practice hiking with a slow group, and also come to terms with some of the front country stuff that’s driving my desperate hunger for the mountains.
• Work on my trad lead head by doing bounce testing and by taking more practice falls.
• Keep building aerobic fitness for long approaches and full days using the methods from Training for the New Alpinism.
• Climb any of Matthes Crest, Eichorn Pinnacle Direct, or Third Pillar of Mt Dana

This is no knock on your goals... I just had a good chuckle at the juxtaposition of #1 & #3.   You may need to pull in at least one of your current teammates to join you for #3 to push the middle your way a bit.   

Grant J wrote:

Add True Grits and Crackin’ it Up to the list for Moore’s Wall/Pilot Mountain.

I just climbed both of those my last time out to Pilot. Both were excellent. True Grits wouldn’t have made the list since it’s a sport climb. Crack n’ Up would be a great trad line anywhere. Seems to be an anomaly, not many routes out there follow a continuous feature the whole pitch!

1. Don't get (substantially) injured 
2. Find a balance of weight training and climbing to help prevent injury 
3. Find a balance of bouldering (I need to boulder more) and rope climbing to increase my power and keep the endurance I have. 
4. Redpoint my first 5.12c/d
5. Fifteen 5.12a or harder redpoints 
6. Identify and project something on gear - ideally hard 5.11 to low 5.12

• Rehab my arms enough that I can climb regularly again
• Have fun (#1?)

No goals and no plans to achieve them. 

Continue to heal up
Keep pushing my trad grades
Climb in the valley as much as possible
Get better at aiding
Dial in the LRS system
Climb more multis
maybe climb one of those shorter walls with Charles - 😂
Try Washington Column
Enjoy the process

Thanks for the inspiration!

Complete north ridge of Stuart, climb in Bugs, have fun/stay safe 

2025 went really well, so I'm aiming a little higher this time.

- T Trip in the spring

- The Shield in the summer (DREAM ROUTE)

- maybe my first 12a? not quite sure if I'm psyched, but ill give er a rip

- ideally some A3+ by the end of the year

- hopefully a wall FA, I have a couple places in mind. 

Good luck yall!!!!!!!

Lead Panic in Detroit at Donner Summit