NEWS

Another major incident in Chongqing
In the picture we can see also Keita Watabe did the same mistake as Tomoa Narasaki, Alexey Rubtsov and Jongwon Chon to not match on the marked top hold. (Everyone who topped out misunderstood that the top hold was the small green camouflage hold under his left hand). Anyhow the Jury did not bother to discredit Keita's top as they did with Tomoa Narasaki. Imagine this would have been the Olympics. What would the IOC, 1 000 journalist and millions of viewers have said as all the four top ranked did not understand how to top out? Clearly, the IFSC and the route setters need to address that there can be no misunderstanding in regards to how to top out. Further more that the Jury guarantees fair judging among all athletes.

Eric Hรถrst, a well known climbing trainer, explains Why strong fingers matters. This article might balance out the Cafe Kraft guys with a focus on almost everything but finger power. "The bottom line: By increasing your limit strength and advancing your high-end climbing ability, the submaximal level at which you can climb with relative ease and aplombโ€”and in high volumeโ€”is elevated. Therefore, by making a long-term training commitment to getting stronger (and improving your mental and technical game) you may someday find your current maximum climbing level to be โ€œmoderateโ€ and achievable in volume."

Papichulo 9a+ also by Felipe Camargo
Felipe Camargo, who two months ago won 35 000 USD in a Neflix "Ninja Warrior" show, has done his first 9a+, Papichulo in Oliana. Chris Sharma made the FA in 2008 and the Brazilian got it's 17th ascent. (c) Lena Drapella "I worked the route six weeks last year and seven days this trip. Trained a lot of endurance and tried to set my traverses in the gym with similar amount of hard moves, resistance and boulders. Like 28 moves to the first bad rest, then a 12 move boulder, better rest and then 40 endurance moves to the top. I never worked so hard or wanted anything as bad as I wanted this route!"

Confusing dilemma with the new 4 min rule
Two weeks ago, I published, "A boulder final can turn into a horror show with the new 4 min rule", explaining that a boulderer might reach the top within the 4 min but might not get an OK. The IFSC rule says that in order to get an OK you should within the max 4 min, "Controlled the marked finishing hold of the Boulder with both hands." Ask can be seen on the picture, Alexey Rubtsov is dynoing to the top hold when there are two seconds left but even so he did not get an OK. It took him some three seconds to control the last holds with both hands as, his feet cut loose, to move his left hand, his feet cutting loose again. Imagine if this had been in the Olympics and he had been one second earlier and most would have believed he made it and then it would have been up to the judge estimating split seconds, in order to give him an OK. At the very least, the new 4 min rule must be changed so it is good enough to get to the last hold within the 4 minutes and then you are allowed to establish the controlled position for some seconds.

Floclimbing, famous for almost closing a three year live-streaming contract with IFSC, has run Tuck Fest DWS. Carlo Traversi and Kyra Condie won the USD 5 000. In order to see this comp live you had to pay a monthly fee of USD 20 as would have been the case also for the World Cup streaming.

Floclimbing, spoloฤnosลฅ znรกma pre nedรกvnu afรฉru s platenรฝm live-streamom svetovรฝch pohรกrov, bola organizรกtorom sรบลฅaลพe v Deep Water Sรณle (DWS) Tuck Fest. Vรญลฅazmi sa stali Carlo Traversi a Kyra Condie, ktorรญ si odniesli hlavnรบ cenu 5000 USD. Na sledovanie tejto sรบลฅaลพe live bolo treba zaplatiลฅ mesaฤnรฝ poplatok 20 USD, ktorรฝ bol temer aplikovanรฝ aj na Svetovรฉ pohรกry.

Eric Hรถrst je znรกmym lezeckรฝch trรฉnerom a v tomto ฤlรกnku vysvetฤพuje, preฤo na sile prstov zรกleลพรญ. ฤŒlรกnok mรดลพe zรกroveลˆ vybalansovaลฅ prรญspevok chalanov z Cafรฉ Kraft, ktorรญ sa sรบstreฤujรบ na skoro vลกetko ostatnรฉ okrem sily prstov. "V skratke: zvyลกovanรญm silovรฉho limitu a posรบvanรญm hranรญc tvojej maximรกlnej obลฅaลพnosti sa zvรฝลกi level a mnoลพstvo ciest pod tvojou maximรกlkou, ktorรฉ dokรกลพeลก preliezลฅ na istotu a s relatรญvnou ฤพahkosลฅou. Tรฝm pรกdom, ak si zaumieniลก dlhodobo trรฉnovaลฅ a zvyลกovaลฅ svoju silu (ako aj techniku a psychiku) mรดลพeลก jednรฉho dลˆa zistiลฅ, ลพe obลฅaลพnosลฅ, ktorรบ teraz povaลพujeลก za maximum, je pre teba "normรกlnou" a vieลก ju liezลฅ aj vo vรคฤลกรญch objemoch."

8c+ by Philipp GaรŸner (16)
Philipp GaรŸner, who did his first 8c+ when he was 14 years old, has done his second, Pain makes me stronger, every day! in Frankenjura. "The route fits my style pretty well because it's short and bouldery with pockets. I just needed a few tries to stick the crux move that is a little dyno to a good pocket and to send the whole route. After my finger injury in 2016 I want to climb outside as much as possible. In summer my plan is to travel to Rocklands and the psyche is already high so let's see."

Klemen Becan (34) enjoys late blooming
Klemen Becan did 60+ WC before he won in Kranj 2008 being 26 years old. On rock he has also enjoyed late blooming and with three 9a+' the last year. With several 8c onsights he is already among the Top-3 in the world. One was actually 8c+ but has gotten down graded and he has been close on several 8c+'. "Still my main goal is to onsight 9a hopefully also this will come one day as well, if not I will just enjoy the journey. I was close to one 9a in Cuenca some time ago.", where he actually placed the quick draws. (c) Anja Becan How many sessions did you need for La Rambla and how was the process? I gave it one try 10 years ago and now I was trying it since the beginning of the year. Could maybe have done it faster if I would be focused only on this one, but where is the fun in that? Too many cool routes around here to do only one at a time :) How can you explain your late progress on comps and rock? Well I never thought I was a bad competition climber. Yes, I could have a better results but that is another story. Also I think the focus was never a big problem since even if I was "just" climbing I was still "training" more than many people. Not with written program and blindly following someone but with many tests and trying what is best for my body. Now I still don't have a training plan. It's all in my head and apparently it works. I know enough to train myself.