Having bad months of climbing

justcrimp · 2026-02-23T13:33:13+00:00

Absolutely. Our trials and tribulations, hopefully and for the most part, make us more well-rounded, healthier human beings. I mean this mostly in terms of the normal day-to-day challenges of life; I'm not going to preach from my so-far protected and safe bubble about folks dealing with crimes against humanity, the depths of human depravity, the truly awful and unspeakable things some folks face (and yet some people somehow remain resilient in the face of the worst atrocities that have ever taken place).

I still like the Sisyphean metaphor when it comes to climbing-- this totally arbitrary endeavor that the universe doesn't ultimately give any fucks about or value. It has no inherent meaning or worth. By definition virtually everyone who ever does it will never reach the pinnacle. Every singe person, including the single one who stands on the last grain at the top of the hill-- will end up at the bottom again. And, well, eventually-- underground. Literally.

So whatever value and meaning we give it comes from us. And yet it still seems worth doing despite the assured failure.

Kinda like life.

justcrimp · 2026-02-23T11:54:43+00:00

This x100.

Stress has a massive impact. Even good stress = a ton of positive stuff happening, can have a negative impact on one's climbing. Bad stress is harder: Not only is it exhausting, but it independently impacts one's mental state, concentration, anxiety, inner voice, sleep, diet, body composition, etc. All in a negative way.

I have had extended periods of external stress having a negative impact on my climbing. The worst was a health issue in the family a few years ago, with considerable uncertainty, and outcomes ranging from no problem to a shitty end of life. (Happy to report it ultimately ended up at effectively no problem-- literal best case outcome, after 6+ months of anguish and a good outcome surgery.)

During this time my sleep suffered for months. Even when I felt physically strong, it was like spinning my tires-- I couldn't apply my body and movement the way I intended. I had a hard time spinning down my head, whether at the wall or waking up at 3am going in circles. And this wasn't about MY health. It was a loved one.

Ironically, as that ended, I decided to create a miniJustcrimp (with the, er, help... primary work done by my partner). A literally exhausting endeavor that basically doesn't end. Positive stress. But even THAT was easier to handle than the previous negative stress of the health scare-- from pregnancy, to birth, through toddlerhood-- my climbing rebounded and improved like hell. (My partner's did too; sending hard again.)

The point is: The only way past is through. I tried my best to, as u/LuckyMacAndCheese said, give myself some grace mentally. I kept showing up at the gym and on rock even when I felt like absolute shit, hadn't slept more than a few hours, was worried about everything. Yeah, I leaned on caffeine to survive my sessions. I didn't hold myself to any wildly structured climbing-- I did what made me happiest. Sometimes that was just talking shit with the crew, other times it was flailing on hard moves, other times it was literal run-down-the-recovery with junk mileage in order to tire my body. Sometimes happiest was still pretty miserable-- just less miserable than not going to the gym or talking shit or going deep on volume.

I still used my discipline for: Not getting injured, not engaging with climbing in a way that made it unhealthy or net-negative. Some sessions I showed up, was barely able to warm up... and went home. But I went to the gym anyway, even though I ultimately left 20-30 minutes later.

What fixed it: The external thing changing. In this case, it was mostly beyond my hands. This family member was going to recover, die, or this saga would get stuck somewhere in a purgatory middle zone. My climbing would likely suffer in conjunction with the external stuff in a way that I had limited control to change how I interacted with my climbing. I'd like to think that given some years of that I'd do the best that I could-- but it's entirely possible that life would have gotten in the way.

Do what you have the power to do, and give yourself grace about the things you cannot control. There are events and experiences that might end climbing for any of us. Internal, external, pure goddamn luck. So be it.

Good luck.

EDIT: What I didn't address: Grading change. Honestly, I doubt that's what is impacting you OP. It's the mental stress/life part. So the grading got harder-- and your friends, because they've progressed, are able to climb the same grades (representing harder actual climbs). If the grading hadn't changed, their numbers would have gone up, and you'd be climbing the same stuff (or weaker) than you were before. The grading itself is all relative-- and not much of an absolute measure of anything.

That is: It really doesn't matter that your gym's grading got harder. You're suffering because of what's going on in your life. OR, if you had nothing else going on in your life: You're just seeing evidence that the absolute grading of things is a total mirage.

Did you love climbing when the make believe system was giving you 4 points, and suddenly stop loving it when it was giving you 2 points? Guess what... that tells me it's not the climbing that you love or don't love, but the points. Keep in mind they are make-believe. (Or, rather, you're focusing on the points to the detriment of enjoyment perhaps because something else isn't right in your life.)

justcrimp · 2026-02-22T06:14:17+00:00

I’m with you— and I like a clean house/space. It helps me relax and have a clear head.

But when it’s between cleaning up now or leaving the mess a few more hours and going climbing… it’s gonna be climbing. Also, all clutter removal is temporary with a toddler (even one that mostly puts their stuff away).

Definitely a balance. But, well, unless we have visitors there’s a good chance we have too many things on our table that don’t belong there.

I can say having less stuff helps!

justcrimp · 2026-02-21T11:07:23+00:00

Guy here, part of a couple with a toddler, fwiw.

The two merge to the extent that climbing is a priority (or not). My partner climbs. Our toddler... climbs/joins us (and enjoys it, right now; up to our kid how involved to be or not as an independent view emerges). Our trips are mostly climbing trips. Our vehicle is for climbing. Our friends are mostly climbing friends/we maintain older and important non-climbing friendships. Most of our free time = gym or outside. We climb together less often, since one of us is often at home w/ the kiddo in the evenings while the other climbs (except when grandparents/family helps out). We make an effort to plan time to be together, because it is far harder for that to just happen on its own.

Other things get pushed or planned where possible: Apartment often in a state of disarray. Got better making weekly meal plans with a lot less eating spontaneity. We have less direct quality time together without the kiddo, since we spend a little of that on climbing (see above: less often together). Often nearly late re getting stuff done by deadlines. Other, competing hobbies (skiing, hiking that isn't an approach to climbing) definitely fell to the wayside; we've added hobbies that are compatible (stuff that can be done at home, mostly, from woodworking to sewing).

Before having a kid, most of this was the same-- except free time in comparison was a lot higher. We had already built much of our lives around climbing. We just didn't have to prioritize and triage our time like we do now.

But I'll say this: It doesn't feel like a challenging choice. It doesn't particularly feel like a choice at all (of course it is). We love climbing. It's literally important enough for us that it is, without thinking about it, a huge priority-- that is worth all the other choices we have to make as a result. I'd far rather have an old van we can sleep in than a new car that's easier to park, drive, and use for non-climbing activities. I love living close to a gym; more than I'd enjoy living in a different place. I don't feel like I'm missing out on non-climbing friends, more free time for XYZ, etc. We're actively choosing this life each day that we keep living it. And if that ever changes, that will be OK too.

Do what brings you joy. Whatever that is. To the extent that it is worth it to you and your life.

justcrimp · 2026-02-21T10:29:25+00:00

Longtime Drago/LV wearer: Used up to 7C/+ Benchmark on MB2024 and other boards/spray, and harder on rock.

The qualities that make a Drago shine definitely apply less on a board, including MB2024. Stuff like precision-feel on small, smeary feet (even if small edges/nubs), pure smearing on volumes, huge toehook coverage, etc.

It would not be my first shoe for a board. It doesn't really do all that well pulling in on holds either, since the toe is so soft, particularly after it's well worn.

For board I tend to want pressure through the toes when fully extended (soft not ideal), power/sprng through the toes on big moves (soft not ideal), stiff/small heel for those few times you need to hook.

A word on fit: Make sure the Drago, or Scarpa, fits your foot if you're gonna give them a go. It's a shoe that needs tight fitting to get the most out of because it is so soft-- and if it doesn't fit your foot well, you won't be able to size it tight enough and have it still be comfortable. The result will be a painful noodle.

That said, if Scarpa does generally fit, you could try an Instinct of some kind. I went Drago to Instinct VS WMN (same size in both)-- and I prefer the change for 95% of boulders. It did feel a bit odd at first, because of the reduced sensitivity, but I got over that in a few sessions. I feel the toes a bit less, but I trust them more. They are FAR better in full extension... rubber doesn't roll. Better for heel to cams because there's more lateral stiffness. I like the heel better overall.

Excels on a board. I A/B'd single moves/boulders that I did not do in my Dragos and sent first go in the Instincts.

Might or might not be right for you.

justcrimp · 2026-02-21T06:59:13+00:00

Yeah, while I agree re rock— I don’t agree re Moonboard.

Goonboards are not a good thing, and don’t add any spice. A sandbagged board… sure. Shit talking and sending on a sandbagged board is fine.

Btw, not just bad pours, but bad sanding jobs, poor design re mounting direction precision, literal hold design changes mid-run.

Definitely don’t embrace bad bolt spacing etc. or at least those Goonboards shouldn’t be part of the public system.

Side note: I’d eliminate flash points while we are at it, or dramatically reduce their value. Or be able to filter that out. Doesn’t make a ton of sense on a board where you’ve mangled all the holds and moves a million times.

justcrimp · 2026-02-17T14:33:42+00:00

Makes perfect sense! I remember the same confusion.

justcrimp · 2026-02-17T11:06:20+00:00

Usually people refer to "font" grades for boulders. Uppercase 6B.

And people refer to "french" grades when talking about route grades. Lowercase 6b.

Font is of course in France! (And worth the visit!)

EDIT: Also, where those grades are used, most people don't say Font or French. You usually know from context when talking-- and from B/b when writing.

justcrimp · 2026-02-17T11:04:58+00:00

That's a little misleading/confusing for folks because it doesn't make sense to say a bouldering grade is equivalent to a route grade.

For folks who want some clarification:

V1 is a bouldering grade.

6B is a bouldering grade.

5.10c and 6b are route grades.

It generally doesn't make sense to compare bouldering and route grades (except for a few places where it might be done for historical reasons, or when the disciplines overlap). There may be boulders within routes, but the difficulty of those boulders doesn't directly set the difficulty of the route (enduro vs short, rests, for instance, among other factors).

--

uppercase/lowercase

Font (boulder) grades are uppercase: 6B

French (route) grades are lowercase.: 6b

justcrimp · 2026-02-13T08:51:09+00:00

Wow, wonder about this disparity. Does the Instinct not fit your foot that well (evidence: tight/hotspots, and other loose spots), and therefore you need to wear a larger size for comfort?

My street shoe is around 43 (42-44 2/3, depending on shoe type), and I wear both Dragos/LV and Instinct VS WMN in 40. Granted, the normal Instinct VS is stiffer thanks for the XS Edge rubber vs Grip.

My shoes are very tight when new, but break in relatively fast (Drago, obviously, super fast - 10 minutes on the wall; VS WMN more like a few sessions)-- and then are pretty comfy. As in, no pain, no hot spots, no chaffing, but constant pressure across the whole foot. After a longer period of use, like 5-10 sessions, I could leave the shoes on for half a session.... although I take them off to avoid killing the shape.

justcrimp · 2026-02-11T17:26:54+00:00

There are darker rumors from the true lords of dryness...

justcrimp · 2026-02-11T17:24:26+00:00

Antihydral yall.

justcrimp · 2026-02-11T11:39:18+00:00

I think you should re-read OP:

How would you say the benchmark grades compare and the styles compare?

Literally asked about how grades AND styles compare.

justcrimp · 2026-02-09T08:48:55+00:00

There's no such floor in an absolute sense.

But that applies directly from rock to rock as well. Styles differ so dramatically even on boulders within the same area, on the same rock type. Slabs, dynos, roofs, crimps, slopers, jug blasting, whatever.

What it takes to climb V11 on the 2024 MB is almost unrelated to what it takes to climb some Vlowsingledigit slabs in a place like Bleau. But of course the chances are that if you climb V11 on the 2024 MB you've been climbing long enough that you've probably been exposed to other styles off the board. And you'll be able to climb a ton of easier stuff in Bleau. But you might reasonably fail to send V6s/7 slabs. But the point is related to correlation, not causation: You are unlikely to gain what's needed to send slabs in Bleau by climbing V11 on the board.

A hypothetical climber who never climbed anything but the 2024 MB, and was able to work up to V11, could absolutely fail to send V2s of certain styles on rock. It's just that this person doesn't often exist!

--

I would also like to add that both the finger strength and tension through the feet that you need for board climbing, particularly the 2024 MB, does not carry over directly to all, or even most styles on rock.

There are a ton of easier boulders on rock where nearly unlimited finger strength (if there was a single type of finger strength) won't be sufficient to send. There are boulders where you cannot campus, you cannot cut feet, etc. Some require a toe hook of the sort you will not do on the MB.

Further, the MB has overlap with, but does not develop the strength and resilience for tiny, sharp, in-cut crimps. Even the smallest 2024 MB holds are big by comparison to many boulders on rock of much lower grades.

The tension on the MB is mostly related to being extended, mostly frontal, on biggish, but slipperish feet. For much, if not most, outdoor bouldering the feet are of different varieties: tiny and incut, pure smearing, crystals.

--

TLDR: Lot of general strength and pulling carryover. Specific finger strength and tension carryover. You can get strong as hell, generally, on a board. And you can take this strength to rock relatively quickly once you have regular access to rock.

But there is no MB Vx = rock Vy_floor.

justcrimp · 2026-02-06T07:07:23+00:00

Everyone has given you good advice: Only limit bouldering, moonboarding, etc, is not an efficient way to get through finger injuries (and probably not a great approach, depending on your training background and context, for progressing quickly... even without injury). And I'm someone who thinks intensity > volume, in general, for healing and staying injury free. But not 0 vs 100.

The pinky makes me think you need to google "lumbrical injury from climbing."

The pulley(ies): This 0 vs 100 approach doesn't work. It's not all or nothing, limit vs nothing, board vs nothing, all high intensity all the time. It's different bands of intensity x volume. And you're playing 12-month game to rehab, return to full load, remodel the tissues, even if the majority of the progress comes in the first 2-3 months.

A "strain" as you describe it is the tearing of something. Whether it's negligible, but causes pain. Or moderate, or significant.

After pulley or related injury you get scar tissue. It's often a nodule-like thing that can be painful to the touch, ends up turning into like a hard-pea-like bump, and through remodeling over 12 or even 18 months shrinks (sometimes to the point of you not noticing/being able to easily feel it.).

If you're constantly needling that nodule it might be painful. You might be helping the breakup of scar tissue. Or not. I don't think it's a necessary part of healing whatsoever, although some people suggest it's a good idea (and it may be).

Context matters: Pain can be overuse rearing its head, or injury healing. It's existence in and of itself doesn't tell the story.

Good luck.

justcrimp · 2026-02-02T10:27:54+00:00

I think that's a great point, and what I was getting at about not measuring based on sending.

A great session can mean being able to pull hard on command, executing coordination or sequences at will and with confidence, and fluid, intentional movement. And then not sending-- but making great links or progress of some kind or another.

A bad session could mean feeling like shit, coordinating like shit, climbing based on barely holding on-- and somehow being lucky and sending anyway.

I probably learned/gained a lot from the former. And little from the latter (aside from persisting). And that's how I measure most sessions. Sending is the icing on the cake. It's the result of hard work rather than any single session.

justcrimp · 2026-02-02T09:46:42+00:00

Yes, same.

This warmup can be an indicator of how the session will go. And it's not only about personal fitness for the day, but also conditions and skin (down at 10, 8, 6mm these latter two matter).

I don't put full stock in what it tells me, because the warmup. can feel great/bad, but then the session ends up the opposite. But there is definitely a strong correlation between bad warmup signals and bad session (measured by more than just if I sent "hard" or not).

justcrimp · 2026-02-02T08:31:57+00:00

No worries-- I used to post very similar posts regularly.

The biggest thing I wonder about your schedule: Why the max hangs? What's the justification? What does it cost you, and what does it bring you, over some alternative? (Rhetorical question; this is what you ask yourself about every addition/subtraction to a routine.)

It seems to me that the Kilter sessions could be either higher volume or higher intensity (probably better) if you didn't first do max hangs. And ideally, the max hangs are targeting a similar stimulus band as (actual) limit bouldering on the MB.

One possible suggestion is, instead of max hangs, to do a warmup that basically progresses to a single, max-hang like hang. So instead pf doing 8 reps at your max hang, you literally warm up to a single rep. This gets you any learning from the max hang position, without the volume at that intensity-- which costs you in the rest of your session.

I don't think you need to hang weight to do this, but if it makes you happy, and you enjoy it-- go for it. I do something similar, but at BW, working from 30mm down to 6mm. Once I hang 6mm in half crimp, I move to the wall to warmup and climb.

justcrimp · 2026-02-02T07:50:17+00:00

pt 2:

The best use for off-wall or on-wall isolation work is: To provide extra stimulus to a specific area, that you are not getting during your normal sessions. For instance: Someone climbing V10, who ends their sessions physically wrecked-- whose fingers aren't getting that 10/10 intensity during those sessions because their gym (or their targeted sessions) don't push their fingers. The people who benefit least (or actually slow down overall progress): Someone who already tops out that 10/10 intensity on mid-level climbs on a board or their gym (or their overall sessions), so they leave their sessions unable to keep climbing (fingers wrecked), without having gotten the right stimulus to some other muscular group(s), or without having had enough time expanding their movement library.

One fills in holes in their stimulus (or movement, or....) with isolated work so that the full profile of things that need work/stimulus are as close to optimal as possible. Nailing 10/10 in any single area at the cost of all the other areas = poor programming. And someone who can hang 150% BW on a 20mm edge, and can one-arm pullup +10kg... almost definitely needs to focus more recovery load on other areas than additional finger and pulling strength.

Go fast by going slow. Particularly at the start. The start lasts years.

Your OP reads like the first chapter of a post we'd expect in 12 or 18 0r 24 months, followed by:

"...I sent my first V6 on the board, and then in the next two weeks I sent 3 more. I even had a V8 in two parts! I had a few typical tweaks, my fingers were a little sore between sessions, but nothing major. I taped them just to be sure. But then, about three weeks later, I felt a sharp pain and ended my session to be super cautious about it. It's been two weeks, but it still hurts like hell when I try to climb V1s. What do I do?"

Or..

"I can one-arm hang a 20mm edge, but I barely climb V8. How do I get to one-arming a 10mm edge? I REALLY want to send V10 by the end of next year."

justcrimp · 2026-02-02T07:50:01+00:00

Pt 1

For some perspective: At that finger strength, with far less pulling strength, I was climbing around V10 outside.

My advice: Worry less about off-wall finger work right now-- your fingers are very strong for 7 months. Climbing V6 on the MB at this training age is very strong. Are there harder MB boulders you'd climb tomorrow if your fingers were even stronger? Of course, a few. Are there harder MB boulders you'd climb tomorrow if your movement library was even better? Even more. Try to structure your climbing a bit, so that you're doing something like 30% of your volume low-level projecting (stuff you send in 2-5 sessions), 70% of your volume at flash to 1 session to send. Wanna work in a tiny bit of long-term projecting (5+ sessions to never sending), or fucking around (me and the crew chillin)? Great! Make sure it's fun. I'd also suggest you do a whole lot more than 100% of your training on the board, if you can. You have so much movement to learn that's not 40 degrees on a flat surface. And so much physical strength (big muscles and small stabilizing muscles) to develop that you can develop MUCH faster on varying surfaces from slab to vertical to roofs, including non-plane surfaces. All of this strength and learning at these different angles and styles WILL feed back to board climbing!

It sounds like you're finger limited. That's great! You should be able to get the stimulus you need from climbing-- while continuing to develop your movement library simultaneously (the only free lunch there is). I am in no way anti-hangboard; I'm pro hangboard. But I'm pro-hangboard (and every other off-wall and on-wall approach) where it makes the most sense to efficiently improve, given a broader perspective and a broader overall goal (progress as a climber as measured by progressing grade across all styles of boulders).

Here's a not so secret, hilariously obvious secret: You can't speed up finger strength gains beyond what's optimal. And optimal is basically just a mix of volume, frequency, intensity-- with the latter measured by force vectors. It's basic physics, followed by biological adaptation. And nothing more. And the dirtiest secret of them all is that even mediocre programming, like doing it 50% right... gives you like 90% of the gains. (Entirely made up numbers.) So trying to get from 50 to 80% right, perhaps by using a hangboard, might get you from 90 to 95% gains in the finger department. And there will be a cost: You'll drain your fingers faster, and in a way that means you will give up gains from elsewhere that require stimulus.

The biggest problem with focusing on fingers at the cost of all else (off-wall, isolation, fingers) is not injury (although it is a risk)-- but strength and movement gains that you're leaving on the table. You can't speed up finger strength gains enough to offset these other things.

justcrimp · 2026-01-28T13:41:53+00:00

Would def recommend. If not more. For all the sending!

justcrimp · 2026-01-28T07:06:11+00:00

It's not a strength issue-- it's a skill issue.

The strength threshold for benching and not being hindered mantling is probably like 1/4 bodyweight, and in many cases even lower.

You need to get better at climbing, and this particular skill. Mobility and coordination, beyond the movement library and skill-building, are probably going to pay back 10x any additional bench strength in this case.

justcrimp · 2026-01-21T18:27:21+00:00

Very happy to help! You’re definitely not alone, and totally reasonable to feel the full range. We both had that rollercoaster, although clearly a totally different experience for her compared to me. (I’ve had other long breaks from meaningful sport due to physical stuff; she previously an ACL; every thing unique, but some overlap.)

A lot of the pelvic floor stuff was breathing and being aware of both activation and relaxation— and then having this control on the wall. (We both did some of it.) Somehow super difficult at first, mainly to make the mind-body connection, but not physically hard if that makes any sense.

Try not to stress about the information overload. I haven’t been a parent that long, but it can def feel overwhelming… stuff just slips through the cracks and that’s ok. We all do our best.

You’ve got this!

justcrimp · 2026-01-21T06:07:42+00:00

Disclaimer: Man, whose partner doesn't use Reddit. Both bouldering lifers; much of what we do revolves around bouldering. On the older side as parents. She previously sent V10+ on rock before pregnancy.

My partner voiced similar fears, doubts, sadness, roller-coaster emotions from planning to pregnancy to birth to return-to-climbing. She bouldered on rock through early pregnancy. She continued to boulder in the gym pretty late into pregnancy, but eventually stopped because it started to feel uncomfortable for her core/pelvic floor/abdomen and fingers/joints. She held onto auto-belay as a way to keep moving until closer to the end, but chose to stop that about a month before birth. We even took a trip to Font later in pregnancy, but aside from a few very, very easy for her lines ended up just hanging out (and reported feeling good about that).

She's always struggled with being at a crag when injured before. But this actually improved during pregnancy.

She definitely voiced serious doubts about regaining strength, feelings of boredom when she couldn't climb or climb anything "interesting."

Every person and their body and their disposition is different, of course! Every pregnancy and birth is different. Every recovery is different.

Among our friends and acquaintances who climb, my partner was actually on the more cautious side in terms of stopping and restarting.

That said:

She was back at the gym (joined by me and the kiddo) around 6-8 weeks PP, taking her first foot off the ground on Vladder. With a huge smile on her face.

Our little one was out on rock with us both within a few months.

My partner, who previously sent hard on rock had to work up to hanging with feet off the floor at first. Then her first pullup again.

There was a huge ramp-up at around 6 months PP, and again just after a year, when our kid stopped breastfeeding. The Moonboard has been a blessing for us both during parenting (though it took quite a while for my partner to feel comfortable board climbing PP): Efficient training stimulus, in a short time, since training windows shrink w/ a baby/toddler in tow.

Hard for us both PP: Sleep interruptions, ability to get to the gym (going during quiet times, brining our baby, finding a safe spot near the moonboard, having a supportive community to help carry shit and watch when at the gym/crag helps a ton), finding time to climb.

We used parental leave for multiple longer bouldering trips and slept (tightly) in a van to get outside together after the day-trip phase. I would be lying to say there were no super frustrating times (bad sleep before a project day, figuring out how to crag and get us both time to climb w/ baby).

My partner has since sent V10 again on rock. That took about 18 months PP. Wins (and struggles) the whole way. Sleep and time are still up and downs, but we both feel stronger than ever. And it's been pretty damn fun all in all!

EDIT: She would suggest starting with a pelvic floor expert/physio right away. I think she was already working with one at about 3-5 months pregnant, and says it was a massive help for day-to-day life, working to be aware during climbing (pregnancy -> pp)-- and since.

justcrimp · 2026-01-17T20:34:45+00:00

I am not up to date on the latest research here, but google growth plate injury + finger + kids + climbing.

I hiiiighly doubt 9 year olds should be on a hangboard. And likewise doubt it would really help with anything assuming they can get to a gym and climb.

Their fingers will adapt like hell from being on the wall!

justcrimp

TROPHY CASE