How long should you work the crux sequences and links?

Projecting a hard route often means that you must spend several sessions just solving and learning all moves. In practice this means that you hang in the rope and just try different sequences. So how long should you work the crux sequences and links and how long should you rest in between tries?

In general, this is personal and also related to what kind of moves you are trying to solve. However, a rule that can be used is that once you stop feeling progress you should take longer rests and if you anyhow notice that you are getting weaker, you should come to the ground and rest for at least 20 minutes. It is better to have several runs, with a rest in between, instead of getting totally wasted during your first push. When it comes to longer steep sequences where you easily can get pumped you can probably just do a couple of tries before getting to the ground and make sure that you rest at least one minute in between tries.

If we are talking about the crux moves you can not solve, try to isolate them and do them one by one. This means you can try to do them over and over again, which will improve your max recruitment and coordination. Once all the moves are done you can choose the "safe option" to then work sequences and later also try to link the upper part and later start lower and lower. This will often mean you will not get that pumped so you can project the route several times during a day.

The other option is to start with redpoint attempts, meaning that you will either send it more quickly or you will pump out and need longer rest or even return another day. In the long run, the latter more risky approach is the best as each attempt will make you train you how to fight. If you instead choose the safe option, you will probably send it faster but you will not have learnt as much during the process, since you had more control. Note that all top climbers have taken the risky approach.