Self analysis

Visual Introspection

To study one’s practice is to have conflict with our internal perspective of how something feels and the external view showing us otherwise. For training in climbing or mountain biking, simply recording yourself in motion of that specific activity could be the most straightforward way. A move on route or section of trail can feel a particular way in our mind’s eye, but it can also look completely different from an exterior perspective. It’s noteworthy for training purposes: recording ourselves allows us to truly see our movements. It forces us to reconcile the differences of what we think were doing and what is actually being done. I’ve done this with both my rock climbing and mountain biking, and it’s allowed me to break habits and see weaknesses that I didn’t even realize were holding me back from greater potential.

I’ll reckon that if you’re reading this then you want to see improvement in your sport of practice. Maybe, you’ve read all the various literature on training methodologies, recovery practices, and overall programming. It’s great that all those tools and sciences are available for general consumption to the everyday athlete. Yet, I think an underplayed tool in your toolbox is the ability to record in real time your technique.

Notice that my descent could have been smoother with a half second longer of my weight shifted over the back wheel

In this analysis (video above), you’ll notice as I’m descending I should have kept my back weight shifted for a half second longer over the rear wheel. Had I done this I might have lost less speed and possibly decreased the amount of time spent on that terrain. Also, in the mountain biking context I could decrease my chance of injury and not risk going over the bars. The last section of the video, before I smooth out to easier terrain, shows the front suspension sucking up the majority of the front force. If I had waited a second longer on the back end, the force would have been more equally distributed between front and back. Fortunately, I’m on an enduro/trail bike (5-6″ of travel/suspension) which allows for a lack of precision in my downhill. Yet, if I had been on a hard-tail with less suspension and a more rigid frame, it could have resulted in my body flying over the handle bars.

It may feel embarrassing at first to ask a friend or set up your phone on a tripod to analyze your movement, but as I stated before- it’s an invaluable tool in your bag of tricks for self improvement. For rock climbing and mountain biking it has allowed me to really break down what I think good technique feels like and what it actually should look like. For better or worse, the camera doesn’t lie. It forces us to either accept where we can improve or disregard aspects of technique training.

As the season of training continues, I’m going to be spending more time making videos to really break down movement and how to improve it. If you have any hints or tips for self recording, please shoot me a message. I’m trying to enhance my technique in both training and media content.

-Hugo

Mixing it up

Keep it Fresh

I find often that my motivation for anything wanes in and out , and often it’ll depend on what’s going on at that moment in life. In 2016-17 I tore the short head tendon of my bicep while training and it was a drastic life change. My identity had largely been built around being a rock climber and it’s affiliated culture. My friends and community were climbers and as such it was difficult to not get to participate in the same activity with them. It shattered a lot of my perceptions about myself and what I thought was significant in life. Thankfully, I’ve been able to make a full recovery and pursue rock climbing. It is a different experience now as I still only have one ‘cep’ or my ‘unicep’ on my left arm. My climbing movement has changed but it has actually improved my technique.

Getting back to the point of this blurb is that acute event forced me to explore other aspects of being outdoors. Prior, I would have never said running or any aerobic activity was fun. My work position at the time exposed me to many climbers as well as other multi disciplined athletes. One of the many great things about the climbing community is that folks do a ton of other activities as well. One such activity that crosses over in the climbing community is trail running. The idea of running through the desert without a crag to stop at seemed quite ridiculous… Turns out I was wrong- it’s awesome! I started out running 3-4 miles on the trail to eventually doing half marathon lengths out in the South Mountain preserve. I was hooked! I decided to enter my first race that took place in Cave Creek. My goal was to simply finish the race. Anything more than that would be a bonus.

my first trail race number bib

Before entering the Cave Creek Thriller race I spent time logging miles in the Usery Regional Park area and South Mountain area. I even decided to run the course a couple weeks before the race just to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into. On the day of the race, I lined up with the other competitors and felt massive waves of anxiety washing over me as I looked at the crowd. My trail running experience had generally been by myself on a weekday afternoon with no other souls to be found (especially during the summer heat). As the countdown began, I could sense all the runners tense up and get ready to pounce at the signal. BUZZ!!!!! The startling sound that we had all been waiting for shot off like a lightning strike. Tucked away in the middle of the packed runners, I was slowly but surely starting to feel my muscles relax and grasp that state-of-flow rhythm. To my surprise I was running with the top 8 runners in the front. I was freaking out! My thoughts blurred as they moved through my mind’s eye. “Can I Keep this pace up? What happens if I redline? Can I make it to an aid station?”

Despite the internal struggle between the thought of stop-and-go, I managed to keep up with the pack. Slowly, I could see our pack starting to dwindle while the four lead runners broke off to keep the faster pace . It’s strange- but I felt the urge to push harder and stay with those lead runners. In my head I could justify just riding out my current pace as I had come for one goal and that was to finish the race. Yet, the nagging thought of “I can try harder” disabled me from staying at the current pace. We hit some long switchback sections of the trail where I had passed the fourth runner. My lungs are burning, leg muscles aching, and yet, in a desperate effort to hang, I’m breathing like a maniac. The front two racers break again from the third runner and I , and now it becomes a team run between me and the third competitor at the same pace. We both acknowledge one another and exchange pleasantries as we made our way down passing many hikers heading upward. We finally hit the last stretch and both make non-verbal suggestions that it’s time to race again. We increased our speed and it was a full sprint downhill. My knees felt like they’d buckle, but I couldn’t help wanting to go faster. The third place runner started to slow down and made a wave for me to pass. All I could think of in this very moment was to keep pushing my body with whatever’s left. My lungs felt like they were melting and my knees were trembling with exhaustion as I finally passed the finish line. I’ve never won anything sports related in my life. The moment of clarity came over me and it crystallized the fact of how thankful I was for getting injured earlier in the year. If I hadn’t had to take a break from climbing then I would have never experienced this process.

I’ve never stood on a podium for anything until this day

I don’t run quite as much anymore due to climbing, family, and work. The trail still beckons me to run across its desert washes and rocky scrambles, but I know it’s not going anywhere. In lieu of running I ended up starting to mountain bike with family friends from my church. It’s been another new pursuit that I can go to when I find my internal inspiration lacking in climbing. I think it’s refreshing to find new ways to actively explore the outdoors. When I’ve been doing one activity for an extended period of time it can become a total lackluster due to routine and rituals. I tend to enjoy my rock climbing even more when I can enjoy other aspects of life as well. I hope this article helps you ‘mix it up’ and get the most out of your outdoor activities.

-Hugo

Cross training via cross country/enduro mountain biking

Choosing a project & all that good stuff

Route Selection

I’ve spent a good amount of time deliberating over routes and the ‘what’s next’ climb. It’s a very personal thing to choose a route/boulder problem that you may spend several sessions to possibly months working on. My personal experience generally has provided two options and each option has a myriad of sub-options within those two primary ones (A lot of options ,right?). The only caveat as far as my two options go is dependent on two things : if it’s sport or traditional climbing. In a trad climbing case , for example, gear placement and stances become its own mini subset of options.

The first option I lean towards is choosing a route that isn’t quite maximal effort yet it’s also difficult enough to take 3-5 sessions or visits. It may only require 15 actual red-point attempts to put the route to rest. The advantage of this approach is you’ll probably get several short term project routes done in a season and you’ll have moved over a greater variety of terrain. It can also be tied into building a route pyramid: which entails doing several grades at a specific number that decreases as you get to the top of your pyramid of difficulty. I.E. 5 -10a’s, 4 -10B’s , 3 -10c’s , 2 -10d’s , and 1 -11a. Also, there’s many different ways to build a route pyramid and I’ve even seen reverse pyramids. It’s an appealing option as it exposes the climber to more climbing on different routes through a season and in theory increase the climber’s movement skill set. You can also add another layer of subtlety where out of those required blocks of the pyramid you can choose style of routes. For example, out of my five 10a’s I could choose two that require sloper or compression cruxes as they are some of my weakest forms of climbing. The great thing about this approach is not only are you building your base of climbing but you’re also diversifying the skill set in said grade. In recent years I’ve been leaning towards this approach as I get more climbing in and it can be somewhat less stressful from a performance aspect. My first exposure to this methodology of route selection came from Eric Horst’s Training for Climbing book . Another good read covering this is the Anderson brothers’ Rock Climber’s Training Manual.

Steven Tagaban resting on Climb Spree (5.11c/d)

My personal soul crusher of a long term project , Desert Devil 5.13- .

second approach requires long term projecting on a route/boulder that is quite close to the threshold of my ability. I may be able to barely do all of the moves and linking sections takes many sessions. In the past I use to do this more often and occasionally I’ll try this but in a much more sporadic fashion. Long term projecting on a single route can be mentally exhausting and over time the climber will lose fitness even if efficiency has been gained on the project route. The upside of this approach is getting to really put 100% of blood, sweat, and tears into a climb. I’ll admit that some of the most rewarding sends have been through this approach. I questioned my sanity many times on a route called Desert Devil that required over 25 visits to the crag and minimum of 4 attempts every session. I also did this in one summer and it improved my anaerobic energy system, but I lost a ton of power and I was demotivated a lot.

Shipwreck 5.12. Enchanted Tower , NM. One of my personal favorites. Photo by Julie Degregorio.

Your mileage may vary on these approaches and maybe yours is somewhere in between the extremes. A somewhat hybrid approach of the two has been trying to build a pyramid and occasionally jumping on a long term project to see if it’s reasonable to be a short term one. It’s happened in the past where something I had tried a year or two prior was just too nails hard to be completed in a reasonable time. I’ll step away from a route and attempt to build more of a base before revisiting. Then, after some time has passed I’ll put another bid on the long term project and it feels attainable enough to put it in the short term category.

I’m always trying to learn more about tactics and training and if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know. It’s quite easy to become myopic after doing an activity for any set amount of time. Every time we practice our sport I think it’s an opportunity to bring the beginner’s mind into the moment and see new solutions. To boil rock climbing down into such finite qualities of on sighting, flashing, repointing, etc. can sometimes take away from its adventurous allure. It should be fun on some level and for myself I find repointing fun and it’s great that everyone finds different ways of enjoying the sport. To summarize- it’s rock climbing and we shouldn’t take ourselves to seriously… I think?

-Hugo

The pitfalls of training for climbing ;[

I can honestly say that training for climbing has been one of the hardest aspects of this eight year long journey. There’s great resources out there and a handful of really good blogs/books/podcasts and I’m thankful for all them existing. Yet, my personal approach hasn’t been quite as quantifiable as it should be looking at the current climbing literature. Majority of the time it’s me getting stuck on a certain route and coming to a realization of sorts ,”I need more power” or ” I need finger strength”. Yet, the last 4 months I’ve been seeing more improvement than previous years and in some ways I’ve been doing less of everything. The climbers that I look up to for a variety of reasons all seem to have one thing in common beyond just fingers of rebar or cores of steel: they all have a deeper level of knowledge of technique and movement. Their movement mastery is on par with their other aspects of training and they actively train movement. Personally, I work on technique if it’s something I haven’t been doing and maybe I have a trip coming up where I need that skill set i.e. slab . Maybe, that’s been the difference in my training lately and now movement has become just as important as core strength.

Still trying to learn how to not cut feet while on roof climbs.

I’ll be turning 30 at the end of May and I keep wondering if my ‘Old Man Strength’ is going to kick in this year. It maybe just the immediate climbing community that surrounds me , but I keep running across older folks who just crush it all the time. I’ve also learned a ton from my younger counter parts who were team kids growing up and have a wealth of movement knowledge built up through their youth. It’s been stuck in my head a lot lately from nerding out over Steve Bechtel’s training and the fact that climbing is a skill sport. Training for climbing is great but practicing the sport accounts for a large part of the pie. Granted, the sample size of myself isn’t much and anecdotal at best, but I’ve noticed lately how much further technique will carry me than just pure strength. If you’ve got any suggestions for deeper understanding of movement feel free to comment and shoot me a message. I am and will always be a struggling student of rock climbing . Also, don’t forget to drop a knee and technique through that strength crux and surprise your friends!

-Hugo

The Art of getting worked lol

Devin approaching the Orifice wall, Tucson, Arizona.

The start of the Orifice crag season is a physical adjustment, albeit it does happen just slower than one would like. One of Southern Arizona’s premier overhung walls it caters to the endurance junky and knee bar aficionado and it ‘sports’ a selection of routes in the 5.11-5.13 range. A majority of the best quality routes falling in the 12-13 zone. Every year that I prepare to head back to the orifice I’m constantly reminded of my lack of abs and steep foot technique. The body tension required for holding knee bars to give sore forearms a rest is also pushed to the front of my mind as my body craves oxygen rich air. The orifice is also located roughly at 9,000 feet of elevation and is noticeable for us low land Phoenicians.

The Steepness of Orifice Politics. Photo by @last_ascent

The steepness of course is the crags leading feature and a rarity to come across in most of Arizona. The granite of Phoenix is generally slabby in nature with discontinuous cracks and it will occasionally veer into near vertical terrain. The Orifice crag is best known for it’s projecting potential, unless you onsight at 5.13, and usually has a great cast of friendly supportive locals. By it’s nature projecting can be a somewhat self deprecating process that on many occasions can lead one to blurting a list of expletives. Yet , it’s what Devin and I were seeking this season to develop more discipline and focus in our climbing. In the previous years we had both sustained injuries that threatened to put climbing out of our reach. Devin had suffered a compound fracture of her ankle and ruptured several of the ligaments due to a indoor bouldering accident. Then, due to aggressive training techniques and maybe unfavorable genetics I had tore my short head of my bicep at the shoulder. The series of unfortunate events led us to recovering and slowly reintroducing ourselves back into climbing over the years. I’m thankful to say we’ve made our recoveries and we may climb differently than before but it hasn’t hindered our journey as climbers.

Devin’s first day back at the orifice since breaking her ankle. Also, she’s sporting Stoneman Climbing Company’s new women’s t-shirt. photo by @climb_beer_repeat

As of late , we have both zeroed in on our respective routes and have been attempting to keep the demons of complicity at bay in regards to training. Devin is working the uber classic Hard Day at the Orifice (5.12) and it’s reputation for a bouldery start precedes itself. Devin has been making good links and has pieced together good beta for the start (in video above, at the end). In previous years I had been able to get much of the main amphitheater routes done (Orifice Politics, Cou de tat, In search of Silence, and Granite of the Apes), but Heel-A-Monster had always scared me off. It’s reputation for a heel hook required boulder problem and position out on its lonesome discouraged me. Regardless of these reservations I jumped on it and started working out the sections of most difficulty(also in video above).

We’re excited to see where this season will lead us and also contemplating visiting a couple other crags in Northern Arizona (Hobo Jungle, Peaks, Paradise Forks). It’s hard to choose one crag in this state and let alone one climb, but it’s good to pick couple projects you can jump from to keep the motivation high. It’s probably not the best tactic in regards of completion but it keeps it fun. At the end of the day the fun part is what’s most important and we’re just playing on rocks. If you see us out at the crag feel free to say hello and we always reciprocate in a good lead catch!

-Hugo

My training ground lately, Morrell's wall.

 

-The approach to Morrell’s Wall, your author in awe. Photo By Kellon Spencer.

The Journey to Morrell’s Wall

The desert is a seemingly inhospitable place, yet within that atmosphere of emptiness there lies a strange comfort. Several weeks ago I had been pushing my climbing at our nearest sport crag, approximately an hour from the heart of Downtown Phoenix, at a roadside crag called The Pond. The climbing primarily comprises volcanic tuff pockets ranging from dead vertical to full overhang. Overhang climbing has never been my forte’ and recently has been the focus of my becoming a more well-rounded climber. Progress in that style had been steady, but getting better performance also entails keeping up on maintenance of opposing muscle groups. My shoulders had never given me much trouble until overhang climbing happened, and not to say that I didn’t benefit from that style of climbing. A new style of climbing usually exposes weaknesses and imbalance in the body on both spectrums of pulling/pushing muscle groups. To sum up the learning process, I realized my rear shoulder muscles were lacking; causing range-of-motion stresses after hard shoulder moves. Coincidently enough, my friend Kellon had experienced shoulder pains for quite some time and was about to undergo surgery to correct the issue.  We decided to head out with an emphasis on climbing hard while still sparing our shoulders;  granite in the Phoenix area excels in this particular field of shoulder preservation due to its steep slab with sharp edges, and this movement is about precise edging, core strength, and leg flexibility for high steps. Morrell’s Wall is located in the Mcdowells preserve; land that was previously in threat of development until the City of Scottsdale asked their constituents to put money aside to purchase the land. Unfortunately, due to some of the protection being sparse and Phoenix granite not emphasizing large movements, it’s gone relatively untouched by current generations. The routes are of traditional nature when bolted, and ratings only pertain to “The Mcdowell range” instead of being consistent with modern grade standards, so some of the “moderates” can provide a fight for even experienced 5.10 leaders.

I’ve done a couple of the classic routes at the wall including: Beat Feet, Space Cadet, Leave it Too Beaver Direct, and recently The variation of Sinbad (as seen right). Each have their own flavor of granite delicacy, usually involving slow precise foot edging mixed in with crack climbing athletics, and tying it all together with some boldness on “easier” sections of the routes. All these attributes including an interesting juxtaposition to the nearby city (approximately 40 minutes from phoenix) make it a valuable asset for local Phoenician climbers and out of town visitors. Northern and Southern Arizona contain the world class climbing destinations which surely shouldn’t be missed , but if you have some time while passing through the valley there are hidden gems to be seen if you’re okay with the off beaten path. 

For myself, The Mcdowell region, and nearby Pinnacle Peak, is where I learned to ‘trad’ climb. It was well within my limits initially, and today I find routes that regularly push me mentally. I hope the local scene will find reinvested interest in our granite for personal improvement and retaining our local cultural climbing heritage. Cheers!

 

-Hugo 

Kellon and I finishing on the original Sinbad finish – Photo by Kellon Spencer.

 

Leave it to Beaver Direct, Mcdowells, Arizona

Mcdowells, Arizona

Photos courtesy of Ann & Ted