Nigel Armino does Mr Big (9a)

Nigel Armino, who works full time as a mechanical designer, has completed Mr. Big (9a) in Margalef.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I climbed Mr. Big in 3 sessions (6 attempts). Last Friday, after a 15-hour drive, my brother Juan and I arrived in Margalef. On the first day, we took it easy, but I was still able to flash Batuka (8b). On the second day, I worked on Mr. Big for the first time and got on it twice. After a rest day, I tried the links: first from bolt to bolt, then splitting the route into 3 sections, and eventually into 2. Today I warmed up on a few routes, then did some hangboarding, and finally gave the route a go – and I managed to send it!

What is your climbing background and how is your training organised?
In addition to my job, I train 11 times a week: 5 times bouldering, 3 times climbing-specific training (such as hangboarding), 2 times cardio, and 1 time strength & conditioning. Thanks to the portable hangboard from Crimptonite Climbing, I can do my finger training during my lunch break at work. I want to show others that it is possible to train hard and achieve your goals alongside a full-time job.

For my climbing training, I mostly use my home wall – a 40° overhang that I built during the corona period – and the Kilter Board in my home gym, Ivy Climbing in Sittard. I follow a self-made 6-week program, with the last week intentionally scheduled as a proper deload week. This has helped me a lot because I used to push beyond my limits, which led to injuries and overtraining. After incorporating deload weeks, I’ve seen a peak in both my finger strength and my max strength, which has been a game-changer for my climbing performance. In the past, I always warmed up on the route itself, but today I tried a different approach, and it worked out well.