Debate/Jens: It is just a natural part of the game that the top climbers push the ethical boundaries. In some ways it is very good as it makes climbing more fun. Some years ago, it was not allowed to hang-dog a route, to have the quick draws pre-placed or to top-rope a boulder. Examples of very dark grey and unnatural climbing practice to get fame and sponsors. 1. Top rope redpoint/OS based on a down climbing Reverse to the ground once after having clipped the first drawers are generally accepted. However; a. Some do it in an organized way meaning that they spend time and project to down climbed as high up as possible. b. Even if they fall on the next attempt they claim that they always can top rope the down climbed carabiner, as they showed it was possible. c. Some actually, redpoint based on preclipped but do not claim the ascent before they have done the yo-yo climbing without falling. d. Others spend time and train reverse climbing on their future onsight project. Climbing means moving upwards and is a sport where time should not be spent on down climbing challenges. The 8a recommended ethics suggest that one pre-clipped is always OK and based on safety, two is also OK. If you, for any reason, down climb more, is is accepted as long as you not untie.

Debate/Jens: Sometimes the route setters on real rock has created an elimination in order to create a harder and possible better route or boulder.

The rock is created by nature and that is what we challenge. Whenever you are in doubt for an elimination, especially climbing onsight, go for what you feel is natural.

"You are not allowed to use those holds", is just an irritating comment and what it means, in most of the cases, is that you have just created a new climb. So do not forget to give it a new grade and name, if appropriate.

Training/Jens: Climbing makes you stronger and for long time progress you do not need to follow any program but sometimes, stay away from being pumped. Here is a quick and easy recipe that will make you significantly stronger over 10 session during a month or so.

1. Create some 3-5 boulders on different angles where you can reach the top in a controlled style looking of 1 second between each 6-8 long moves.

2. Start with the vertical one and repeat it 2-4 times and then rest 3-5 minutes. Make sure you absolutely do not get pumped, if so longer rest and fewer repeats.

3. Work your way into the steeper terrain and probably you need to rest longer and also in between the repeats, in the end of the session. A session should exclusive warming-up take 45-90 minutes. <b>You should get tired but not pumped.</b>

4. Rest at least one day and after 2-3 sessions you will feel the great sensation that you can increase the 1 second lock-of into 2-3 seconds. When you can lock-of longer it is time to re-do the boulders. Good luck :-)

WARNING: If you have not at least two years training experience or so I recommend you to NOT focus on strength training like this, as it might get you injured. If you do it anyway, skip the lock-of as these can get you elbow injuries.

Training/Jens: Let us say you have been going to the gym 2-3 times a week during the winter and now your next trip is just four weeks away. There is no universal trick to get a quick peak. It is individual and different for every sport/discipline but here are some guide lines that might help you to sit with that million-dollar-smile at the After climb.

Avoid power-endurance training, getting pumped and lactate. Instead you should focus on power training through bouldering for two weeks but make sure you rest enough so you do not get pumped.

The last two weeks you should let your muscles rest and just do volume training in order to maximize your blood circulation capacity. While doing your easy moves you could combine this with some technical and stretching drills like; High Step, Cross over, Dynoing, Speed climbing etc.

Every session during the four weeks, you could start with some recruitment training of the gripping position and steepness you most likely will be challenged on. Last and equally important, print out a tick list from the data base and do some analyses of which routes might suite you the best. Good Luck :-)

Training/Jens: The fastest way to improve is normally just to spend a few hours doing unfamiliar moves. i.e. extend your repertoire. It is natural that you start your climbing career by developing your natural talent, establishing your repertoire. Your move repertoire is of course also based on what type of rock or gym you are spending most time.

Climbers with the most limited repertoire are often indoor climbers who do comfortable moves on straightforward routes. With gym season at its peak, here are some examples based on using all holds:

1. High step: Feet as high as possible and push to side/up until you sit.
2. Crossover: Feet high, reach to side and pro long several moves.
3. Match: Switch hands on every hold.
4. No hands rest: Experiment as you do outdoors.
5. Smear: Boulder only on micro foot steps.

Training/Jens: It is easy to quickly and significantly improve your crux move strength - by recruiting the specific muscles used in the move.  You do this by repeating the move over and over again. Your body will learn how to use a higher percentage of muscle fibers, for the specific gripping position and the finger angles. Furthermore, your body will learn to optimize your muscle coordination.

However, as you are working on the moves prior to the crux, you will actually lose your crux move power.  Different moves recruit different strength.

If you are falling on the same move every time, try spending extra time on that move alone.  This will help you recruit this specific crux move strength. This optimization might do the trick instead of repeatedly working the first moves, which actually might lower your crux move strength.

Training/Jens: Endurance training can decrease your max power, as high levels of lactid acid break down your muscles. This means you can become weaker after getting a burning pump from an endurance session.

Never start a training session by doing very hard endurance exercises. Better to start off with some power drills and switch to endurance later. The best way is to divide your training into sessions or even periods.

There is almost no limit of how hard you can train power - as long as you don't get pumped. Endurance training can be counter-productive if you push yourself too hard.  If you are not around 80% recovered after 10 minutes rest, your muscles are at risk of losing performance...

Training/Jens: Your centre of gravity is normally moving on a straight line between the holds. If you do a swing move to the side you are normally making your centre of gravity moving in an upside curve as you are stronger in the start of the move.

In the same way you could opt for doing an inside curve when you dynamically move upwards. This means that you should aim for a point below the next hold. This will create an inside swing to the next hold and you will climb like the best :-)

Training/Jens: In order to increase blood circulation, you should hang in the anchor and shake out before being lowered down. Otherwise, there is a risk that the downward hanging and relaxed forearm muscle will be pumped up/flooded with blood. This will decrease the circulation as it will be more difficult for the squeezed capillaries/veins to return the blood. As you are climbing, the muscle contraction and the upward hanging arms make sure the forearms can not be flooded, unless you reach a no-hands rest. Instead, the problem is getting enough blood in your forearm muscle. The hanging onto the anchor technique is most important to use as you have been fighting hard with no good shake outs, limited supply of blood, like it often is indoors. This will reduce the resting time before you can go up there and fight and have fun again :-) How to improve endurance while climbing.