Want to get really good (fast)? Read this

Below is what I've learned over many years in climbing.  I believe it's the fastest way to get competent so you can climb massive objectives (like the Nose in a Day).  I'm writing this almost as a journal entry - and I hope this is helpful if you're an aspiring 'light and fast' climber.

You need to learn exactly what your skill is.  What terrain are you certain you won't fall on vs when do you need a lot more protection.  

Knowing what you can and cannot do is extremely important as you progress and potentially desire placing less gear and focusing more on the movement.

It’s okay to take falls.  They just need to be safe and well protected.

There will be times when you cannot fall... When your skill is high, you are comfortable climbing in the no fall zone because you know you’ll never fall.

The thing that will protect you more than any systems or tactics is your ability to climb. If you don’t fall, no protection is needed. Any energy spent NOT climbing is a waste.

You’ll get to this point where you lock in the flow. You know exactly where you ‘need’ gear to protect you from a move or section of rock. You place gear just before the section you need to protect. Placing gear at a rest, or easier section, is far better than placing gear in the middle of the crux.

Ideally, you place gear at a good stance.  After you place gear, you punch it through the touch section. Focus on efficiency, not speed.  Climb with the least amount of energy necessary, until you get to the next ‘rest’ or easy spot.

Once the terrain eases, you can pause for a moment and strategize the next section.  Can I run it out and place no gear for the next portion of the route because it’s so easy?  Or is this section more difficult requiring more protection?  

When you climb “stance to stance” like this, you enter a pure state of flow between your protection pieces. You are focused on the movement. The present moment. Everything else fades. Move by move you find the ‘best’ way to use each hold and position your body. You move up that section in glory. Reaching the next stance. “How do I protect this from here?” You decide where to protect the climb and which areas will be the most difficult while you’re resting.

This allows you pure focus on the climbing when you’re climbing. You will flow up the mountain. Having hours pass in seconds, yet having intense moments of focus where time slowed to a crawl.

I've used this type of thinking (or strategy) to climb El Cap and Halfdome multiple times in a 12-16 hour push. You can use it anywhere. Even on single pitch.

If this was useful, I'd love to hear from you. Post a comment below, feel free to call out any BS or add your inputs. I haven't setup DM's here with the 'new changes' on Mountain Project, so a reply, or finding me on Twitter @strongjawsales would be best if you want to personally connect.

Climb on!

While there is much wisdom in your post, I would caution against the mindset that you simply "know" you won't fall in situations where you feel your skills are strong. This can lead to catastrophe and it has. To put it another way-- I think it is correct that in order to be efficient and move quickly, you have to make shrewd decisions about where you actually need to place protection and where you can run it out. But I think this has to come with the appropriate humility and an understanding of the risks you are taking when an unexpected fall could cause severe injuries. 

Beak beak cam hook free move, run the pdl and really go for it 

SethGwrote:

While there is much wisdom in your post, I would caution against the mindset that you simply "know" you won't fall in situations where you feel your skills are strong. This can lead to catastrophe and it has. To put it another way-- I think it is correct that in order to be efficient and move quickly, you have to make shrewd decisions about where you actually need to place protection and where you can run it out. But I think this has to come with the appropriate humility and an understanding of the risks you are taking when an unexpected fall could cause severe injuries. 

Agree fully.  It all comes down to 'know thyself'.  I personally never fell unexpectedly in 15 years of climbing.  (Yes sometimes I popped off unexpectedly, but I mean never fell in the no fall zone, weather simul climbing, soloing, or running it out).  But it can (and has) happed as you mentioned.  As you get older, and know more friends who've had serious accidents or deaths... your risk tolerance will naturally shrink.  I look back on some of the risks I used to take... and would 100% not do that anymore.  But mainly because I'm not as fit and competent as I was then.  Also- always protect against decking or ledge falls.

My favorite books to read for anyone looking for more on this:
-The Rock Warriors Way
-The Mindful Athlete
-Flow

PS - I don't climb much anymore.  Now more focused on family and business.

New Post coming soon to "Injuries and Accidents"...

Yer gonna die

I read in accidents in North American climbing one year that most Yosemite rescues are skilled climbers on easy terrain. Not placing pro is rolling high consequence dice!

To me, the goal is to be able to protect appropriately so I’m never at risk of a foot slip or breaking hold leading to a deck.  But, to learn to do so very efficiently and still move quickly.

Jabroni McChuffersonwrote:

Beak beak cam hook free move, run the pdl and really go for it 

we climb fast with the pdl, then we BASE jump from the top. we only bring a single set on the NIAD and it's too much gear

Knowing what you can and cannot do is extremely important as you progress and potentially desire placing less gear and focusing more on the movement.

While there is much wisdom in your post, I would caution against the mindset that you simply "know" you won't fall in situations where you feel your skills are strong.

To quote the late great Todd Skinner, "If you believe you are strong, you are strong."

He didn't offer this advice casually. He meant it. He wasn't referring to some noob who doesn't even know from strong yet, much less personal strength. He meant to all of us who have been doing it a while, those of us who have had doubts, fears, terrors about just letting go.

I knew instantly what he wrote was true. When I believe I'm strong, I'm strong. As an aside, I don't believe I'm strong right now. In fact, I am not strong. I climb accordingly. Don't you?

A similar thing that has helped me recently is realizing that different pieces can serve very different purposes. When a fall feels possible, I’m placing gear to try to protect against injury. When a fall feels likely (at cruxes), I’m doing so with redundancy by doubling up placements. When I’m truly confident that a fall is extremely unlikely, the placements merely serve to protect against severe injury and death, and I’m thinking of the climbing more like rope-protected scrambling (at the grades I climb, these sections truly are scrambling). Quickly and efficiently bumping pieces up and back-cleaning from good stances has also helped to conserve gear and reduce drag on longer pitches in ledgy terrain where many pieces may only prevent decking for a move or two.

I would just focus on improving your Thetan levels, then you'll be all set. You won't even need to climb anymore