Microbeta: The Difference Between Failing and Sailing
If I had a great British pound for every time I’ve seen a subtle change in foothold position, or the slight adjustment on a handhold unlock a boulder problem, I would be a truly wealthy man. 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. We’re interacting with a different climb every time, and we are rarely on the same climb for too long. If we had one piece of equipment, like a pool table or a golf club and ball, we would have so fewer variables to control. But in climbing, the whole surface of the rock is the canvas, EVEN when it appears blank! I’ve seen hidden footholds found, handholds used in unique ways and everything in between that made the difference on a boulder problem. So with all of these possibilities available to us, how do we find the key that unlocks the door?
Micro and Macro
So let’s firstly define what microbeta is. Microbeta can be a subtle movement tweak; a shift of the hips, or leaning a little more in a certain direction. It can be a change to foot or hand position, angle or orientation. These changes will generally be small in dimension, and also appear small in their significance, until they work! Microbeta is any minute or seemingly inconsequential change to beta that could have an impact on a move. We’re not talking about using a different handhold, or rocking over instead of dropkneeing, we’re talking about the tiny changes that most people wouldn’t even look to make!
Spot the Micro
So how do we spot these pieces of microbeta? Well firstly, put a magnifying glass on the boulder. This is something we look at at length in Mastering Stone, but it’s simply getting physically as close as you can to the pieces of rock you’re attached to, to find the optimal place to stand or hold. Even the most ‘obvious’ handholds or footholds have nuances, and involve subtlety. Next is to film yourself; review attempts and look closely at the angle of your feet or your hands or your hips, and compare to your other attempts or to other climbers successfully completing the climb. This will give you a reference point and allow you to see what you could be doing differently. The next thing to try is slowing your climbing down, and not rushing to decide on the beta for a move, even when it works. Analyse the move and ask “can I do this more easily?”. Even 2% extra on a couple of moves is enough to tip the scales in your favour. Get friends or a coach to observe you and look for possible changes to what you’re doing. Even just having an outside opinion is of value, even if it’s just as a sounding board.
Review and Reflect
Crucially with finding and refining micro beta, you need to review and reflect on each attempt. And again the magnifying glass analogy holds true. Instead of reviewing the whole attempt, pick one move that you’re struggling with most, and delve into that. Look at ways you can change foot position, or hand angle, or grip type. Finding the variables to change is the key. Try something, see if it felt better or worse, and then try something else. It’s akin to cooking. Yes there are recipes (common beta), but there are often variations or preferences that people make to suit their tastes. The more variables you look for, the more bouldering actually opens up to you and becomes about problem solving and experimenting.
Lastly, on your next longer term project, think about building a beta bank. A store of beta for the climb, with notes on positions felt, holds experimented with and everything in between. Every detail you experimented with on the climb, list it. Read through your notes regularly and you’ll quite likely find yourself jotting down more questions about the climb than you expected. Next session I should try X, or Y. Those are the things that make projecting fun, and allow you to find the best beta for you as quickly as possible! Embrace the puzzle.
Eliot.