Climbing beta or sequence mapping symbols

Hi,

I'm working on some longer projects right now, and trying to map out the moves on routes. I've never really done this before. Anyone have any symbols that have worked for them? Or other tips and hints? 

Thanks for any ideas!

Greg

Sometimes I have drawn a little map of all the holds on shorter term projects so that it is easier to remember different sections of the route. For specefic beta though, I have found that writing in text can be way more helpful to capture any minutia of the movements.

For longer term projects I do not really do any of this since the moves and routes gets so engraved in my memory that I can easily run through the whole route in my head. 

My favorite way of learning beta is watching videos of myself climbing a route I am trying. By doing this, I learn a lot about technique and also can refine my sequences as well by cutting out unnecessary moves. Its nice to be able to continue figuring stuff out once you have left the crag by watching videos.

Yeah video is a fantastic tool for this. I also will record myself talking through/miming the beta when it is fresh in my mind, I find it easier to get a detailed version this way than in writing.

In writing I don’t think I had any good symbols really, just annotated with a lot of text and shitty drawings of the important/nuanced holds. “L hand bump to crimp” R foot step through to smear in this area” and lots of arrows linking the text to locations. Not pretty but it did help me. 

I often find my beta notes to be pretty useless after some time away from a route, because I don't remember what the holds look like or where they are in relation to each other ("what sidepull? what dish? which black foot nub?!"). Recently I've been taking photos of the route and marking the holds and bolt positions in my photos app. Way easier for jogging the memory. Video helpful too.

When I have done this in the past I have always taken a picture, labeled the holds with numbers, and just wrote notes about my beta.

Multiple close up pictures hanging on the route works just fine if I can't get a good enough vantage point from the ground