duncan brown lays down the law on why

Verdon Dreaming; Steve Barratt
belayed by Matt Golovanoff on
Dingomaniaque (6c+/22).
DUNCAN BROWN LAYS DOWN THE LAW ON WHY PREPARATION IS
PARAMOUNT TO PREVENTING PISS-POOR PERFORMANCE ON YOUR
NEXT CLIMBING TRIP.
WORDS: Duncan Brown IMAGE: Chris Firth
Chained to the desk at work you daydream about exotic
destinations, wasting company time on flights of fancy about
dancing up impeccable stone in some as-yet-unseen foreign land.
But when it comes to the crunch and we click ‘purchase’ on the
ticket that will whisk us away to promise of ultra-classic lines
under perfect blue skies, most of us sit back, relax and keep
daydreaming.
Fall into that trap and you won’t arrive in perfect shape, instead
you’ll seek solace in the classic line, “I’ll get fit while I’m here”. Fast
forward to the end of the trip and you will inevitably trot out another
old classic, “It’s always the way, you hit your stride just as it’s time
to leave.” You’ll get on the plane home wishing you’d been in better
condition when you arrived so you could have ticked those last
stellar routes you were so close to bagging before time ran out.
But with a little foresight, planning and commitment you can ditch
those classic cliches so that as the plane bears you homeward,
rather than lamenting the ones that got away like some grizzled
fisherman, you’ll be reminiscing about the routes you did send.
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ASSESSMENT
THE PLAN
To make the most of your trip you first need to ask a few questions.
Let’s say you booked on a whim and have six weeks until you fly out.
That’s six weeks to whip yourself into shape to do your climbing
adventure justice.
• How long until you go?
• What is the general climbing style of the area you are going to?
• What are your goals for the trip?
Armed with answers to these questions you can put together a pretrip training strategy that will see you land at your dream crag with
your condition tweaked for the specific rigors the local climbing will demand.
Let’s look at three globally well-known climbing destinations with
very different physical requirements; Fontainebleau, France; Tonsai,
Thailand; and Verdon Gorge, France.
Destination is critical because, obviously, not all climbing is the
same. Sounds obvious but it bears reiteration. Being able to crush
five-move blocs isn’t necessarily going to help when you’re pumped
out of your mind 5m above a bolt in Verdon. Equally, having endless
endurance isn’t going to get any closer to sticking the technical
mantle top-outs in the Font forests – specific styles require specific preparation.
Fontainebleau, France
As one of the most well-known and storied climbing destinations
in the world, most of us are aware of what ‘The Forest’ is all
about; bouldering, most of it not overly steep, lots of slopers,
some crimping and pocket pulling, often so delicate and subtle the
footwork baffles even the most technical climbers, and volume.
The Forest is about volume. Running around following the famous
circuits and climbing unprecedented numbers of problems requires
a type of volume fitness that most of us do not have. But you will
want it.
So, how to train for these requirements? You need the usual gamut
of bouldering skills – power, core strength, finger strength, good
shoulders and triceps for pressing out those slopey mantles, add
great technique, supreme balance, flawless footwork and the
stamina to run around all day.
With only six weeks in hand, time is pressed so focus on those
exact needs, increasing difficulty and intensity as you go. Here’s an
example of a weekly program to get you Font-astic:
Monday – Rest
Tuesday – Circuit training on bouldering wall + Core training
Wednesday – Light core training + Stretching + Rest
Thursday – Hangboard + Technique circuit training on bouldering
wall
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Friday – Rest
Saturday – Circuit training outdoors on the blocs or on bouldering
wall + Stretching
Saturday – Circuit training outdoors on the blocs or at the
bouldering wall + Core training
In only six weeks you’re not realistically going to improve
your maximum grade level that much, so training focuses on
consolidating existing abilities and increasing your capacity to
handle volume.
With your bouldering circuits, either at the gym or crag, select as
many different problems that are a few grades below your max, stuff
you can flash or get second try. Spend 2 – 3 hours doing a single
problem, resting for five to 10 minutes, then hitting the next problem.
As your departure date draws near reduce the rest periods to
progressively increase the volume of climbing. Don’t just train your
strengths, make sure to do as many relevant style-specific problems
as you can find. For Fontainebleau that’s plenty of technical slab
and face problems, being able to crush roofs isn’t going to help. On
the day you focus on technical problems, knock back the grades but
work the most delicate and technical stuff you can, you’re going to
need all the tricks and cat-like balance you can muster.
For your hangboard sessions, train hanging and pulling strength
on a variety of hold types but focus on some specifics like slopers.
For core training look at the last issue of Vertical Life for some great
ideas on busting guts.
With a program like this, increasing intensity and volume
incrementally, you will be able to consolidate your skills and land in
Paris much better prepared for the delights that lay in store.
Tonsai, Thailand
This place is a prime example of short- to middle-distance power
endurance on steep, thuggy terrain. Pack your strong arms and
sunscreen.
Stick to the same general training plan as for the Font preparation,
only this time instead of boulder circuits do long (20 – 30 move)
power endurance circuits on a steep boulder wall on Tuesday and
steep power endurance routes on Thursday. Repeat this pattern
again on the weekend either out on rock or at the gym.
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You also want to focus your hangboard session on pulling and lock
off exercises while continuing core training the same as always,
you’ll need that core tight as a drum to keep your feet on the wall on
the steep routes Thailand will throw at you.
Verdon Gorge, France
Now this one is a different kettle of fish. The long, intimidating,
all-day multipitches of Verdon will ask of you a level of stamina
that will surprise even the most experienced multipitch climbers.
Realistically you’re not going to be climbing anywhere near your
normal maximum grade, more like a grade or two below your
onsight level. What you need is endurance, and lots of it. And not
just climbing endurance, general fitness for the long walk ins and
the rigours of being on the wall all day.
You can again broadly stick to the Font program but replace circuits
with endless mileage. Knock the level back a couple of grades below
your maximum onsight and start lapping. Do lap after lap after
lap, resting between sets and repeat for 2 – 3 hours. Over the six
weeks progressively increase the volume of climbing and the level of
difficulty but never going so difficult you can’t maintain the mileage.
Remember, you are going to need to be fit here, the routes are long
and often bold so you want to be able to remain comfortable and not
get pumped on long pitches, one after another after another.
Adding in some long, steep hikes or running a few days a week will
help you on the walks to some sectors. Verdon is all-day stamina so
tailor your training specifically towards becoming a machine!
BRING IT HOME
So, while you may not have that long between clicking ‘buy’
and actually touching down in that far-flung locale, with a little
forethought and the appropriate planning you can arrive better
prepared. You don’t need to arrive hoping for a miracle to get you fit
enough to send the classic lines. You don’t need to board the plane
home disappointed by too many routes still in the ‘project’ column.
You can arrive fit, strong, focused and armed with the skills that will
make your climbing holiday more productive and fulfilling.
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So do it, book the ticket, get your train on and then come out here
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Lee Cujes on White Gold (27). 9 1