The seasons, just like our climbing, are constantly changing. We are moving  between hot and cold periods in our climbing as summer moves into autumn.  Sometimes everything is going well and we are rested and firing on all cylinders; other times we feel slow, sluggish and overtrained. But that’s part of life, and part of the cycle. Our task as climbers is to read ourselves and these ‘seasons’ and know when to pivot into the next!

There is still a misconception amongst climbers that slab has very little transfer to steeper forms of climbing. I have found this to be demonstrably untrue, in that some of the best climbers I know, all excel on a slab. But why? What skills that they have honed on slab, translate to steeper climbing? Let’s try and step into it… 

Climbing is certainly not a game of inches, it’s a game of millimetres. We have possibly more possibilities and orientations available to us on rock climbs than perhaps any other sport. So with all of these possibilities available to us, how do we find the key that unlocks the door?

Knowing when to stick or twist is one of the most difficult things to do in projecting, especially when it’s something you’re obsessed with.

Fighting the weather and conditions is an uphill struggle in bouldering, and many times produces an experience that needn’t have been so involved and frustrating. So how do we try to work with nature a little more, and not fight it?

Mismanaging rest during an outdoor bouldering session is one of the most common mistakes I see climbers make. But why is this lack of rest so crippling? Let’s break it down, and look at different strategies for resting during a session. 

Bouldering outside differs in so many ways from modern gym  climbing, and the gap is only getting larger! With macros and enormous volumes taking centre stage, crimps and foot jibs on steeper walls fading away, and gym grades getting softer than a chocolate teapot, the transition to outdoor bouldering is only getting tougher. 

How we structure our sessions is hugely important in determining our success. The more we plan, perfect and reflect on our process, the more successful we become.

Walking away from a boulder is one of the hardest things to practice in bouldering. It feels like quitting, and nobody likes to quit. But in reality, it’s one of the biggest skills, and practicing it offers a huge number of benefits, as well as avoiding a bunch of very frustrating problems!

A look at a few key things we can do, to not only improve our chances of the flash, but then if we whiff on that, still have the presence of mind and psyche to finish the boulder!