5 ms·

It literally says those things. It says boulder problems go up to v16, and that they aim for v10 at the comp.

jimnotgym 8y ago
To save other Europeans a Google. V10 = 7c+ font. V16 = 8c+ font. Both grades I don't even aspire to! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(bouldering)#Comparisons_of_bouldering_grades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(bouldering)#Comparisons...
- avs733 8y ago
  To save those who don't climb... I've climbed most of my life... I boulder three times a week and run 30 miles worth of trails a week . I can do pullups from my finger tips on a 'hangboard' (it's a training tool). I climbed a V5 last week and was so happy I nearly cried. These people are freaks in the most awe inspiring and amazing way I can possibly imagine. Climbing competitions are worth watching just for the sheer amazement at what the human body can be trained to do. I use them at the beginning of classes because students usually just stop talking and watch in stunned silence.
  - air7 8y ago
    > These people are freaks in the most awe inspiring and amazing way I can possibly imagine. I went to youtube to find out what you mean. Didn't need to search for long. Here's one example. I don't know what grade this is but the climb is definitely freaky. https://youtu.be/4QrvLoxFAM4?t=180 https://youtu.be/4QrvLoxFAM4?t=180
    - Fricken 8y ago
      I'm not sure there's a sport that puts so much emphasis on pushing the upper limits of human strength within a single muscle group (the fingers). Check out this video of Jan Hojer training, it really makes it clear just how ridiculously, absurdly, otherworldly strong elite boulderers can be: https://youtu.be/DFojqoAfJ7g https://youtu.be/DFojqoAfJ7g And in top competition bouldering the problems aren't just physically hard, they are also fiendishly difficult puzzles to solve.
      - japhyr 8y ago
        Those pinky levers are just amazing!
    - avs733 8y ago
      Have fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYgDT9fSiAs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYgDT9fSiAs
  - bmj 8y ago
    Having seen a national level competition up close and personal (and seen very good boulderers do V13+ on real rock), the most impressive thing to experience is their sheer determination. Yes, you can tell they are trying hard when watching a video, but it's just different seeing it in person.
    - avs733 8y ago
      I totally agree. One of the spider monkey's at my gym explained that my basic 'problem' was I can't will myself to deploy more force when I need. I asked how to fix that and he kinda shrugged and just said 'I mean you just pull harder'. That was disheartening.
      - Fricken 8y ago
        When you have many years of climbing under your belt, and you have a deep well of muscle memory to draw from, pulling at your absolute limit becomes a matter of will. It's really apparent with someone like Adam Ondra, who has been climbing hard for 20 years. He'll get spit off of a problem a half dozen times and then suck up these elemental forces of nature and crank through it. I mean, he's a genetic freak amongst the upper eschelons of strong, he's more flexible than any top climber today, his ability to climb swiftly with technical precision is the best I've ever seen, but the real X factor that puts him head and shoulders above the rest might just be that he tries harder than anyone else.
      - scarecrowbob 8y ago
        If it is any consolation, I am 3 months into returning to climbing after a 15 year hiatus.... I feel that this "push harder" thing is a feeling that can be learned. Like, when I am moving at near the limits of what I can do, I've been finding that I can just trust my body to do certain things that I don't think it can do (mostly having to do with pulling on very smooth slopers or feeling my feet doing way more pulling than I was previously able to muster). Simply knowing that I "can" do thing that I did not think I could do has opened up a variety of possibilities. I dunno if it is any help, but I find that pre-visualization immediately before starting helps immensely.

To save other Europeans a Google. V10 = 7c+ font. V16 = 8c+ font. Both grades I don't even aspire to! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(bouldering)#Comparisons_of_bouldering_grades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(bouldering)#Comparisons...

avs733 8y ago
To save those who don't climb... I've climbed most of my life... I boulder three times a week and run 30 miles worth of trails a week . I can do pullups from my finger tips on a 'hangboard' (it's a training tool). I climbed a V5 last week and was so happy I nearly cried. These people are freaks in the most awe inspiring and amazing way I can possibly imagine. Climbing competitions are worth watching just for the sheer amazement at what the human body can be trained to do. I use them at the beginning of classes because students usually just stop talking and watch in stunned silence.
- air7 8y ago
  > These people are freaks in the most awe inspiring and amazing way I can possibly imagine. I went to youtube to find out what you mean. Didn't need to search for long. Here's one example. I don't know what grade this is but the climb is definitely freaky. https://youtu.be/4QrvLoxFAM4?t=180 https://youtu.be/4QrvLoxFAM4?t=180
  - Fricken 8y ago
    I'm not sure there's a sport that puts so much emphasis on pushing the upper limits of human strength within a single muscle group (the fingers). Check out this video of Jan Hojer training, it really makes it clear just how ridiculously, absurdly, otherworldly strong elite boulderers can be: https://youtu.be/DFojqoAfJ7g https://youtu.be/DFojqoAfJ7g And in top competition bouldering the problems aren't just physically hard, they are also fiendishly difficult puzzles to solve.
    - japhyr 8y ago
      Those pinky levers are just amazing!
  - avs733 8y ago
    Have fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYgDT9fSiAs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYgDT9fSiAs
- bmj 8y ago
  Having seen a national level competition up close and personal (and seen very good boulderers do V13+ on real rock), the most impressive thing to experience is their sheer determination. Yes, you can tell they are trying hard when watching a video, but it's just different seeing it in person.
  - avs733 8y ago
    I totally agree. One of the spider monkey's at my gym explained that my basic 'problem' was I can't will myself to deploy more force when I need. I asked how to fix that and he kinda shrugged and just said 'I mean you just pull harder'. That was disheartening.
    - Fricken 8y ago
      When you have many years of climbing under your belt, and you have a deep well of muscle memory to draw from, pulling at your absolute limit becomes a matter of will. It's really apparent with someone like Adam Ondra, who has been climbing hard for 20 years. He'll get spit off of a problem a half dozen times and then suck up these elemental forces of nature and crank through it. I mean, he's a genetic freak amongst the upper eschelons of strong, he's more flexible than any top climber today, his ability to climb swiftly with technical precision is the best I've ever seen, but the real X factor that puts him head and shoulders above the rest might just be that he tries harder than anyone else.
    - scarecrowbob 8y ago
      If it is any consolation, I am 3 months into returning to climbing after a 15 year hiatus.... I feel that this "push harder" thing is a feeling that can be learned. Like, when I am moving at near the limits of what I can do, I've been finding that I can just trust my body to do certain things that I don't think it can do (mostly having to do with pulling on very smooth slopers or feeling my feet doing way more pulling than I was previously able to muster). Simply knowing that I "can" do thing that I did not think I could do has opened up a variety of possibilities. I dunno if it is any help, but I find that pre-visualization immediately before starting helps immensely.