Emilie Gerhardt reports on Insta that she has done Creatures of Comfort (8A+) in Vernayaz. In total, the 23-year-old has done roughly ten boulders 8A and harder in 2022.

Can you tell us more about your ascent?
Some weeks ago I saw Julius (Westphal, who took the picture) sending this boulder and was really psyched to try this one too. Unfortunately our trip was over but now we came back and I could try it too. My shoulders are always a bit weak so the first moves were the hardest for me.

It looks like you're having your best season ever?
We do not have a lot of free time for rock climbing trips due to our work in our climbing gym “Steil”. So we can always head for few trips for just some days. But being every day in your own climbing gym to work also means you can train there a lot too. Julius and I always train together and are pretty motivated, maybe that’s the key :)

Here is the program for the Leonidio Climbing Festival 3-6/11. The schedule includes: yoga classes, The Climbing Marathon and Zlagboard comp with Vertical-Life, workshops and live music. This year's special guests are sport climbing ace Anak Verhoeven and Alex Honnold's mother, Dierdre Wolownick, who happens to also be the oldest woman to climb El Cap and the author of a new book.

Last year, Irmgard Braun set a new standard for 69-year-old women by doing Open box (7c+) in Gorges Du Tarn. The German author started climbing in the 80ies and was later part of the German national team. Now she has put together some tips for climbing in your 50s, 60s and 70s+.

I find it great to go climbing at the ripe old age of 70. It is fun to move up vertical rock, and it trains my body without having to endure a dull fitness program. Through climbing, I meet old friends as well as get to know new people. But I gain even more from learning to climb better and to reach seemingly unachievable goals. For other senior citizens with a similar orientation I have put together a few tips.

These suggestions were triggered by Steve McClure’s piece “Old Folk”. Based on my own experiences, some of his rules were slightly changed and commented on. Disclaimer: It is quite possible that my advice doesn’t meet the needs of every senior climber – each body is different, and we old ones should listen to it very carefully. By the way – Steve McClure calls all people over 45 “old folk”. He was 48 years old when he sent “Rainman” 9b, the hardest route in England at that time.

Even if you aren’t a leading climber like McClure, you can profit from the following tips as an old geezer. Without suffering or mutating into a training monster:

1. Don’t injure yourself
2. Train your strong points
3. Stay or become flexible
4. Climb regularly, also at a highly intensive level
5. Don’t be scared of falling where it is safe
6. Have fun!

Before you start to train (no matter in which form), you should set a concrete goal. “To get better” or to “keep one’s standard” isn’t clear enough. In contrast, climbing a specific route or achieving the ability to climb routes of a certain grade are examples of precisely defined goals. This is much more motivating, and success can be verified.

1. Don’t injure yourself
Stay away from training on the campus board, bouldering in the modern style (dynamically between volumes - far too much strain on the shoulders!). Toprope bouldering is a much better alternative. If something hurts or even only slightly twinges, it is better to stop, at least until the following day and to look out for what develops. Really warm up well. This can take a damn long time, especially in cold weather. I need at least 5 warm-up routes on the climbing wall with increasing difficulties. Particularly train your shoulder stability. I only do two exercises twice a week, but more would be better, especially for people with long limbs. Stop climbing before you get pumped. Most injuries happen when you are tired. Treat your limitations with care. For instance, “Egyptians” are dangerous if you suffer from arthritic knees, and people with elbow problems should stay away from locking off. Most often you can substitute risky moves with other techniques.

2. Train your strong points
Most climbing coaches would advise you to improve your weak areas of performance. But I believe that this is valid more for younger climbers who are striving to become high-performing allrounders in every type of climbing, on rock as well as on plastic. At the age of now seventy years, I basically climb following the pleasure principle. So I don’t struggle up a horrible offwidth crack and avoid those revolting slopers. The climbing I most enjoy is on well structured limestone with small crimpy holds. People who prefer granite or sandstone, will naturally be dealing with cracks, that call for good holding power and advanced jamming techniques. People focussing on artificial walls will again have different priorities, like explosive dynamos and learning to work miracles on slopers by the laying on of hands. It is essential to concentrate on what you really enjoy and to choose your goals correspondingly. Then your chances for success will be the best.

3. Stay or become flexible
To train general flexibility and body tension, Yoga (and Pilates) are certainly very suitable. For people who like to practice these methods, they certainly are an excellent complement to climbing. However, they are nothing for me, finding them too time consuming and difficult to keep up. So I train my flexibility specifically for climbing. For instance, to achieve high and precise foot placement, calling for active flexibility - the limberness and power to lift the legs very high. Also, an open pelvis is useful, allowing to keep your body closer to the wall, as well as the ability to perform extended spreads in dihedrals.

4. Climb regularly, also at a highly intensive level
If you want to climb hard routes at your personal limit, it will be necessary to pull really hard at the crux moves. Young people do this without holding back, while senior climbers tend to be more hesitant. But your standard of climbing decreases if, for fear of injury, you limit yourself to the cruising routes. Except for top athletes, it is probably sufficient to try hard crux moves once or twice a week, at 80 or 90 percent of your maximal power. In roped climbing, your projects will provide a perfect opportunity for this. Hereby you can try out new moves and improve your technical abilities. If jumping off isn’t a problem, of course, you also can go bouldering. You should climb hard endurance routes always after and never before the stress of close-to-the-limit maximum-power-moves. To keep your endurance, one session per week is enough for the general customer.

5. Don’t be scared of falling where it is safe
Fear kills the fun of climbing. And it also steals your strength, as you hold on much too hard if you are afraid. On top of that your climbing technique also often evaporates. So to lose your fear of leading can easily mean advancing a whole grade. However, healthy caution also has its place – see tip number one. Check out the situation rationally. Stay away from dangerous routes and don’t hesitate to disarm a hazardous section with a clipstick. But also don’t hesitate to fall if the situation is safe! If this seems difficult, you can take a special course in air traffic control or hire a coach.

6. Have fun!
For many older climbers like myself typical climbing training, maybe on a fingerboard or a pull-up bar, just isn’t fun. So we don’t train long and hard enough - and the results are negligible. People of such persuasion can work towards their goals solely by climbing, if they follow a halfway systematic approach. But this also isn’t everybody’s cup of tea! Then you will have to accept, that the aspired goal is not that important after all and that your top priority is having fun. That’s fine too! If you’re old, you realize how little time you have left and how important it is to enjoy it.

Tom Randall started his online coaching and training platform almost ten years ago. Now thousands of dedicated climbers around the globe follow Lattice's individual training plans. They also run a popular YouTube channel.

“I am not a talented climber like the ones doing 9a’s just based rock climbing. I started creating and following training programs in order to go above 8a. It is great to see that these programs motivates climbers to reach new levels.

Do you think there is a risk for youngsters and newcomers to too early going for quick progress through programs?
We actually stopped new sign-ups of online coaching for kids below age 18 a couple of years ago as we felt that youths need a different type of support that is often more long-term beneficial in person. We mostly focus on adult climbers that have reached a plateau, or would like help with time and session management so as to reach new levels, reduce injury occurrence or just improve their longevity in the sport.

Surely, some climbers are possibly in it for short term progress and possibly we should address this more. Everyone in the Lattice coaching team are dedicated and passionate climbers (many of them semi-pro athletes from the outdoor scene or IFSC comps) that have been climbing and training for many years.

Your question is interesting and possibly we could follow up this in some way. Every climber is different and what is working really well for many could also create protential problems for others. It's so individualised! When it comes to the youth athletes, their 'in person coaches' and parents are a bit of an unknown factor and in a practical sense this can be very challenging to manage, because just like in normal life, if you have large teams working together the communication is more complex! On the other hand, a self-reliant adult working with a professional coach is a little simpler.

Marco Zanone, who in 2022 previously has done three 9a's and his first 9a+, has sent Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura, in just six sessions. (c) Andrea Zanone

Solid work! Can you tell us more about your ascent?
The first time I tried AD was at the beginning of this trip. I left Italy on the 4th of October, and after a few days to get used to the style I went to check the route. It was a grey and humid day, but still, I was very psyched to try and see how the holds on this legendary route are. Honestly, I was feeling under pressure because of the holy atmosphere you breathe, when you are staring at the line from the bottom. It’s very hard to describe the feeling. After that session, I was hooked, but conditions in Frankenjura this fall were very bad. It was raining almost every 2 days and inside the forest, it was crazy humid and damp. Sometimes the temperatures were quite high, which was almost even worse than humid and cold, because the surface of the rock was wet due to condensation. I could try the route, but not as much as I wanted and day after day I was more conscious that the chance of failure was higher than succeeding.

I ended up sending AD after six days of effort, It was also the last chance for this trip. That day the conditions were quite good, the wind was finally blowing inside the forest and the rock was stickier than ever before!! I was feeling very fit but also very very stressed out. After 3 tries falling in the middle section, I could enter the traverse part for the first time and climb all the way to the top. It’s a priceless experience being able to stand on the top of this legendary route. Thanks, Wolfgang for your vision.

Alberto Gines López won the Olympic Games and Luka Potocar the World Cup 2022. In the Red Bull Duel Ascent they are team mates for the first time. 8a got the possibility to have a chat and here are some of their interesting thoughts.

Driving force?
Luka: The feeling on the wall in front of the crowd. A great mix of feeling nervous and pure excitement. You know you have support from your family, friends, and spectators.

What about winning as the drive?
Luka: The result does not matter during that feeling. You never know when you will win. It is about focusing on the climbing and winning can come to you. In the interviews afterward. It is hard to answer: “You looked so strong?” Sometimes you perform and I know crimps and less dynamic suites me but it is also about minimizing being unlucky.

Suffering?
Very seldom I actually do not want to train. Having a bad session is anyhow about giving all I have although falling already on the tenth move. Afterward, being tired my feeling is always good and I get motivated by this.

Training?
90 % is done doing circles on a steep spraywall. My coach points out 3-4 boulder routes which I try to repeat a couple of times. Most of the time I train with Vita Lukan but there are many different climbers who join. We do five, four hours sessions a week. It is nice to go to Innsbruck climbing onsight but after two days I have done all the routes and we are back on the spray wall again. I almost never do any supplementary training. It is about fighting and doing circles on the spray wall.

Alberto joins:
You do not need a plan. It is just about climbing hard. I get upset when climbers tell me that I am not serious and that I should do this or that. I am not a coach but my personal opinion is that when you climb 8a, 8b, or even 8c you do not need a training plan. Doing hangboard session if you climb 7a is wrong. I do some injury prevention exercises in the gym and a lot of stretching but no real supplementary training. Training is easy when you are motivated and for me, it is better with friends. I always arrive home with a good feeling.

New Olympic format?
Alberto: I think the new one is better but I do not care. I just climb and I want to win more comps.
Luka: I would have preferred to have three medals. Possibly IFSC should have pushed this more.

It seems you have a different approach: Feeling (Luka) contra Winning (Alberto).
Alberto: Luka wants to win also… and they start to discuss the subject and I read Lukas comments about feelings.
Alberto: Interesting. It is good. I like it.

Alex Ventajas, who previously has done a handful 9a’s, has flashed 5 Uve (8c) in Narango. The Spaniard has been waiting for the perfect moment for a year, checking others working it, and after he watched a video of it he finally went for it.

Could you say something about the flash?
When I started climbing I wasn’t really thinking about anything, my mind was kind of blank and my body was flowing, one hold after another. All the way up I had the feeling I already knew the moves, such as when you are projecting a route and you have already metabolized the sequences.

The final crux was my only doubt because that day the weather was pretty humid and I didn’t know which of the two betas I saw would have been better. My head was working pretty fast and, at first, I decided to try catching a sloper hold but I understood I might fall because it was kind of slippery, so I rapidly changed beta bumping to catch a crimp. Everything happened so fast in that section, I found inside myself a huge motivation, a fresh energy that let me keep going without hesitation through those crimpy holds.

When I reached the good one I took a breath, reset my mind and kept climbing carefully till the top!

Yesterday, the Olympic winner Alberto Gines López spent an hour trying and obsessing on the crimpy, Poison the Well (8C+), until it got cold and dark.

15 hours later he is on the last belay station on the Red Bull Duel Ascent, watching his team mate, the 2022 World Cup winner Luka Potočar totally exhausted and sweaty going for the last and sixth 8a pitch.

“I saw Domen (Skofic) was ahead and I just told Luka to fight. Once (Jernej) had taken his unfortunate fall, possibly due to accepting a bigger risk, I had recovered and had full control although I was exhausted.”

How about making this an Olympic discipline, the spectators seem to love it?
Please No :)

Luka: It was a totally new experience. I was exhausted as if I had never been in a competition before but is was great trying to stay on the wall. But I feel bad for Jernej and Domen.

Jernej: I blame my bouldering career. We tried to go so fast in the first pitches but in the end I was just too pumped.