Speed climbing
   Many climbers scoff at the mention of speed climbing as an esoteric pursuit practiced by a small minority of competitors. Speed, however, can be a key to climbing success on difficult routes as well, and a conscious attempt to speed climb may help you succeed on routes you've failed on before. How can you speed climb a route that you can't even climb at a relaxed pace? Speed can actually help you climb more efficiently by reducing technique hindering inhibition and pessimism and letting your body do what it should be doing automatically and unconsciously. This principle was illustrated brilliantly to me by a friend, Andreas, with whom I had a friendly rivalry. 

 

    Nine years ago I had climbed only one 5.12. With my head held high, I went climbing at Stony Point in Southern California. After warming up, I put a top rope on a 5.12 route. On this testpiece, I ended up hanging on the route twice for my first burn. After quite a struggle, I got to the top. This took me about 10 to 15 minutes.
    From around the rock, my friend Andreas reared his large bulbous head with a gleaming grin on his face. Andreas had recently beat me in a difficulty competition, (by a hair), and had lost to me in a speed competition. Andreas climbed at the same level as I did at the time. Maybe he had done one other 5.12 at that time.
    "Looks like a nice route," Andreas said, "Do you mind if I try?"
    Reluctantly, I let him borrow the top rope on the route. He climbed it with no falls on his first try in about 4 or 5 minutes.
    "You looked very smooth," I said knashing my teeth.
    " It's really pretty simple," he said.
    Then he admitted to having done the route before. My jaw relaxed. He had done the route before so he had the beta.
    "Hey Hans," said Andreas with the smile on his face widening, " Let's see who can get up faster."
    "Not interested," I said, "I haven't even climbed it yet. I can't even climb it slowly."
    I roped up for my second attempt and made it without falling. I didn't time it, but probably took about 4 minutes. Andreas got on the route again and asked us to time him. He climbed the route in 2 minutes 20 seconds! Then, he proceeded to dare me to beat that.
    I'm not one to back down on a dare, especially if it involves food or climbing, so I agreed. I didn't know whether I'd even make it without hanging on the rope. When the dust had settled, I'd climbed the route in 1 minute and 50 seconds!
    Naturally, Andreas could not let things stand and had to give it another go. He did it in 1 minute 20 seconds.
    On my next try, I did it in 58 seconds!
    Andreas went again and did it in 52 seconds!
    I thought, "Here's a route I couldnt even do 3 hours ago and now I'm racing up it in 58 seconds." It took me far less energy to do it in 58 seconds than when I'd hung on it for 10 minutes.
    Now here's the moral of the story kids: What I was doing the first time was doubting my way up the route. Later, I was confident enough to go through each move easily. I moved with decisiveness and confidence. To me, this was a revelation in proportion to the third law of thermodynamics. Applying this observation to climbing made me start onsight climbing at a little faster pace with more confidence/decisiveness. My onsight level went from 5.11d to 5.12c inside of 10 months! Theres gotta be something to this speed thing.

   Practicing for pure speed is a great a great way to improve your climbing reflexes. Hold a friendly competition between some of your friends at the gym. When used to complement other types of training, speed training can really help you improve your overall ability.

Some Tips to Practice Speed

  • Practice on a route well below your limit first.
  • Try NOT to look at your feet. Think of your feet having memory of where your hands just were.
  • Use imagery. Images are always good for learning technique. For instance, I imagine swimming up the route or throwing the holds to the ground.
  • Generally two short moves go faster than a strained long move.
  • Try to drive with your legs off big holds. Think of pushing off the wall with your feet at a 45 degree angle rather than pushing straight down - this makes your feet "stick" even if you miss a hold.
  • If you're competing and you can rehearse a route, practice the last 15 ft of the route more than any other part. Learn the lowest point from which you can dyno for the bell.
  • Never, never, give up! The other competitor may slip or fumble too. Go til you hit the bell.

    My friendly rivalry with Andreas did not end that day at Stoney Point. Andreas called me a week later and said he'd climbed the route in 38 seconds! I packed my climbing pack and got in the car.

Hans Florine has won numerous international and national speed climbing titles including the ESPN X-Games in 1995 and 1996. Hans has given over 35 clinics around the US and overseas. He concentrates on improving onsight ability but brings vast knowledge on training, competition climbing, redpointing, crosstraining, and more. For interest in clinics by Hans or to get him in your gym email him at hjohngalt@aol.com or call him at (510) 376-1640. References available.